ON THE BEHAVIOR OF A N T I S E P T I C S TOWAHI) SALIVARY DIGESTION.
BY H: A. WEBER, Prof. Agr. Chem. Ohio State University, Columbus. 0.
Among t h e various causes which injuriously affect public health perhaps none has received less supervision in this country than the practice of food adulteration. A systematic examination of the food commodities as found upon the market r e w'11s a condition of affairs which is simply appalliiig to one interbsted in public welfare. T h e investigations on this subject show conclusively, that nearly all classes of manufactured or prepared articles of food are liable to be found adulterated. I n many cases, i t is true, the adulteration is merely fraudulent and not injurious to health, but, on the other hand, a mass of evidence has accumulated to show t h a t for the sake of gain or of advantage aver a competitor, t h e sophisticator of human food will not shrink from employing such means as endanger the health, or even t h e life, of the consumer. One class of food adulterations which has been universally employed of late, without restriction, embraces the use of antiseptics for preserving perishable articles of food. Tlris subject is of especial interest a t t h e present time because the practice of employing various antiseptics as food preservatives is not confined to the manufacturer and dealer, but has found its way into private households all over the land, and because the baneful effects of this practice are not fully appreciated or nnde~*stoodby t h e public. I n general only sucli antiseptics can be employed as are devoid of an appreciable taste arid odor a n d not immediately injurious in their action upon the consumer. Among these substances may be mentioned salicylic acid, boracic acid, borax, calcium sulphite a n d saccharine. T h a t saccharine will doubtless come into general use in food and drink may readily be inferred from its extreme sweetness and its antiseptic properties.
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A S T I S E P T I C S A S D S I L I Y . I R Y DIGESTIOF.
T h e market is full of preparations which contain boracic or salicylic acid or both, and which are sold as lard bleachers, sausage and meat preservatives, frnit, cider and wine preservatives, &c. A few of these articles, which the writer has examined, may be mentioned here for the sake of illustration. 1. lard bleacher called ((snow white," containing 10.56 per cent. of boracic acid, and 47.12 per cent. borax. 3. A salt, colored pink with cochineal, called 13. Savaline, and used as a sausage and meat preservative, contaiiiing 16.86 per cent. boracic acid. 3. A snniple of anti-ferment for keeping cider sweet, consisting of . . Boracic acid - - - - - - ..- - - - _ _ - - _ _ - - - .- - - - - - . - 21.6 per cent. Salicylic " _ _ _ _- _ - - -_ - - -_ - -. 75.4 " 4. Three preservative salts for meat containing respectively, 31.01, 43.05 and 53.52 per cent. boracic acid. 5 . A preparation claimed to be harmless, for meats and other foods, containing : . . Boracic acid _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ __ . _____ _ _ __ . . 25 per cent. Saltpetre._ _ _ _ ....__ __. _ _ - _ _- _ _ _ _ _ ._ _ 45 '' Salt _ _ _ _ _ _._ _ _ _ ___ _ _ __ 30 After H. Leffmaii and TV. Ream (Analyst, Vol. 13, page 103), had sho~vu, that certain antiseptics completely arrest,ed the conversion of starch into grape sugar by diastase and pancreatic extract, the writer naturally inferred t h a t a similar effect would be produced by these substances on the diastatic action of saliva. A t my suggestion, N r . C. T. Fox, one of my students, took u p the matter a3 a subject for his graduating thesis. T h e results of his careful and painstaking work are embodied in part in the following tables. The method employed was as follows : 1 gram of starch was mixed with 10 c. c. of water, and boiled five minutes; 5 c. c. more of water was added, the liquid was cooled to 40" C., 5 c. c. saliva of the same temperature was added, the mixture was violently shaken and kept a t the temperattire of 40" C. for the required time, when the action of the saliva was suddeuly stopped by heating. to the boiling point. T h e mixture was then neutralized, diluted to 100 c. c. and the sugar was de-
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terniiiieit b y Febiing's solntion. At each step parallel tests were made v i t h one gram of pure starcii and with one gram of starch containiiig t h e indicated amount of preservative, using equal amounts of the same saliva 111 each case. T l i ~preservatives employed wci e : salicylic RCICI. boracic acid, calcium sulphite and saccharine. III thc. subjoined tables of results (a) represents tiic amount of sugar obtained from t h e pure starch, and (b) that obtained from t h e st,trcli mixed with the varying amounts of thc preservatives. I n each step the starch was snbjccted to the action of the saliva for diffeieiit lengths of time, viz : 1, 5. 15, JO and GO minutes.
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TABLEI.
.100 grams. Starch - - .- __._ __ ._ - _ _ - _ .- - - - . _ Salicylic acid - - - - - . - - ..- - - _ - - - .1 gram. 1 part preservative to 2,100 parts food. r \ a. 7 . ? 5 per ccmt. l i m e , 1 minute; grape sugar - . .. .. . - .. . . . .. 7 lJ. 9.61 " _
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l i m e , 3 minutes; grape sugar..
..
Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar ...
- . . .- ..... .. -
_-
_..
'Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar _ _ _ __ __ . __ . _ . Time, 1 hour; grape sugar..
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_ _ - _ _ _ _ --(( b.a.
_ _ .
