16 



From the same report we take the following extracts as showing the 

 extent of adulterations in Ibod and drugs in the State of New York, as 

 shown by the highest official authority. The report of Prof. S. A. Lat- 

 timore, public analyst, State board of health, New York, shows the 

 result of 60 analyses, 14 of which were pure and 46 adulterated, the 

 adulterations being 



Black pepper 3 



White pepper - 2 



Cream of tartar 41 



The conclusions reached by the professor are worthy of note. He 

 says on page 60, report 1888 : 



In the great majority of cases it has been found that care and intelligence are exer- 

 cised, and as the amount of capital required to maintain such a business with profit 

 is very considerable, the proprietors fully appreciate the importance of securing a 

 high reputation for the excellence and purity of their products. The fact that the State 

 exercises a supervision over such matters is doubtless not without silent but salutary influence. * 



It is, however, in the minor food articles, which are far more costly, but are con- 

 sumed in smaller quantities, that a'dulteratious are chiefly practiced. The chief rea- 

 sons for this, besides the relatively high cost of the raw material, are, that, as the 

 necessary machinery is inexpensive the manufacture is often carried on in a small 

 way, and the very common practice of selling such goods to retail dealers in bulk de- 

 stroys all means of tracing them to the manufacturer, who makes no effort to estab- 

 lish a reputation, and who even attempts to palliate his dishonest practice by the 

 claim that the substitutes which he employs are harmless, and that he is compelled 

 to pursue such a course because his competitors do.* 



Of 48 analyses made by Professor Lattimore of useful household arti- 

 cles only 7 were pure, the remaining 41 containing starch, terra alba, 

 superphosphate of lime, in combination with cream of tartar, while 30 

 of the total contained not a particle of cream of tartar, but consisted of 

 tartaric acid and starch, terra alba, superphosphate of lime ? alum, and 

 starch, in various combinations. 



Kegarding spices, this gentleman says : 



While many manufacturers send out under their own names ground spices free 

 from all foreign substances and of excellent quality, and find an increasing apprecia- 

 tion of their goods, yet the markets are still flooded with articles of poor quality, 

 originally and largely mixed with any convenient rubbish which can be manipu- 

 lated into the semblance of the genuine article. Fortunately for the victimized pur- 

 chaser, the substitutes by the dishonest spice-grinder, however unsuited for food, and 

 often repulsive in character, are not positively poisonous. 



'CANNED PEAS AND BEANS. 



The principal complaint in these articles is that sulphate of copper 

 has been used so extensively for the purpose of greening that they are 

 exceedingly dangerous. As far as I can learn the German, French, 

 and English Governments do not prohibit the use of this article for 

 this purpose. Prof. K. Ogden Doremus, M. D., LL. D., professor of 

 chemistry and toxicology, Belle vue Hospital, New York, in writing to 

 Mr. Jas. P. Smith, says that u this method of greening is not injuri- 

 ous to health," and adds that Pasteur, Bronardel, Galippe, Gauthier, 



* The italics are mine. 



