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"OUR BLEACHED DAILY BREAD."
931 naturally protested against the whole proposal and he is a mark of its quality needs in the face of the results quite correctly pointed out that the duty of actually justt quoted to be put in the form of a serious warning. analysing foods did not rest upon him, but that there A ffew years ago surgeons were looking round for some was a public analyst appointed for this specific pur- exp:)lanation as to the progressive causation of appendicitis, All the duties imposed upon him were to examine andi the idea gained ground in the minds of several authopose. to ascertain it was on inspection fresh whether on the subject that the introduction of new food, milling Rees
wholesome, whether it should be forthwith demned, or whether it should be submitted to or
perts for chemical and bacteriological examination. also pointed out that in order to determine whether
conex-
He milk was tuberculous it would be necessary to make inoculation experiments upon guinea-pigs, and that for this purpose he would require a special vivisection licence. But notwithstanding these very proper explanations the subject of the duties of the medical officer of health was referred to a committee. The deliberations of this committee should not occupy it for a very long period, since the specific duties of a medical officer of health are definitely laid down in the Local Government Board’s Order of 1891. It is clearly no part of Dr. Rees’s duty either to analyse milk or to inspect the cattle for tuberculosis, any more than he is required to risk his life by tasting milk to determine whether it is tuberculous. The district council is quite right to wish to have its milk periodically tested and to have the cows supplying such milk examined, but there is a duly provided machinery by means of which each of these things may be properly carried out. There has no doubt been some misunderstanding on the part of certain members of the council if the report of the proceedings which has been sent to us is correct, but we feel sure that the committee appointed, after it has gone into the subject, will at once recognise the fact that there are already existing arrangements by which foods may be analysed and cattle inspected.
"OUR BLEACHED DAILY BREAD."
)cesses had added mechanical impurities to the bread in the shape perhaps of steel particles, or perhaps modern millling methods had rendered the gluten hard and indigesstible enough to serve as irritants in the intestinal tract. Wee may, with some reason, consider whether, if bread is at all a factor in the case, its treatment with nitrous fumes is nott calculated to supply a better theory than steel particles. i It is, at any rate, a significant fact that in the experiments ref,ferred to it was found on post-mortem examination that the waalls of the stomach of each rabbit were either perforated or she.owed degeneration or congestion. .
A TESTIMONIAL TO SIR
FELIX SEMON.
A MEETING of laryngologists was held at the rooms of the Rooyal Society of Medicine on March 5th to organise a te,.istimonial to Sir Felix Semon on the occasion of his retireent from practice, which takes place at the end of the co)ming June. Mr. H. T. Butlin was unanimously elected chlairman of the general committee, and Dr. J. Dundas Grrant, President of the Laryngological Section of the Royal Soociety of Medicine, was elected chairman of the executive co committee, which consists also of the following: Mr. Cliharters J. Symonds, Mr. E. Cresswell Baber, Dr. J. B. Ball, Di)r. Edward Law, Dr. P. McBride, Mr. Herbert Tilley, Mr. E.B. Waggett, Dr. A. W. Sandford, Dr. F. de Havilland ulall, Dr. R. H. Scanes Spicer, Dr. StClair Thomson ,
honorary treasurer, 28, Queen Anne-street, London, W.), )r. P. Watson Williams (honorary secretary, 4, Clifton Park, 3ristol), and Dr. H. J. Davis (honorary secretary, 8, Portman:treet, London, W.). Subscriptions to the testimonial may )e forwarded to the honorary treasurer.
