1074 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



This report was signed by the medical officer of health, James B. 

 Russell; Peter Fyfe, sanitary inspector, and E. E. Tatlock and John 

 Clarke, city analysts, and was dated September 17, 1890. Probably 

 the market gardeners were not without influence in framing this report, 

 as may be judged from the remark which also occurs in the report: 



' the cultivator of the genuine fresh green vegetables is grossly prej udiced 

 by the substitution for the produce of our market gardens of the last season's 

 growth of foreign market gardens, colored so as to mislead the eye. 



There is a good deal of truth in this complaint. 



COPPER-GREENING IN THE UNITED STATES. 



The subject of copper- greened vegetables has never attracted much 

 attention in this country. In 1889 and again in 1891, the Massachu- 

 setts board of health caused analyses to be made of a large number of 

 French preserved vegetables, and, finding copper, ordered cessation of 

 their sale in the State. The reports are given on page 1159. 



For a number of years the Brooklyn board of health has paid some 

 attention to the presence of coppered foods on the Brooklyn markets, 

 and has published a number of reports from chemists and others on the 

 subject. In the annual report for 1887 there is a history of the copper- 

 ing practice, written by Dr. W. H. Kent. In 1885 dealers were forbid- 

 den to sell pickles colored with copper (see page 1159). Shortly after the 

 issuing of this prohibition a death occurred, alleged to be, according to 

 the report of the board, 1 from the use of pickles so colored. The vic- 

 tim was Miss Maggie Martin, of 97 Adelphi street, Brooklyn. 



The New Jersey dairy commissioner has also caused a number of 

 analyses of imported canned vegetables to be made. Copper was dis- 

 covered in many samples. (See page 1161.) 



Packers in the United States use the copper process to some extent. 



ANALYTICAL DATA. 

 SAMPLES BOUGHT. 



All the samples whose analyses are recorded in this bulletin wore 

 bought at retail. Where it is not otherwise specified the samples were 

 bought in Washington. A few were bought in towns in Florida, and a 

 few in Sclmyler, Nebr., the buying in both instances being done by 

 employe's of the Chemical Division of the Department of Agriculture. 

 This was also the case with the samples purchased in this city. Full 

 retail price was paid in each instance. No particular effort was made 

 to procure either old or fresh samples, it being desired to get samples 

 fairly representing the character of the canned vegetables on sale. 



In the statements of the quantities of metallic contaminations found 

 in these goods the amounts are invariably given as the number of milli- 



1 Aunual report of Brooklyn Board of Health, 1885, 140. 



