AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 575 



mentation go on. A thousand barrels of flour miglit thus be fermented by 

 one teaspoonful of yeast. I have known eight barrels to be done so. 



Dr. Reuben. — Sulphuric acid is sometimes taken as a tonic or stomachic, 

 or blood purifier. It may then be sometimes beneficial when adminis- 

 tered, though that ought not to be done by the baker. Blue vitriol and 

 alum are worse ^ingredients in bread to whiten it. It is importont to con- 

 sider whether yeast is the best article for raising bread. Whether it is 

 advisable to introduce ferments of any kind into the stomoch. There are 

 several ferments in the gastric juice. In the fermentation of bread, car- 

 bonic acid and alcohol are formed at the expense of the sugar of the bread. 

 The starch is converted into sugar, and that into carbonic acid and alcohol. 

 By continuing the opeijation, lactic or acetic acid is formed, when the bread 

 becomes sour. The yeaSt plant, or fungus, grows by decomposing the 

 flour. Therefore, we should use food in its natural state, for that is its 

 best state. The yeast plant always accompanies fermentation, and experi- 

 ments in France show that these fungi, or plants, have shown sign§ of 

 vitality after enduring 212° of temperature. Pure hydrochloric acid and 

 pure bicarbonate of soda, when united, give carbonic acid and common 

 salt as the result. Cooks should learn to use these. 



Adulterations must be practised very extensively, for the prices paid for 

 many articles would not be enough for the genuine article. Poor flour is 

 adulterated with alum, chalk, plaster of Paris, whiting, etc. 



Animal food from beasts in a feverish state, must be a great and unavoid- 

 able evil in cities. There are three methods proposed for forwarding the 

 flesh of animals slaughtered at a distance from the markets. In Cincinnati 

 the flesh is put in cans, which are sealed to prevent the access of air. lu 

 Liverpool it is also put up in cans. A gas is also introduced, which neut- 

 ralizes the oxygen of the air which is in it, so that it will keep for any 

 length of time. The third plan is that of sending th^ carcasses in ice-cars 

 to market. When these improvements become common, the offal can remain 

 to manure the land — not pollute the streets and rivers. 



Dr. Arthur H. Hassell, the Microscropic Analyst, exposed the adulter- 

 ations and poisons in food, and the London dealers prosecuted him, but 

 friends upheld him and he triumphed. There should be inspectorships of 

 food established to insure the sale of genuine articles — or, better still, 

 people should buy all things in the whole staie, lest for the eoff'ee-berry 

 they should get bread. Nine-tenths of the drinks are concocted. The 

 amount of port wine consumed is ten times as much as the whole district of 

 Oporto produces. We ought to awaken attention to the fact that we are 

 consuming poisons, and are degenerating. Old Cornaro, at the age of 40, 

 threw ofi" his habits and lived to be 100. 



Mr. Seeley. — Bogus things are not always deleterious. Mr. Bruce's 

 paper has internal evidence -of not being true. The aroma of the native 

 liquor is more poisonous than the drugs used as a substitute. One drop of 

 it mixed with sulphuric acid would give a headache to all here. Factitious 

 liquors are the best. Alcohol at 75 cents a gallon will make 



