PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 175 



Salicylic acid is often found in wine, and when you find a bottle of 

 white wine or claret that, after being opened, will not "sour'' upon 

 standing for a few days, you can rest assured that either salicylic acid 

 or some other preservative has been added. Jellies, preserves, and 

 canned goods are adulterated in some instances with this chemical, thus 

 preventing mould or fermentation. Vendors have sold, and are probably 

 now selling, to rural housekeepers tablets under the name of " Extract 

 of Salyx,'' "Preservaline," etc. These have, upon analysis, proved to 

 be salicylic acid with some harmless filler. Now there is no doubt 

 whatever that they will do the promised work, but if persons wish to 

 use such a preservative it is far cheaper to buy from a druggist salicylic 

 acid at $2 a pound than to buy the tablets or lozenges at the rate of 

 $16 per pound. 



Another compound, called " Preservitos," has been examined by the 

 Cornell Station — a white powder dissolving readily in water. The 

 directions are: "Add i to 1 oz. of preservitos to each gallon of cream, 

 according to length of time it is desired to keep fresh. The smaller 

 proportion will keep cream sweet and with full flavor for a fortnight, 

 and the larger proportion for a month, if the cream is quite fresh at the 

 time of addition. It is advisable to make a paste of the preservitos 

 with a little cream, and then add the paste to the bulk of the cream." 

 Analysis showed: 30 per cent borax and small proportion of salicylic 

 acid, and 60 per cent sugar. 1 oz. = 1 750 grains = 600 grains borax, with- 

 out the salicylic acid. This must have a decidedly injurious action 

 on digestion. 



Two or three pamphlets lately published in the interest of the borax 

 industry contain results of many experiments in digestion, some artificial, 

 some on dogs as subjects. In case of the artificial experiments, it 

 appears that borax is not a hindrance, but a help to the digestion of 

 albuminoids. But it does, even in small doses, interfere with amylolytic 

 fermentation, much of which takes place in the small intestine. And 

 even if digestion in the case of the dog was not embarrassed by the 

 addition of borax, it does not follow that in the human system like 

 conditions would obtain — our food containing much starch, that of the 

 dog practically none. 



The practice of sulphuring fruits just previous to drying is carried on 

 to almost an alarming extent. A slight sulphuring of the fruit would 

 in all probability not be injurious. But the heavy sulphuring, one 

 might say, heroic treatment, that is meted out to the dried fruits in some 

 parts of the State can only result deleteriously to the fruit and tend to 

 injure the health of the consumer. In Germany two years ago con- 

 signments of dried apricots were subjected to analysis and found to 

 contain a notable percentage of sulphur compounds. The sale of such 

 fruits is, in Germany, in direct violation of the law. The attention of 



