Modern Poisonous Adulterations

Ifsciencehad dona mach to elévalo mankind, it haa also dona mach to débase it ; the physician's prescripción is to this day couutersignoa with the device of a serpent and a rod, wliioh ara tho conquoi'iiiï sympoH of the healing art; yet the Red Typhon, or Dragon, i of Égypt, in the Áryau faitli, is tho typo of tho principio of cvil W.hicl disputes with Osiris, reprosentlnz tho principio ot' good, lor the dominion ot' tho universo -t thus, if scienee broilght vrith it good to elévate and give lifc to man, it has also broaghf vrith itevil, with which to degrado him and dostroy hls God-given life. Kor are freo couutries deliverod from the cvils which travel in the train of scienco while she is dispensing her mauy gooÜB; in fact, tho godden is moro lavish of tliese cvils to the free peoplo of England and tlio United States than to those of Continental Europe where i paternal governments flourish. It is in tho adulteration of articles of lood j tliat tho deadly contest bot ween Osiris and Typliou, in tho ficlds of science, is benig so unremittinjly vraged in these modern timos, with the result seemingly ovorwhelmingly in favor of the lted Dragon. Mr. Geo. T. Angelí, in au address delivercd before the Amorican Social Science Association, calis attention to the present baleful j dencies of inventiou in the direction of the adulteration of articlea of primo ' necessity. Somo of his statements aro of a startling and revolting character. He claims that almost every elass of articies now sold in this country for food is more or loss adulterated, and that nnny of these adulterations are extremoly polsonous. Caycnne ; per is adulterated with red load ; mas. ' tard with chroinate of lead ; curry powder with red load; vinogar with Biilphuric acid, arsenic and corrosiva sublímate. Tlie ücientifio American asseris that huif tbc viuegar sold in our cities is rank poison. A Boston chejiiist analyzed sixteen packigas of pickles, finding copper in ten of them ; another testod the same number anit fonnd copper in all of them. AdulteiMtions of tea are too numerous to mention. A patent has been taken out for molding chicory into tlie form of coffee berries ; clay is also said to be flavored and molded to represent coffee. Cocoá and chocolate are adultcrated with various mineral substnnces. The Galaxy made the charge that seven milis in Now Englana, and probably many elsewhere, are grind1114- white stone into a fine powder for purposes of adulteration; at somc of tJieni they grind tliree grades - sodagrade, sugar-grado, and flour-gradc; it sella forabout half a cent a ponnd, and thousands of tons are ground in onc Massaclnisetts tOWTl. Flour has been .adulterated ia England, and probably here, with piaster of Taris, bone dust, sand, clay, and ohalk. Thousands of barrels of terra alba aro sold in our cities every ycar, to be mixed with sugars in confectionery, and othcr white suhstances, tending to produce Stone, kidney coinplaints and various diseases of tho stomach. Seventy-live percent, of terra alba is o f ten sold as cream of tartar for cooking. The coloring matter of confectionery contains lead, mercury, arsenic, and copper - saya tho Mossacuusetts health j report of 18781. The Baltimore JYews s:ys that baking powders contain 1 large p&rceutagB of terra alba and aluin, T!io lOniish Sanitary Record of Fob. 2ö, 187li, at tribu tes the high death-rnto nmoug infanta to tho teral ion of milk, not alono with water, bul. with various other snbstancos. It is afllrmed that thousanda of gallons do not contain a single drop of the I genuino article ; it is estiinated that about 100,000,000 pounds of buttcr are 111:1de in this country from animal fats in a year. The adultoration of winos ! and liquors and drugs and medicines are too well known. lloney and ars are now so adultorated that somo pcrsonl will not use thein. A Correctionville farmer sold a load of cora at that town tho other day. When it waswoighcd he slyly steppod on the goales, and theii drovo off to unload. AVhen tho wagon was wcighed he took good care not to bo in it, and congratulated himself that bc had cheated the buyer in good shape. Tho graln dealer called him in, and, after liguriug up tho load, p.iid him in l'ull. As tho larmer buttoned up his coat to go out, tlie buyer kind 1 y asked him to smoke wJtli him, and then talkod over lbo crops and tho. pricG of hogs, and the iikclihood of tho Maplo valley Railroad building np that way, till the farmer liiirly squinned in hischair ■viili unoasinosa about his choros at home. At last he could stand it 110 longer, and said ho must go. Tho dealer quietly said that was not to bo thonght of ; that ho had bouglit the farmer at full weight, aml paid him his owu jirice, and that ho would insist in uoing as ho pleased with his own propon y. Mrs. Spencer of Burlcigh, Canada, gave birth to triplets, and lost 110 time in asking tbr the $25 that Qneen Victoria has hoon acoustomed to givo in siinilar oases. 8he has roceired from the Under 8ecretary of the State foï Camula tho reply that the Qucen haa ccasod this bounty except in Great Britain itself. Tiio following official explaiwtion is givon: "The Queen'e rule is to give Et smill donation to pooi' peoplo of eood oharacter on occa-siou ot' triple, births whero tho children gurvive, tho mouey being givea to assist the parenis In providing food and clothing ghortly after th birth of tho children. The'monoy, when giyen, is by 110 ineans as a revard but simply as an act of charity."