348 EVERY PEA HELPS TO FILL THE PECK. ADUL AND ALSO ΤΟ DETECT 2473. How To ESCAPE A hand flour-mill, which will cost A pestle and mortar A pepper and spice-mill £5 0 0 0 10 0 030 030 1 10 0 0 15 0 050 £8 6 0 atic acid." To discover adulterations in flour, you are to "take of the suspected flour about 350 grains, and the same quantity of fine sand, and two and a half fluid ounces of water; triturate in a mortar the sand and flour for five minutes; then gradually add a little of the water, so as to dilute it evenly, and form a homogeneous paste; throw the whole upon a filter, and take about one ounce of the clear liquid, place it in a test-glass, and add the same quantity of an aqueous solution of iodine." The author remarks that this method is tedious, and far from satisfactory. So we think. He then gives another :"If chalk be suspected, place a teaspoonful of flour in a wineglass, with a little water, and add a few drops of muriatic acid. If chalk be present, a brisk effervescence will ensue, owing to the escape of carbonic acid [it should be carbonic acid gas]. Lime may be detected in a similar way-using oxalate of ammonia instead of muriatic acid. The lime will form an insoluble precipitate, which is oxalate of lime!" Then, to detect the presence of bone dust, you are told to burn a portion of the suspected flour, and "if a portion of the ash dissolved in water give, with nitrate of silver, an abundant precipitate, phosphate of lime is present. The test of oxalate of ammonia may be used to detect lime in the ash, as already advised for its detection in flour!" This is the character of by far the greater number of these "simple" instructions; let it be kept at a place convenient and, to crown the whole, to enable you to all. By such means a capital of 10s., to detect adulteration in bottled, cured, subscribed by each member, would be and potted anchovies, with their heads sufficient; a little company would be decapitated, and their entrails removed, formed, upon a better principle than you are favoured with Mr. Yarrell's that of "limited liability," since, the pen-and-ink portrait of the fish when capital being paid up, there would be no in a living, or, at least, a fresh and whole liability at all. What would be the recondition! Among other adulterations sult Why, that people would obtain we therefore discover the adulteration of pure bread, pure coffee, pure condibooks, by the introduction of matter to ments, and other things, at a cost of give an appearance of learning to their full twenty-five per cent. under that pages, and of no possible use to the which they now pay for spurious and buyer, who is compelled to pay sixpence health-destroying mixtures. for what he ought to obtain at one-sixth of that cost. This seems a good deal of money, and anything but a simple" means of meeting a great evil. But we have not yet completed our instructions. 2474. FORMATION OF "FAMILY CIRCLES."-The mill is the most expensive item in this table of expenditure, and what we propose is this:-"Family Circles" should be called for the purpose of mitigating the evils complained of. Let every "Circle" have its mill 2475. OTHER EVILS BESIDES "ADULTERATIONS."-The butcher can ECONOMY IS THE HOUSEHOLD MINT. 349 one penny each, will be of material assistance in detecting the admixture of impure substances with articles of food. Even a common phial filled with water possesses a strong magnifying power. 2479. BRANDY is adulterated with cayenne pepper, water, and burnt sugar. Betts's brandy is the best. 2480. BREAD. Grind your own wheat, make your own yeast, and bake your own bread. The advantages will be immense, and you need not then trouble about adulterations. OF not adulterate the beef and the mutton, but he can send home short weight; and in casting up a bill, he can reckon the odd ounces at one penny each, instead of one halfpenny; and the baker, besides putting alum in the bread, to make it white and retain water, can send home deficient weight; the same with the grocer, the greengrocer, and the coal merchant; the publican can give short measure, and froth up the porter to fill the jug and disguise the shortness of quantity; and the draper can slip his scissors on the wrong side of his finger, and make a yard contain only thirty-three inches. We don't mean to say that they do this, nor do we mean to say that they don't. We argue, that people ought to possess the means of ascertaining who among shopkeepers are honest, and who are not; then the just would meet with justice, and the unjust would suffer for their own sins. If we can succeed in inducing people to put these simple suggestions into operation, we shall have done more to remedy the evil than Dr. Hassall and Acts of-Pierce a loaf that is one day old with a Parliament; for these have merely exposed the defect, frightened everybody, and produced no practical result. 