WE return to this subject, which we dealt with in an annotation in our issue last week, since according to the results of a recent investigation the matter is more serious than we had THE METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY. believed. In the Chemical News of March 19th a paper on THE report upon the condition of the London water-supply "Chemically Treated Flours," by Mr. E. F. Ladd and Mr. H. L. White, is published, which formed a special bulletin for November, 1908, has only been issued during the present communicated from the Government Agricultural Experi- month and we must repeat our previously expressed conment Station at North Dakota to the Secretary of Agri- viction that an earlier publication of a report requiring less culture at Washington. According to these investigators elaboration would be of more service to the community. If flour as the results of artificial bleacha summary report could be issued in the month following are in there produced most to that to which it referred the publication of the many pages nitrous acid toxic bodies related probably ing by are exceedingly of analytical details might well be issued in quarterly reports diazo-compounds which, generally speaking, that the was also clear Evidence gluten or only for the purposes of record and for the information of poisonous. on. Extracts made experts. We feel sure that such a short and early review of the flour had been acted protein from unbleached flour and given to rabbits did not affect of the state of the London water-supply month by them unfavourably, while extracts similarly prepared month would be welcome to many sanitarians, but from commercially bleached flour caused their death we make this suggestion without any disparagement of within a few hours. Aqueous extracts of bleached the admirable and laborious work carried on by Dr. A. C. flour caused immediate collapse and death even after Houston and his staff in the Metropolitan Water Board’s the extracts were neutralised with sodium bicarbonate. It laboratories, work which has already borne practical fruit in is assumed that the death of the rabbits was due to the two reports on research work and which bids fair to put the presence of toxic material other than that of nitrites. bacteriology of bacillus coli in its relation to the waterIn view of these results we were justified in writing as we supply on a throughly trustworthy basis. The report before did that " such tampering with ’the staff of life’ should be us shows the supply in November last to have been in a made illegal." We gather that the Agricultural Department satisfactory condition, both as regards the chemical purity at Washington has, through its secretary, expressed the of the filtered water and its comparative freedom from An opinion that flour bleached by nitrogen peroxide is an bacterial contamination. addendum contains a adulterated product under the Food and Drugs Act summary of the analyses made during the autumn of June 30th, 1906, but the legislature there does not quarter and a comparison of them with those of the earlier undertake to prevent the practice applied to flours intended months of 1908. We find that during September, for export unless the method of treatment is in conflict with October, and November 86’ 8 per cent. of samples of the laws of the foreign country to which the article filtered water taken from the Thames, Lea, and New River, is intended to be shipped. Our advice to the public to each of 100 cubic centimetres, yielded no bacillus coli, abandon the fallacious notion that the whiteness of a bread the corresponding percentages for the spring and summer
wholesome, whether it should be forthwith demned, or whether it should be submitted to or
perts for chemical and bacteriological examination. also pointed out that in order to determine whether
conex-
He milk was tuberculous it would be necessary to make inoculation experiments upon guinea-pigs, and that for this purpose he would require a special vivisection licence. But notwithstanding these very proper explanations the subject of the duties of the medical officer of health was referred to a committee. The deliberations of this committee should not occupy it for a very long period, since the specific duties of a medical officer of health are definitely laid down in the Local Government Board’s Order of 1891. It is clearly no part of Dr. Rees’s duty either to analyse milk or to inspect the cattle for tuberculosis, any more than he is required to risk his life by tasting milk to determine whether it is tuberculous. The district council is quite right to wish to have its milk periodically tested and to have the cows supplying such milk examined, but there is a duly provided machinery by means of which each of these things may be properly carried out. There has no doubt been some misunderstanding on the part of certain members of the council if the report of the proceedings which has been sent to us is correct, but we feel sure that the committee appointed, after it has gone into the subject, will at once recognise the fact that there are already existing arrangements by which foods may be analysed and cattle inspected.
"OUR BLEACHED DAILY BREAD."
)cesses had added mechanical impurities to the bread in the shape perhaps of steel particles, or perhaps modern millling methods had rendered the gluten hard and indigesstible enough to serve as irritants in the intestinal tract. Wee may, with some reason, consider whether, if bread is at all a factor in the case, its treatment with nitrous fumes is nott calculated to supply a better theory than steel particles. i It is, at any rate, a significant fact that in the experiments ref,ferred to it was found on post-mortem examination that the waalls of the stomach of each rabbit were either perforated or she.owed degeneration or congestion. .
