584 
proof afforded by the investigations of Chit- 
tenden, Long and Herter that small amounts 
up to 0.5 gram are harmless to the human 
body, but they continue: 
Whether larger amounts (quantities of several 
grams) could, in the long run, be borne equally 
without effect by everybody can not as yet be 
answered with certainty. The experiments of the 
American scientists in this connection are of too 
limited extent and suffer from certain limitations 
so that they can not be considered as proof of 
universal harmlessness. 
With these carefully worded sentences we 
can, on the whole, agree without, however, 
drawing the conclusion therefrom that ben- 
zoic acid as a preservative is to be prohibited. 
For, first of all, we must consider that there 
are many food constituents which, under such 
a system, we might mistrust and likewise pro- 
hibit. I might mention hops in beer, sugar 
in preserves and salt in salt meat. There are, 
beyond doubt, many of whom it can be said 
with certainty that not only the repeated con- 
sumption of such things, but even a single 
meal off of them, is prejudicial to their health. 
Those suffering from urethral diseases can not 
stand hops, diabetes patients and persons with 
stomach troubles can not stand preserves, kid- 
ney sufferers can not stand salt, yet such 
sufferers are continually eating these things, 
consciously or unconsciously, without any one 
prohibiting them to the world. Secondly, 
from what has been said above it is evident 
that benzoic acid, considering its preservative 
action on acid substances poor in albumin 
(for others it does not come into considera- 
tion), is remarkably harmless to the healthy 
and the sick—with no other preservative have 
such daring experiments been performed on 
sick persons without harm. If a healthy or a 
sick person were given just once ten times the 
amount of tobacco, alcohol or even of sugar 
that is usually taken rationally, the results 
would be far worse than when, instead of 0.1 to 
0.5 gram benzoic acid, 1-5 grams are given. I 
offered this same argument, with equal justi- 
fication, many years ago to those who persisted 
in considering saccharin as a poison. 
Thirdly, no one has thus far asked more 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 902 
than that it be considered whether certain 
special food products might not, under proper 
declaration, be treated with small quantities 
of benzoic acid. No one, except perhaps a few 
manufacturers, has ever dreamed simply of a 
permission to add benzoic acid to foods. On 
the contrary, there can not be much doubt 
that for meat and meat preparations benzoic 
acid and benzoates should be prohibited; they 
have little preservative power and when mixed 
with other substances (phosphates) they help 
to preserve a fresh color, while the decompo- 
sition goes on; like the sulphites, therefore, 
they give a deceptive appearance of better con- 
dition, and according to the Heffter-Abel de- 
cision even a slight odor of putrefaction of 
minced meat is masked or removed by the ad- 
mixture of 0.25 per cent. of benzoic acid or 
benzoates. No one will demand the free use 
of benzoic acid for tinned vegetable preserves; 
in these cases nothing but heat is necessary. 
The question is whether its use for preserving 
egg yolks, tomatoes, lemon juice and similar 
preparations, as well as margarine (and this 
is at present the most important), can be per- 
mitted. The first-named preparations, egg 
yolks, tomatoes, lemon juice, are of subordi- 
nate interest as regards public nutrition and 
can be passed without further discussion; 
even the most timid would not need to fear 
gravely for the public health if benzoic acid 
in such preparations were allowed, a state- 
ment as to the amount used being required. 
Personally, I am unconditionally in its favor 
when it is proved that these products can be 
prepared in a non-perishable form and kept 
without preservatives only with great diffi- 
culty or not at all. 
The question as to allowing the use of ben- 
zoic acid in margarine, which has become a real 
public foodstuff, demands special treatment. 
One hundred and fifty million kilograms of 
margarine are said to be produced annually 
in Germany and a considerable part of it used 
in this country.” It would be very difficult to- 
day, especially for those living in cities, to 
protect themselves against margarine in their 
food. Any one in a hotel or purchasing fatty 
8 Z, Marg.-Ind., 1910, 134. 