2476. ADULTERATIONS, AND REALLY SIMPLE MODES OF DETECTING THEM.ARROWROOT is adulterated with potato starch, sago, and tapioca starch. There is nothing injurious in these adulterations. When largely adulterated with potato starch, the arrowroot, being passed through the hand, imparts a slippery and glaze-like feeling. Pure arrowroot may generally be obtained by paying the best prices. The arrowroot packed in tin cases, and palmed off as pure, may generally be regarded as highly adulterated. 2477. ANATTO is adulterated with chalk, wheat flour, rye flour, salt, and soap, and is coloured with Venetian red and red lead. It is difficult to detect these adulterations. 2478. A STANHOPE LENS, which may be obtained for from 2s. 6d. to 5s., or one of the glass water-bulbs that are sold by men in the London streets at 2481. THE ADULTERATIONS BREAD, &c.-Bread and flour are adulterated with flour of inferior grain, Indian corn flour, potato flour, pea and bean flour, bone-dust, &c. None of these are positively injurious. But they are also adulterated with plaster of Paris, chalk, alum, &c., and these are highly prejudicial to health, especially when taken continuously. 2482. To DISCOVER WHETHER BREAD BE ADULTERATED WITH ALUM. knife made very hot; if there be alum present, it will adhere in very small particles to the blade of the knife, and will indicate its presence by a peculiar smell. If bread looks unnaturally white, and if it gives off a good deal of water, and becomes very brittle and dry when toasted, alum may be regarded as being present. 2483. To DISCOVER WHETHER BREAD BE ADULTERATED WITH PEA OR BEAN FLOUR.-Pour boiling water upon it, and if the flour is mixed with the farina of peas or beans, the strong smell of those grains will become manifest. 2484. To DISCOVER WHETHER FLOUR BE ADULTERATED WITH CHALK, PLASTER OF PARIS, OR MINERAL POWDERS.-If containing these admixtures, it will be found to be heavier, measure for measure, than pure flour. That is to say, a pint of pure flour would be overbalanced in the scales by a pint of adulterated flour. Slice the soft part of a loaf, and put it into a large 350 AT NIGHT NATURE IS IN MOURNING FOR THE LOSS OF THE SUN. quantity of water, in an earthen vessel. Place it over a slow fire for three hours. Scoop up the pap, and let the water stand. When perfectly settled, pour off the water, and a chalky sediment will be found to cover the bottom of the vessel. Heartburn, immediately after cating bread, is a sign of its impurity. Put some flour upon a table, and blow it gently with the breath. If little heaps remain upon the table, resisting the action of the breath, and differing manifestly from the indications given by other portions when blown upon, the substance thus remaining is impure. Potato flour, and indeed all white flours are heavier than pure wheat. Bake a small quantity of the suspected flour, until it is of a full brown. Then rub it in your hands, or on a table, when white particles will be seen, if chalk or plaster of Paris be present. would be a great waste of time to find them out, since all cayenne is largely adulterated. Therefore, make your own, or-don't use any. 2488. CHICORY.-This is the dried and roasted root of a plant allied to the dandelion, and it is found by almost unanimous testimony to be an agreeable flavourer of coffee. Dr. Hassall denounces the use of chicory, but with no sufficient reason. He states it to be "diuretic and aperient"-qualities which we declare to be in its favour, for it is the prevailing defect of our food that it is too astringent and heating, and the fact that chicory finds such general approbation we believe rests in the very qualities which Dr. Hassall condemns. We know a respectable grocer who, before legislation took the matter up, from conscientious motives ceased to mix chicory with coffee: the immediate effect was the falling off of his coffee trade, his customers declaring that his coffee was not so good as previously; and he was 2485. PURE WHEATEN FLOUR is remarkable for its cohesiveness. If squeezed, it will adhere; it is also very light, and may be blown into a cloud with the lightest breath. It was stated compelled again to mix chicory with in the Parliamentary Report, that earthy matters are not admixed with flour. This means, that Dr. Hassall had not discovered any. A man was fined at Leeds, not long ago, for adulterating flour with plaster of Paris. He had carried adulteration to such an excess, that it was discovered through the illness of families who had partaken of bread made from flour supplied by him. 2486. BUTTER is made heavy by water, which may generally be seen exuding from bad samples; these should be rejected by the purchaser. 