A TESTIMONIAL TO SIR
FELIX SEMON.
A MEETING of laryngologists was held at the rooms of the Rooyal Society of Medicine on March 5th to organise a te,.istimonial to Sir Felix Semon on the occasion of his retireent from practice, which takes place at the end of the co)ming June. Mr. H. T. Butlin was unanimously elected chlairman of the general committee, and Dr. J. Dundas Grrant, President of the Laryngological Section of the Royal Soociety of Medicine, was elected chairman of the executive co committee, which consists also of the following: Mr. Cliharters J. Symonds, Mr. E. Cresswell Baber, Dr. J. B. Ball, Di)r. Edward Law, Dr. P. McBride, Mr. Herbert Tilley, Mr. E.B. Waggett, Dr. A. W. Sandford, Dr. F. de Havilland ulall, Dr. R. H. Scanes Spicer, Dr. StClair Thomson ,
honorary treasurer, 28, Queen Anne-street, London, W.), )r. P. Watson Williams (honorary secretary, 4, Clifton Park, 3ristol), and Dr. H. J. Davis (honorary secretary, 8, Portman:treet, London, W.). Subscriptions to the testimonial may )e forwarded to the honorary treasurer.
WE return to this subject, which we dealt with in an annotation in our issue last week, since according to the results of a recent investigation the matter is more serious than we had THE METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY. believed. In the Chemical News of March 19th a paper on THE report upon the condition of the London water-supply "Chemically Treated Flours," by Mr. E. F. Ladd and Mr. H. L. White, is published, which formed a special bulletin for November, 1908, has only been issued during the present communicated from the Government Agricultural Experi- month and we must repeat our previously expressed conment Station at North Dakota to the Secretary of Agri- viction that an earlier publication of a report requiring less culture at Washington. According to these investigators elaboration would be of more service to the community. If flour as the results of artificial bleacha summary report could be issued in the month following are in there produced most to that to which it referred the publication of the many pages nitrous acid toxic bodies related probably ing by are exceedingly of analytical details might well be issued in quarterly reports diazo-compounds which, generally speaking, that the was also clear Evidence gluten or only for the purposes of record and for the information of poisonous. on. Extracts made experts. We feel sure that such a short and early review of the flour had been acted protein from unbleached flour and given to rabbits did not affect of the state of the London water-supply month by them unfavourably, while extracts similarly prepared month would be welcome to many sanitarians, but from commercially bleached flour caused their death we make this suggestion without any disparagement of within a few hours. Aqueous extracts of bleached the admirable and laborious work carried on by Dr. A. C. flour caused immediate collapse and death even after Houston and his staff in the Metropolitan Water Board’s the extracts were neutralised with sodium bicarbonate. It laboratories, work which has already borne practical fruit in is assumed that the death of the rabbits was due to the two reports on research work and which bids fair to put the presence of toxic material other than that of nitrites. bacteriology of bacillus coli in its relation to the waterIn view of these results we were justified in writing as we supply on a throughly trustworthy basis. The report before did that " such tampering with ’the staff of life’ should be us shows the supply in November last to have been in a made illegal." We gather that the Agricultural Department satisfactory condition, both as regards the chemical purity at Washington has, through its secretary, expressed the of the filtered water and its comparative freedom from An opinion that flour bleached by nitrogen peroxide is an bacterial contamination. addendum contains a adulterated product under the Food and Drugs Act summary of the analyses made during the autumn of June 30th, 1906, but the legislature there does not quarter and a comparison of them with those of the earlier undertake to prevent the practice applied to flours intended months of 1908. We find that during September, for export unless the method of treatment is in conflict with October, and November 86’ 8 per cent. of samples of the laws of the foreign country to which the article filtered water taken from the Thames, Lea, and New River, is intended to be shipped. Our advice to the public to each of 100 cubic centimetres, yielded no bacillus coli, abandon the fallacious notion that the whiteness of a bread the corresponding percentages for the spring and summer