714 



SCIENCE 



[N. b. Vol. XXVI. No. 673 



greatest achievement is, after all, the part 

 which it has had, together with other sci- 

 ences, in transforming the way in which 

 the world thinks. In its laboratory method 

 it has replaced the old idea of authority by 

 the idea of first-hand knowledge. It leads 

 the individual to seek for himself the fun- 

 damental basis of his knowledge and it 

 leads him not merely to pass that knowl- 

 edge on to the next generation, but to trans- 

 form it into a new and truer form. And 

 as this scientific spirit permeates society it 

 more and more destroys deceit and fraud, 

 wherever found. "William A. Noyes 



Univeesitt of Illinois 



SCIENTIFW BOOKS 

 Foods and their Adulteration: Origin, Manu- 

 facture and Composition of Food Products, 

 Description of Common Adulterations, Food 

 Standards, and National Food Laws and 

 Regulations. By Harvey W. Wiley, M.D.; 

 Ph.D. 8vo, pp. xi + 625. Eleven colored 

 plates and 86 other illustrations. Philadel- 

 phia, P. Blakiston's Son and Co. 1907. 

 Cloth, $4.00. 



Seldom has a more timely book appeared 

 than this, following so closely as it does the 

 beginning of the enforcement of the new 

 national pure-food law. For some time prior 

 to the passage of this law public interest 

 throughout the country had become vitally 

 awakened to the importance of the pure-food 

 issue. Amid a large mass of confusing and 

 often exaggerated newspaper articles dealing 

 with the subject, it is a comfort to find a book 

 covering the field so comi^letely, so sanely and 

 withal in so interesting a way. 



The book treats systematically and quite ex- 

 haustively, of all the principal food products, 

 dealing in turn with their manufacture, prop- 

 erties and composition, forms of adulteration 

 and dietetic value, and including much infor- 

 mation of a general nature concerning them. 

 Beginning with the animal foods, it thus 

 covers meats and the various meat prepara- 

 tions, fish, millj and its products and oleo- 

 margarine. Then follow the vegetable foods. 



cereals, vegetables proper, condiments, fruits, 

 sugar, syrup, confectionery, honey, and finally 

 infants' and invalids' foods. 



Beverages are to be separately treated in 

 another volume. 



Though destined for a wide variety of read- 

 ers, the book is apparently designed first of all 

 for the benefit of the public, at a time when 

 the public wants particularly to know about 

 its food; and written as it is from a strictly 

 scientific standpoint, yet in a popular way, by 

 one who from long experience knows so thor- 

 oughly his subject, it will be widely read and 

 to great advantage by the people as consumers. 



Not only does the author cover the ground 

 directly suggested by the title, but in a gen- 

 eral and useful way gives throughout much 

 information about food values and the use 

 of food for bodily nourishment. The colored 

 plates illustrating the appearance of cuts of 

 healthy beef, for example, will be found espe- 

 cially helpful to the householder. 



To the food manufacturer and dealer the 

 book is almost indispensable, since it describes 

 very plainly the methods of preparation and 

 standards of purity, the effects of storage, and, 

 in addition, gives much good and sound advice 

 regarding what might be termed controversial 

 forms of adulteration, such as chemical pre- 

 servatives and artificial coloring, called con- 

 troversial because their use with restricted 

 labels has to some extent been legalized under 

 some of the state laws, and because they have 

 for years formed the subject of much differ- 

 ence of opinion among experts in food litiga- 

 tion. 



In treating of these substances, the use of 

 which unfortunately seems to be on the in- 

 crease, and which form undoubtedly one of 

 the most important phases of food adultera- 

 tion, the author speaks in no uncertain way. 

 He unequivocally condemns the use of chemi- 

 cal preservatives, such as boric, sulphurous 

 and benzoic acids and their compounds, as in 

 all cases deleterious to health, and would 

 rigidly exclude them from all food products. 

 Even saltpeter, so long used in the corning 

 of beef, he regards as undesirable. 



As to artificial colors, he would keep them 