2487. CAYENNE PEPPER.-Having your own pestle and mortar, make it according to the following instructions:-Let a quantity be made at one time for the "Family Circle." The cayenne of commerce is adulterated with brickdust, red wood dust, cochineal, vermillion, and red lead. The latter two are highly injurious, and the former ones not very salutary. As to the means of detecting these, it it, to meet their taste. Chicory is found to be "adulterated" with carrots, parsnips, and mangold-wurzel. In Dr. Hassall's papers the names of those roots are italicized, as though some dreadful disclosure lay therein. But as these roots are all of them highly nutritious and agreeable, instead of detracting from the claims of chicory, the facts stated rather elevate "chicory in our estimation, and point to the probability that the roots mentioned possess qualities hitherto imperfectly ascertained, and worthy of further examination and development. Our remarks are not merely of conjecture, they are founded upon observation and analysis. 2489. CHOCOLATE AND COCOA.--The adulterations of these articles pointed out by Dr. Hassall are not of a serious nature, being confined to flour, starch, potato farina, sago meal, wheat flour, tapioca starch, maranta and other arrowroots, tous-les-mois, and animal fats; but as the latter are employed in the roasting of all farinaceous grains, GO TO BED WITH THE LAMB AND RISE WITH THE LARK. 351 2494. GIN is adulterated with water, sugar, cayenne, cassia, cinnamon, grains of paradise, sulphuric acid, coriander seeds, angelica root, calken root, almond cake, orris root, cardamum seeds, orange peel, and grey and white salts, and is to prevent the burning thereof, and also to preserve, as far as possible, their essential oils from destruction by heat, we see nothing to make our readers uncomfortable. Those who prefer the pure cocoa can obtain the "nibs," or more properly "beans," and grind them.“fined" by alum and salt of tartar. But many prefer the soluble cocoa, which is simply cocoa modified by admixture with less stimulating sub stances. The best way is to purchase the unsweetened gin, for the sweetening is employed to disguise the flavour of various adulterations. If you examine gin through a clean glass, it should have no tint, either of a bluish or yellowish cast. The cheap gins should be avoided, and only respectable dealers should be resorted to. 2490. COFFEE.-Coffee is adulterated with chicory, roasted beans, peas, and acorns; but chiefly by chicory. Having your own mill, buy the roasted beans; find out a respect ́able grocer, ascertain his roasting-days, 2495. ISINGLASS.-Our chief object and always buy from a fresh roast. If in noticing the adulteration of this you like the flavour of chicory, purchase article is to insure its purity in the it separately, and add to taste. Chicory making of cements, which is of the in small quantities is not, as has been utmost importance. (See 2258.) Isinrepresented, injurious, but healthful: glass is a preparation from fishes' because the "taraxacum" root has been bladders, and it is found to be adulused medicinally, and its name has terated with gelatine. Take a few found a place in the Pharmacopoeia, it threads of the substance, drop some has been vulgarly set down as "physic,' ,"into boiling water, some into cold and thrown to the dogs. The tonic water, and some into vinegar. In hop might be discarded upon the same pretext. Chicory is a healthful addition to coffee, but you need not pay the coffee price for it. Grind your coffee, and mix it with chicory for yourself. 2491. CONFECTIONS AND SWEETMEATS are coloured with poisonous ingredients. Avoid them; there is not the slightest necessity for running any risk. 2492. CURRY POWDERS are but an accumulation of adulterations :-adulterated pepper, adulterated coriander, adulterated cardamums, adulterated ginger, adulterated spices, and so on. With your spice-mill and grater, prepare your own from the seeds and roots. You will thereby obtain a curry powder, and be able to produce a curry, that will spread your reputation far and wide. 2493. CUSTARD AND EGG PowDERS contain wheat, potato, and rice flours, and are coloured with chrome yellow, or chromate of lead, and turmeric. They are not essential articles of household economy. the boiling water the isinglass will dissolve; in cold water it will become white and "cloudy;" and in vinegar it will swell and become jelly-like. In boiling water gelatine will not so completely dissolve as isinglass; in cold water it becomes clear and jellylike; and in vinegar it will harden. 