34§  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  {Am^y^9Pioarm* 
ment  has  since  been  made  upon  that  method  and  no  change  at  all 
in  the  principle.  And,  while  the  theory  of  these  men  differed  from 
that  accepted  by  modern  science,  the  same  means  were  used  and  the 
same  results  obtained  as  to-day;  the  process  here  described  being 
used  in  all  large  canning  factories  in  America,  as  well  as  the  coun- 
tries abroad,  and  in  principle  at  least,  practised  in  every  household 
in  which  fruits  and  vegetables  are  preserved. 
"  It  is  through  the  investigations  of  later  scientists  however — 
particularly,  of  Pasteur — that  the  food  preserver  has  been  shown 
that  it  is  not  the  oxygen  of  the  air  which  causes  fermentation  and 
putrefaction,  but  bacteria  and  other  microscopic  organisms." 
The  subject  of  food  adulteration  received  a  share  of  attention  and 
that  of  chemical  preservatives  was  considered  at  some  length.  With 
regard  to  the  latter,  Mr.  Dow  said,  "  The  first  objection  to  their  use, 
and  I  believe  the  most  glaring  abuse  that  exists  to-day,  lies  in  their 
employment  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  partly  spoiled  and  ill— 
cared-for  vegetables  and  fruits."  He  claimed  that  every  product 
of  fruits  and  vegetables  with  which  he  was  familiar  could  be  success- 
fully made  in  a  commercial  way  without  artificial  preservatives,  and 
that  this  was  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  entire  product  of  at  least 
fifty,  and  probably  more,  leading  American  food  preservers,  is  en- 
tirely free  from  these  substances.  Speaking  specifically  of  benzoate 
of  soda  the  lecturer  contended  that  so  long  as  a  doubt  exists  as  to  its 
harmlessness  or  harmfulness,  the  people  rather  than  the  manufac- 
turers should  be  given  the  benefit  of  that  doubt.  After  calling 
attention  to  the  use  of  this  chemical  as  a  preservative  for  cannery 
waste,  which  is  worked  up  into  ketchups  and  soups,  and  for  other 
similar  purposes,  the  lecturer  stated  that  he  had  no  hesitation  in 
saying  "  that  the  principal  use  of  benzoate  of  soda  and  like  sub- 
stances in  modern  food  manufacture,  is  either  to  permit  the  use  of 
a  lower  grade  of  material,  or  carelessness  in  process." 
In  concluding  his  address  Mr.  Dow  said  that  sterilization  is  the 
chief  reliance  of  the  modern  food  preserver,  and  that  in  the  case  of 
fruits  and  vegetables  in  which  the  color  or  taste  would  be  affected  by 
a  comparatively  high  temperature  intermittent  sterilization  at  low 
temperature  is  employed.  F-  Y. 
