376 THE ADULTERATION OF FOOD. 



grades reach the consumer in a pure state. The pigments most used for 

 coloring green teas are Prussian blue, indigo, turmeric and china clay ; the 

 peculiar glossy appearance they frequently present l3eing produced by 

 means of black lead, talc, and soapstone. Other and far more dangerous 

 substances, such as arsenite of copper, ehromate of lead, and Dutch pink, 

 are said to be sometimes employed. When hot water is poured upon a 

 faced tea, the coloring matter present often becomes detached and either 

 rises to the top or sinks to the bottom of the liquid, forming a sediment. 

 which can be readily recognized as a foreign body, especially by aid of a. 

 magnifying glass. 



Coffee is probably more extensively adulterated than any article yet 

 mentioned. When sold in the ground state it almost invariably consists of 

 a mixture containing little or no coffee and a great deal of chicory and 

 roasted grains, such as peas, beans, rye and wheat. The addition of chicory 

 is frequently defended on the ground that it improves the taste and quality 

 of the coffee ; but owing to its comparative cheapness, there is a great temp- 

 tation to use an, undue quantity of this substance, and unless the amount of 

 the addition is sj^ecified on the packages (as is required in several European 

 countries), it undoubtedly constitutes a true adulteration ; moreover, chicory 

 itself is very often mixed with foreign substances. Pure coffee will remain 

 floating upon the surface of the water for some time, and fails to imi^art a 

 23erceptible color to it, whereas chicory and beans (especially the former)^ 

 at once sink to to the bottom and color the liquid decidedly. Other sub- 

 stances which also rise to the surface of the water can be easily distinguished 

 trom coffee by their appearance and taste. A simple test is to spread the 

 coffee out on a slip of glass, slightly moisten it with water, and then touch 

 the layer in different parts with the point of a needle ; in this w^aj- the 

 presence of soft, non-resisting foreign ingredients can be easily detected. 



The artificial coloring of confectionery also merits consideration, owing 

 to the important sanitary effects involved. One of the most common and 

 deleterious substances used in the coloring of confectionery is ehromate of 

 lead, which is employed for the production of a yellow color. Eed, another 

 favorite hue, is obtained by means of cochineal, but such poisonous compounds, 

 as red lead and vermillion are also sometimes used for its production. Green 

 and blue colors, which are fortunately less often met with, are usually j)ro- 

 duced by means of Prussian blue, Brunswick green, Scheele's green, etc., al^ 

 of which must be classed as dangerous substances. These colors can be ob- 

 tained by using vegetable dyes which are quite harmless ; and although the 

 tints are then less brilliant, this fact is certainlj^ no excuse for resorting tO' 

 poisonous pigments. 



In most foreign countries effective means have been adopted to expose and 

 Ijrevent the adulteration of food, but with us little has been accomplished in 

 this direction. In Europe boards of public analysis are appointed, who 

 carefully examine suspected articles of food ; here this dnij usually devolves 

 iipon some member of the local board of health, whose time, as a rule, is fully 