2496. LARD is adulterated with potato flour, water, salts, carbonate of soda, and caustic lime. Take a small portion of the suspected lard, and evaporate it upon a hot iron pan or plate, when the admixed substances will be deposited thereon. 2497. MARMALADE is found to be adulterated with coarse apples, Swede turnips, and coarse pumpkins. These substances may be easily detected by washing off the saccharine matter in tepid water. Generally speaking, however, it is only the low-priced marmalades that are thus admixed. 2498. MILK is adulterated with water, and coloured with anatto. 2499. MUSTARD AND PEPPER are 352 EATING AND DRINKING SHOULDN'T KEEP US FROM THINKING. both adulterated with inferior grain, husks of seeds, and even dust of a variety of descriptions. Having your pepper-mill, purchase the seed whole, and grind for yourself. You will then obtain the pure article at a moderate cost. 2500. OATMEAL is adulterated with barley flour and the husks of barley. A pint of pure oatmeal will weigh heavier than a pint of the adulterated. 2501. PICKLES AND PRESERVES.These are found to be adulterated with various compounds; but the greatest evil lies in the fact that they are frequently impregnated with copper. To detect this, put some of the pickle, cut small, into a phial with two or three drachms of liquid ammonia, diluted with one half the quantity of water. Shake the phial, when, if the minutest portion of copper be present, the liquid will assume a fine blue colour. In the case of preserves, the copper probably proceeds from the use of copper pans in making the preserves; but with regard to pickles, copper is employed to improve their colour, and sulphuric acid to strengthen bad vinegar. The best way is to avoid purchasing the pickles sold in clear glass bottles, and presenting a most tempting appearance. Take your own jar, or jars, and you will find that you will get pure articles at little more than it would cost you to make pickles at home. We presume that in all large towns the pickle merchants adopt the same plan of selling pickles by the quart or gallon to those who may visit their establishments; and also that preserves (for those who do not make their own) may be obtained under equal advantages. 2502. POTTED MEATS AND FISH are adulterated with inferior substances, and coloured with bole armenian and Venetian red. sulphuric acid, cream of tartar, alum, carbonate of potash, oyster shells, hartshorn shavings, fabia amara, or nux vomica, and beans for fining. Beer which is quickly "heady," and rapidly intoxicating, may be regarded as drugged. The large brewers supply the purest beer. The publicans adulterate it after they receive supplies from the brewers. 2504. RUM is adulterated with water, and sharpened with cayenne pepper. Let it stand in a decanter, and if a cloudy precipitate is found at the bottom, that is a sign of adulteration. 2505. SAUSAGES.-The most offensive of all adulterations are found in these savory morsels. Horseflesh, diseased animals, and odds and ends of every description appear in the tempting guise of "sausages." To escape this evil, make your own sausages by the aid of the sausage machine, which may be purchased for 30s., and will enable you to add many savory morsels to the attraction of your table. same machine may be used for CHOPPING VEGETABLES, which it will do to such perfection that they will perfectly dissolve in soups and stews, and afford most delicious made-dishes. And in this, as in the grinding of wheat, you will soon save the cost of the machine. The 2506. SNUFF is adulterated with the chromate of potash, chromate of lead, various earths and colours, red lead, carbonate of ammonia, lime, powdered glass or silex, and powdered orris root. 2507. SUGAR is commonly adulterated with fine sand, sawdust, &c. Dissolve some of the sugar in a long, narrow ale-glass, and stir it until all the soluble parts have been thoroughly dissolved. Then allow it to stand for some hours. Sand will sink to the bottom, while sawdust will rise to the surface. Both the sand and the sawdust will be found to be very fine, but their presence will be sufficiently indicated. Loaf sugar is generally purer than 2503. PORTER AND ALE are adulterated with cocculus indicus, tobacco, grains of paradise, capsicum, ginger, quassia, wormwood, calamus root, carraway and coriander seeds, orange pow-moist sugar. der, liquorice, honey, sulphate of iron, 2508. TEA is adulterated with |