10 



the addition of a harmful substance, where no particular benefit is 

 secured thereby, and where there is no disturbance of the normal 

 state of health, there can be no possible excuse of a valid nature to 

 offer for the exhibition of even minute quantities. That these 

 minute quantities would not be dangerous in so far as producing 

 any fatal effect is concerned is conceded, but that in the end they 

 do not produce an injury even in these small quantities is certainly 

 to be denied. The course of safety, therefore, in all these cases is 

 to guard the opening of the door. If the admission of small quan- 

 tities is permitted, then there can never be any agreement among 

 experts or others respecting the magnitude of the small quantity, 

 and continued litigation and disagreement must follow. On the 

 other hand, when the harmfulness of any substance which it is pro- 

 posed to add to food is established and no reason for its use can be 

 given other than the convenience, carelessness, or indifference of 

 the manufacturer, the exclusion of such bodies entirely from food 

 products follows as a logical sequence and a hygienic necessity. 



GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 



In the conclusions based upon the general observations the same 

 conservatism must be observed, together with the same general 

 reservations respecting the conclusions that are found in Part I con- 

 cerning boric acid and borax. While, as described in the borax 

 report, the attempt has been made to control, as far as possible, 

 all the conditions of the experimental work, the difficulties attend- 

 ing the task are so enormous that it is not possible that complete 

 success should be secured. There has, however, been no attempt 

 made to discriminate in the choice of data, all the observations 

 being recorded and the discussion of the individual data based upon 

 the tabular statements being given without prejudice and without 

 bias. The general assumption has been made, as in the previous 

 case, that by reason of the regular habits of life which were imposed 

 upon the subjects the amount of energy developed and the quan- 

 tity of nourishment expended therein are reasonably constant 

 thruout the experimental period. If these factors vary, as they 

 necessarily must to a certain degree, it is evident that they vary 

 uniformly above or below the average, and hence these variations 

 could not possibly produce any notable effect upon the final result. 



There has been a general consensus of opinion among scientific men, 

 including the medical profession, that salicylic acid and its compounds 

 are very harmful substances, and the prejudice against this particular 

 form of preservative is perhaps greater than against any other mate- 

 rial used for preserving foods. This is due not only to the belief in the 

 injurious character of salicylic acid, but perhaps is especially due to 

 the fact that it has in the past been so generally used as an antiseptic. 



