Eureka Reporter | 1904-04-08 | Page 4 | Poison in Daily Foods

poison in daily foods A matter of practical science to which legislation must be directed much more seriously than has yet been done was brought before the congress of medicine recently held at madrid dr Brou ardel of pans spoke strongly of the dangers arising from the addition of antiseptics to wine beer elder milk butter fish preserved fruits and other corn modifies modi ties which are in daily use as food it is well known that salicylic acid of soda sulphates sulphites sulp hites borax bone acid and a va nety of other cheim cals are employed to make the substance in question keep the pretence being that they are used in such small quantities as to be innocuous to this allegation dr Brou ardel opposed two Indi sputa ble facts determined by analysis and experience first that the presena tives employed are used in far larger quantities than the users admit and secondly that the continued tion of alimentary substances con kalning these antiseptic materials even in very small proportions be comes gravely detrimental to the bu man organism amounting in the long run to slow poisoning mans conati aution has not been made for the daily elimination of minute doses of poison in this insidious form of mischief may lie some of the blame tor our phys ical degeneracy apparently the edtl is of such sort than international measures may be necessary to check it treatment of food in this manner should not be called adulteration but poisoning ajro and simple