27.67 33.3::
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TABLE11. Starch - . - - . - ...._ _ _ . . __ _._ . _ ._ ._ _ ._ _. 100 grams. Borax _ _ . . ._ ._ __ _ . _ ...__ _ _ ___ ___ _ . _ _ . _ 1 gram. _ _ 1 part preservative to 2,100 parts food. ( a. 12.82 per cent Time, 1 minute; grape sugar _ __ . ._ -_ -. .- . ( b.
Time, Time, 1 1
lime,
Time,
9.10 20.83 5 minutes; grape silgar _ _ . -_ -.. . ( b. 14.70 a. 28.15 15 minutes; grape sugar .... _ - _ -_ . _ b. 13.51 a. 25.00 30 minutea; grape sugar .... - - -_ ._ _ b. 16.66 1 hour; grape sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . __ ___ _ a.b. 35.04 27.36
1 a. ._ _ _ -
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AXTISEPTICS A N D S.\LI\7ART
DIGESTIOS.
TABLE 111.
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Starch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Calcium sulphite.. - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _ - - 1 part preservative t o 2,100 parts food. ~
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100 grams. 1 gram.
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a. 1'7.82 per cent. b. 14.70 ii a. 20.S3 Time, 5 minutes; grape sugar - ._ _ - - _ - - - - b. 37.58 'i. a. 2s.15 " Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar .. - - - - _.. - - - - F b, '79.56 a. 25.00 '( Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar - - - - - . - - - - b. ')as3 " Time, 1 minute; grape sugar
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Time, 1hour; grape sugar
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ { "d.
1 part preservative to 2,100 parts food. Time, 1 minute; grape sugar
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .a.b.
12.82 per cent.. 19.20 '( a. '70.S3 " b. 30.08 "
Time, 5 minutes; grape sugar _ _ _ _ - - Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar - - -
{ Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar _ - - _- - - - - - - _- { Time, 1hour; grape sugar
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_ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - - - - _ - - - - ia.b. TABLEV.
25.15 25.51
25.00
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33-80
ci
35.04 25.51
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Starch--_ _ __ --------____ --__ ---50 grams. Salicylic acid _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - 1 gram. 1 part preservative to 1,050 parts food.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -j a: Time, 5 minutes; grape sugav _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - a. { b. Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ a. b. Time, 1 minute; grape sugar _ _ _ _
10:63 per cent. 8G
33-83 27.70 33.01 35.40
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ANTISEPTICS A N D SALIVARY DIGESTION.
TABLEV .-Cod iuzied. Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar.
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a. 34.48 per cent. b. 34.48 a. 41.66 " b. 41.66 ((
Time, 1 hour; grape sugar.
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TABLEVI.
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Starch - .. - - - - - - - - - _ _ .- _ _ - - - _ _ - - - 50 grams. Borax _ . _ ._ .- _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _. _ ._ _ ._ _. _ -. _ 1.gram. . _ _ ._ 1 part preservative t o 1,050 parts food. a. 10.68 per cent. 'Time, 1 minute; grape sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . __ _. _ b. 13.90 (' j a. 33.33 " Time, 5 minutes; grape sugar _ __ _ _ - -.. .... ( b. 14.0s '' a. 83.01 i. Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar _ _ - -- - - - - ...- b. 18.51 " -
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Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar
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Time, 1 hour; grape sugar - - .- - - ...- - - - - ...
;14.48 { t, 27.77
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a. 41.66 b. 29.41
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TABLEVII. Starch _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ __ ___ __ _ .._. _ __ _ . _ . _ _ . _ _ _ _ . 50 grams. Calcium sulphite- - - - - .- - .- - - - - - .- - - - .- - .1 gram. 1 part preservative to 1,050 parts food. a. 10.62 pel. cent. r ' Time, 1 minute; grape sugar- - - - - - - - - - - - - b. 10.41 '*
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a. 33.33 b. 28.40 ( a. 33.01 Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . - 1 b. 26.29 34.48 Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ __._ _ _ - ,a. b. 38.46 a. 41.66 Time, 1 hour; grape sugar.- _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - b. 30.71 Time, 5 minutes; grape sugar- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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ANTISEPTICS A N D SALIVARY DIGESTION.
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TABLEVIII.
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Starch ____ ____ Saccharine _ _ _ _ _______________________ 1 part preservative to 1,050 parts food.
50 grams. 1 gram.
a. Time, 1 minute; grape sugar-- _ _ - _ _ - - - - - - - b. a. Time, 5 minutes grape sugar _ _ - -_ -_ _ - - - - - b.
ib. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ---- i I a.
Time, 15 minutes; grape s u g a r - - - - - _ _ _- - - - Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar Time, 1 hour; grape sugar
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a. b. a. _ _ - __ _ _ _- - - - - 1 h.
10.62 per cent. 12.50 cc 33.33 cc 35.71 " 33.01 '' 35.71 " 34.48 " 34.40 41.66 '' 40.32 '' '(
1 part preservative to 840 parts food.
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per cent. - _ _ - ad. 16.66 2.84 '' a. 20.00 '' Time, 5 minutes; grape sugar-. - - -.- - - - - - - - b. 3.52 6( a. 26.31 '( Time, 15 minutes; grape sugar- - .- - _ _ _ - - - - Time, 1 minute; grape sugar-..
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Time, 30 minutes; grape sugar
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