16 



tamiuated with salts of zinc contained usually from one-hundredth to five-hundredths 

 of 1 per cent of that material, and the highest percentage ever found by him was 

 0.09 per cent, an amount of zinc which he declares to be wholly insufficient to render 

 apples prejudicial to human health when cooked and eaten in the ordinary manner. 

 In his accompanying certificate Health Officer Zimmermauu confirms this statement 

 of the inspector, and asserts that tlie maximum quantity of malate of zinc that 

 could be consumed by a person at one meal by eating apples containing the highest 

 admixture yet detected would be less than one-fourth of an ordinary dose of acetate 

 of zinc such as is frequently administered in medical practice, and he thereupon 

 declares the dried apples in question to be manifestly devoid of danger to consumers. 



ACTION OF THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT. 



Notwithstauding- this and other similar testimony, the agitation 

 against American evaporated apples continued, and on the IGth of 

 April, 1894, a circular letter was issued by the imperial ministry at 

 Berlin, addressed to the governments of the several States, calling 

 their attention to the dangerous character of American dried apples, 

 and recommending special ])recautions for their inspection. This man- 

 date, an original copy of which is herewith transmitted, is translated 

 as follows : 



[Empire of Germany. Circular from the imperial chancellor to the governments of the German 

 states concerning Ajnerican dried apples. From the 16th April, 1894.] 



''It has been observed that various dried apples, especially those of American 

 origin (evaporated apples), which contain a greater or less percentage of zinc, have 

 been offered for sale. This peculiar defect in these goods is ascribed principally to 

 the drying process employed in America, by which the fruit is evaporated, not as 

 with us upon wooden trays, but upon zinc plates and nets of zinc-covered wire. 

 Whether these apples are not j)urposely powdered with zinc oxid to give them a 

 more attractive appearance, or whether in some cases this impregnation may be due 

 to the fact that the fruit has been grown upon soil containing an admixture of zinc, 

 are questions which are for the present left out of the account. But at all events, 

 there has been found repeatedly in these goods so high a proportion of malate of 

 zinc that in the opinion of competent experts they are undoubtedly prejudicial to 

 human health, especially since it is to be observed that the forms of food prepared 

 from dried apples are often eaten by persons of weak resistance, such as children and 

 convalescents. 



''In order to avert this danger the already existing law provides an adequate rem- 

 edy, since by the provisions of paragraphs 12, 14, and 15 of the food-product law 

 (Nahrungsmittel-Gesetz) of May 14, 1879, repressive measures may be taken when 

 it is established that the apples contain so high an admixture of zinc as to be preju- 

 dicial to health. In fact, such measures have been successfully taken under the 

 authority of the above-cited paragraphs — as is shown by the publications of the 

 Imperial bureau of health, page 658, volume of 1890, and page 115, volume of 1893 — 

 against sellers of apples containing zinc ; at least the goods were seized and con- 

 fiscated, 



''For the protection of the public against sanitary dangers from the food material 

 now under consideration, it is hereby recommended that the officials and sanitary 

 police who are charged with the execution of this law shall pay especial attention 

 to the sale of dried apples ; that they take from time to time samples of such as are 

 exposed for sale and submit the same to examination by the inspecting chemists of 

 food materials, and that they institute proqeedings agaiust the seller^ of unwhole- 

 some goods, 



