154 
Use  of  Preservatives  in  Foods. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       April,  1906. 
to  decay.  I  do  not  refer  in  any  respect  to  condimental  substances 
which  incidentally  may  possess  to  a  limited  extent  germicidal  prop- 
erties. During  the  last  month  this  whole  matter  of  the  use  of 
chemical  preservatives  has  been  presented  to  the  Committee  on  Inter- 
state and  Foreign  Commerce  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  hearings  have  been  printed  as  an  official  document  entitled, 
"  Hearings  before  the  Committee  on  Interstate  and  Foreign  Com- 
merce of  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  Pure  Food  Bills  H.  R. 
3040,  4527,  7018,  12071,  13086,  13853,  and  13859." 
The  multitude  of  bills  regulating  interstate  commerce  in  adulter- 
ated and  misbranded  foods  and  drugs  which  was  under  consideration 
is  illustrated  by  the  above  list.  A  large  number  of  representatives 
of  interests  affected  by  the  bill  appeared  before  the  Committee  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  in  the  legislation  the  legalization  of  the  use 
of  preservatives  and  coloring  matters  in  food  products.  A  number 
of  experts  also  appeared  before  the  Committee  employed  by  the 
interested  parties  above  mentioned  for  the  purpose  of  furthering 
their  interests.  Four  experts  gave  evidence  in  the  matter,  namely, 
Prof.  Edward  Kremers,  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin  ;  Prof.  Frank 
Kedzie,  of  the  Agricultural  College  of  Michigan ;  Prof.  Victor  C. 
Vaughan,  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  Dr.  R.  G.  Eccles,  of 
Brooklyn.  All  who  are  interested  in  the  latest  phases  of  the  ques- 
tion under  discussion  should  read  this  evidence,  which  doubtless 
could  be  obtained  by  addressing  any  of  your  senators  or  repre- 
sentatives in  Congress. 
I  will  summarize  first  the  arguments  of  the  manufacturers  of 
foods  and  antiseptics.  The  gist  of  their  arguments  was  that  it  is 
impossible  to  preserve  certain  kinds  of  foods  without  the  use  of 
antiseptics.  When  pressed  for  an  answer  as  to  the  kinds  of  foods, 
it  was  developed  that  the  classes  referred  to  were  chiefly  substances 
like  catsup,  sweet  pickles  and  fruit  syrups  for  soda  fountains.  Prac- 
tically all  of  the  arguments  advanced  were  confined  to  those  classes 
of  bodies.  It  was  admitted  by  all  that  ordinary  canned  foods, 
whether  fruits,  vegetables  or  meats,  could  be  well  preserved  without 
the  use  of  antiseptics,  and  that  in  so  far  as  cured  meats  were  con- 
cerned, antiseptics  were  convenient  but  not  indispensable.  It  also 
appeared  in  the  evidence  that  even  such  a  substance  as  catsup  or 
fruit  syrup  could  be  well  preserved  by  sterilization  until  it  was 
opened  for  use,  and  that  the  chief  use  of  the  antiseptic  was  to  pre. 
