1064 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



The prefect of the Loire-Inferieure stated in connection with this pro- 

 test that in his department several canners who strictly observed the 

 ordinance were at a great disadvantage in competing with their rivals. 

 The prefect said farther that the interdiction injured the interests of 

 French trade, and requested that an examination be made into the matter 

 as to whether the salts of copper were really dangerous, and requested 

 that pending the results of the investigation the employment of small 

 amounts of copper sulphate be tolerated. 



In accordance with these requests a new committee was formed with 

 Grimaux as chairman. Grimaux reported the results of the commis- 

 sion's labor to the Comite" consultatif on April 15, 1889. Briefed, it was 

 as follows : 



In 1860 salts of copper were still regarded as poisonous. Subsequent investigations 

 have certainly modified thia view. 



As for the report of my colleague, Gallard, in 1882, it does not appear to be justified, 

 for his arguments are rather on the other side, his conclusions being based on the 

 statement that other successful processes exist, which is contradicted by Bouchardat 

 and Gautier. If there exists no other argument against the interdiction than that 

 no accident has resulted from the use of the copper-greening process and that no 

 other greening process exists, it seems that theComite' would assume grave responsi- 

 bility in continuing the prohibition. 



Is it advisable to label these vegetables as suggested by Brouardel and Pasteur 

 "16gumes au naturel" (natural legumes) in the one case and "]e"gumes reverdis an 

 cuivre" (legumes greened by copper) in the other? This was not accepted by the 

 Coniite" because it amounted to an interdict, as the public, not being informed of 

 the harmless nature of copper, would reject these goods and foreign markets would 

 be closed. 



It has been proposed to mark in n special way packages intended for exportation 

 a nd to limit the prohibition of salts of copper to those goods intended for home 

 consumption, but this seems impracticable, and would furthermore expose the 

 French goods to restrictions in foreign markets. There remain but two alternatives, 

 absolute freedom or a prescribed limitation of the quantity of copper to be used. 



The duty of the hygienist is difficult in this matter. On the one hand his legiti- 

 mate tendency is to proscribe the introduction into alimentary substances of all 

 bodies which are not food and which are toxic in any degree, but in taking this as 

 a rule we may put restrictions upon our industries, and this is a consideration which 

 the interests of our country can not afford to ignore. The fact that copper is found 

 in the legumes in the state of insoluble albuminate leads us to conclude that there 

 is no danger to public health in authorizing without restraint the use of the cop- 

 per-greening process, but since the purchaser has a right to choose his food, it is 

 deemed advisable to label the products of the two processes respectively, " au 

 naturel" and " & 1'anglais " (after the English manner). These are the conclusions 

 which the reporter submits. One member of the commission, however, raised the 

 point that as copper had some antiseptic action, it must have, even though not poi- 

 sonous, some retarding influence upon digestion. 



Experiments were made upon this point by M. Gley. In one experiment 10 grams 

 of haricots verts (green beans) colored by the copper process were cooked and 

 ground with 10 grams of blood fibrin, and after covering with 60cc of gastric juice, 

 were kept at 45 for 48 hours. The fibrin was entirely dissolved, but the beans wore 

 not attacked. This was because they are largely cellulose.* In the second experi- 

 ment 2 grains of copper sulphate dissolved in 40cc of distilled water were added to 

 60 cc of gastric juice in which were placed 20 grama of blood fibrin, and the whole 



