Yes, in the past, formaldehyde has been added to the beer to ship to the
military and may still be done.  It is used as a preservative. Thus, the
term "rot gut" for when the guys get sick with upset stomachs, numb
tongues, and headaches, etc.; it is not all from the alcohol! (this from
some who served and drank!). 
    And, I remember the first time my Dad walked into the histology lab
I was working in back in the late 1960's, early 1970's.  The pathologist
was grossing in with the open container of formalin and tissue on the
board.  Of course, back then, no gloves; the hands went into the
formalin to p/u the tissue, etc.  The first comment from my Dad was
"that's 'maldehyde you are using!"  I had to ask him several times
before understanding he was talking about formaldehyde. He kept saying
he smelled it in the packin' plant. He was familiar with it in the
butchering plants/packing plants for cattle, hogs, etc.  We had a farm
and he would take some animals for slaughter for his custom delivery of
beef or hogs to customers.  He said they sprayed it in the cooling out
rooms to keep the meat from spoiling.  So, even your food often has it
as a preservative on it.  
    Then, have you ever walked into a fabric store and your eyes start
burning, watering, etc. and nose also?  It is the strong odor of
formaldehyde in the fabrics.  It is used in the fabrics our clothing is
made of; in the carpet in our homes; in the glues used for the carpets
and the furniture; in the chipped wood products that have laminates over
them, etc.  Then, with our homes tightly sealed when all doors and
windows are shut, these gases have no way to escape and we breathe more
of it than otherwise.
   These are current ways I know formaldehyde is being used plus the
shampoos already mention.  Look at your labels, some hand lotions have
it in it also!

sharon osborn
DNAX, SP BioPharma
Palo Alto, CA





Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 09:15:11 -0400
From: "Fred Underwood" 
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Formalin on skin
To: , 
Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Formaldehyde in beer.  Huh.  Gives new meaning to getting a "fix".

>>> "Jackie M O'Connor"  05/23/06 04:32PM
>>>
Formaldehyde was a common ingredient of shampoos, and I remember reading

the ingredients (with horror) on a bottle of Mr. Bubble bubble bath for

kids (like 25 years ago).    If you remember "Good Morning Vietnam" -
they 
mentioned using formaldehyde to produce a better head on a glass of beer

from the tap.
I once worked with a pathologist who was allergic to formaldehyde. 
When 
he did the gross, we had to rinse all the specimens in H20 before he
could 
examine them - yeah, that was fun.
Jackie O'
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