. Journal . ovided it is of the nature of adnig, and the body is in a perfectly normal healthycondition. The flaws in this so-called mathematical demonstra-tion are .so numerous and so obvious that one marvelsthat any scientific man should allow it to go forth underhis name. In the first place, it is not clearly stated whatthe co-ordinates of the diagram are intended to since the ordinates are stated to represent quantitiesof preservatives one is obliged to assume that measure-ments along the axis of abscissse represent degrees ofinjury to health—in spite of the authors intimatio
. Journal . ovided it is of the nature of adnig, and the body is in a perfectly normal healthycondition. The flaws in this so-called mathematical demonstra-tion are .so numerous and so obvious that one marvelsthat any scientific man should allow it to go forth underhis name. In the first place, it is not clearly stated whatthe co-ordinates of the diagram are intended to since the ordinates are stated to represent quantitiesof preservatives one is obliged to assume that measure-ments along the axis of abscissse represent degrees ofinjury to health—in spite of the authors intimation thatinjurious effects are to be measuied in terms of deviationfrom the horizontal line. If, then, the form of the curvefor preservatives be correct, the diagram would indicatethat a very little preservative may produce considerableinjury. But absolutely no evidence is offered that theform of the curve is that shown in the diagram. If itshould happen to be that of the curve \ B in Fig. 2, the LETHAL Fro. 2.—InjuiionB effects of preservatives possible alteraativesto Wileys curve. addition of a small quantity of preservative would produceonly an infinitesimal injury, and the matter would onlybecome important when a certain dose of preservativewas taken. In the case of manv substances normallypresent in food the curve would obviously have the formA D E (Fig. 2), according to which the presence of eitherless or more than a certain quantity of the substance isinjurious. It is evident that the curve for foods in Fig. Imust have this form, since an excess of food is certainlyinjurious; and it is by no means clear that the sameprinciple may not apply to some of the substances used aspreservatives ; that is to say, it is not clear that a preserva-tive which in large quantities is injurious to health maynot, if present in smaller quantity, be positively beneficialDr. Wileys absolution of all substances naturallypresent in foods, and also of all substances added forcondimental
Size: 1620px × 1542px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectchemist, bookyear1882
