1058 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



albuminates and is only slightly assimilable. For twenty-eight years the custom of 

 greening has been followed and there is no recorded accident. 



Many foods, notably chocolate, contain copper in larger quantities than greened 

 preserves. 



The existence of lead in the tinning and solder of the cans is a much more serious 

 danger, coming, as it does, into contact with the liquid contents. 



Since copper exists in the animal and in many useful foods, sometimes in larger 

 quantity than in greened preserves ; since an experience of twenty-eight years fur- 

 nishes no example of accident, and influenced by the interests of the canning indus- 

 try, it is resolved that there is no reason for interdicting the process of copper green- 

 ing so long as an established limit is observed. 



After a discussion between Drs. Kanse, Gautier, and Galippe the 

 society unanimously adopted the report. 



The most ardent partisan of the absolute iimocuousiiess of copper and 

 its salts was Dr. L. M. Y. Galippe, whose extended researches it can 

 not be denied have shed much light on the toxic nature of copper, as 

 well as furnished most powerful arguments for the interested canners. 



In 1875 he published in book form 1 a study of the physiological action 

 of copper salts. He concluded from experiments upon dogs that, apart 

 from the temporary emetic, etc., eftect of large doses, these salts were 

 not poisonous. 



In 1878 appeared his paper 2 on the use of copper vessels in cookery, in 

 which he endeavored to show that no harm was to be apprehended from 

 such use. His statements may be summed up as follows: 



The object of this paper is not to show that cookery performed in copper vessels 

 is superior to any other, but that it is devoid of the dangers usually attributed to 

 it. The prejudice against this m etal has gone so far in the past that in Sweden, 

 nnder Queen Christina, a statue was erected to Prof. Schoffer, who had been largely 

 instrumental in securing a prohibition of the culinary use of copper pots and pans. 



For fourteen mouths I had all the food of my family cooked in copper vessels, and 

 my diet was as varied as possible. No tro uble was experienced by anyone, women, 

 children, or visitors. If, however, there was no trouble there were certain incon- 

 veniences. Food, especially fjftty articles, thus cooked readily turns green. This 

 inconvenience, however, is purely optical. Certain other foods, particularly peas and 

 beans, resting long periods in contact with copper, often absorb enough of the metal 

 to give them a feeble metallic taste, capable of offending a delicate palate. Dr. T. 

 M. Jenkins, United States Commissioner to the exposition (Paris), was of the opin- 

 ion that the glycerophosphoric acid contained in the yolk of an egg, was capable of 

 forming a poisonous compound with copper. I therefore mixed milk and eggs in a 

 copper pan and heated and stirred till the mixture was of the consistence of cream, 

 and then allowed it to stand twenty-five hours. At the end of this time that part 

 in contact with the pan was green from the action of the air and sour milk on the 

 metal. The general appearance of the mixture was by no means agreeable and its 

 taste very far from being so. Nevertheless it was eaten and with no bad results. 



By legal enactment the tin for plating culinary vessels and the like is allowed to 

 contain 5 per cent of lead. From such an alloy food when hot, especially it' con- 

 taining much salt, dissolves lead. Tin also goes into solution. Personally I prefer 

 salts of copper to those of either tin or lead, and therefore prefer copper cooking 

 utensils. 



1 Etudes toxicologique sur lo cuivre et ses composes. Paris, 1875. 



2 Ann. d'hyg. publ., 1878, [2], 50,4L'i;. 



