A Treatise on Adulterations of Food and Culinary Poisons

<p>This Treatise as its title expresses is intended to exhibit easy methods of detecting the fraudulent adulterations of food and of other articles classed either among the necessaries or luxuries of the table; and to put the unwary on their guard against the use of such commodities as are contaminated with substances deleterious to health.</p><p> </p><p>Every person is aware that bread beer wine and other substances employed in domestic economy are frequently met with in an adulterated state: and the late convictions of numerous individuals for counterfeiting and adulterating tea coffee bread beer pepper and other articles of diet are still fresh in the memory of the public.</p><p> </p><p>To such perfection of ingenuity has the system of counterfeiting and adulterating various commodities of life arrived in this country that spurious articles are every where to be found in the market made up so skilfully as to elude the discrimination of the most experienced judges.</p><p> </p><p>But of all possible nefarious traffic and deception practised by mercenary dealers that of adulterating the articles intended for human food with ingredients deleterious to health is the most criminal and in the mind of every honest man must excite feelings of regret and disgust.</p><p> </p><p>Numerous facts are on record of human food contaminated with poisonous ingredients having been vended to the public; and the annals of medicine record tragical events ensuing from the use of such food.</p><p> </p><p>The eager and insatiable thirst for gain is proof against prohibitions and penalties; and the possible sacrifice of a fellow-creature's life is a secondary consideration among unprincipled dealers.</p>