AmAJp°rnr,'i906arm'}        Use  of  Preservatives  in  Foods.  167 
of  a  magnitude  which  may  be  measured,  but  by  the  application  of 
the  calculus  we  can  determine  the  magnitude  of  the  effect  at  an 
infinitely  small  distance  from  either  the  lethal  or  normal  dose,  both 
in  the  case  of  foods  and  of  chemical  preservatives. 
Thus  we  have  an  absolutely  irrefutable  mathematical  demonstra- 
tion of  the  fact  that  even  a  small  dose  of  a  chemical  preservative  in 
a  state  of  health  is  harmful.  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact,  how- 
ever, that  practically  every  one  of  these  chemical  preservatives  may 
become  a  useful  medicine  in  pathological  conditions,  but  this  is  no 
argument  whatever  for  supposing  that  they  are  helpful  in  physio, 
logical  conditions.  Practically  every  one  of  the  chemical  preserva- 
tives adds  a  certain  amount  of  labor  to  the  excretory  organs  of  the 
body.  These  organs  have  already  all  they  ought  to  do  in  normal 
conditions  and,  therefore,  to  overload  them  even  by  a  very  small 
burden  is  illogical  and  unhygienic  and  must  sooner  or  later  lead  to 
harm.  In  fact,  I  do  not  know  of  any  more  untenable  argument  in 
favor  of  the  use  of  preservatives  than  the  argumentum  de  minimis. 
From  a  medical  point  of  view,  too,  the  use  of  substances  constantly 
in  the  food  which  are  used  as  medicines  is  highly  objectionable. 
The  testimony  of  Sir  Lauder  Brunton  before  the  English  Depart- 
mental Committee  is  very  pertinent  and  I  quote  it  here,  in  answer  to 
question  7464 : 
"  Q.  7464.  Then,  with  regard  to  the  use  of  salicylic  acid,  may  I 
just  read  you  this :  4  Sometimes,  however,  the  salicyl  compounds  so 
irritate  the  kidneys  as  to  cause  albuminuria  and  even  haematuria, 
and  they  must  be  used  with  great  caution  when  given  for  this  or 
other  purposes  if  renal  or  hepatic  disease  be  present,  and  in  aged 
persons,  inasmuch  as  under  their  influence  there  is  an  increase  of 
the  amount  of  uric  acid  waste  and  they  are  apparently  not  diuretic. 
The  salicylates  are  believed  by  some  authorities  to  be  harmful  in 
gout.'  Assuming  that,  again,  to  be  true,  do  you  see  in  that  an 
objection  to  the  indiscriminate  use  of  salicylic  acid  ? — A.  To  the 
indiscriminate  use,  certainly ;  and  that,  I  think,  affords  a  very  strong 
proof  of  the  correctness  of  my  suggestion  that  preservatives  should 
not  be  allowed  to  be  used  without  the  person  who  is  using  them 
knowing  that  he  was  taking  them,  because  in  the  great  majority  of 
cases  salicylic  acid  will  not  produce  those  symptoms,  but  there  are 
certain  individuals  who  might  be  thus  affected.  If  salicylic  acid  is 
allowed  to  be  used  without  its  use  being  notified  to  the  consumer 
