Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-26

Inc AUicCts Oh SAterNtuas
To tAe Editors Of tie ~ Y. Iri6,eDe:
SIR: In former number of this paper al.
luded TO the use of saleratus in modern cooke
ny. ! have not hesitated to pronounce it an
efficient agent in the production of that most
alarming infantile mortality which prevails,
Your readers know, perhaps, that we lose
about 800, 900 inhabitants of the United States
every year, under ten years of age and some
of them know, if they have read all that has
been written on the subject, within a'few years
that not few of these children might have
survived had it not been for the effects Of sale
ratus.
Some individuals have doubted the truth Of
my suggestions. They have seriously ques
toned whether saleratus is really poisonous
Such individuals may be interested in the fol
lowing statement and facts
had been lecturing in North Adams, Mass.
on Diet and Regimen. At the close Of the
lecture, the Rev. Robert Crawford came to me
and inquired whether was not fond of col
Letting facts; and when ] replied in the affir
NATIVE, he gave me particular account of an
incident at Wiliamstown, which is only -four
miles from that place.
In the year 1885 an INDECENT female, who
was DESTROYS of trying to earn an honest live
hood for herself and her family by keeping
boarders, rented house in Williamstown, and
took about fifteen bO6rders. They were chiefly
if not wholly, young men who were attending
the college at that place.
The housekeeper was ignorant of the fashion
able modes of cookery, though she knew tha
rich food was generally preferred. She hai
was freely used. Accordingly, she procured 8
emo onJ f.aaly noad ~ The ~, b;,o,,;t
were so full Of it as not only to give them
yellow or burnt appearance, but also to render
them bitter or nauseous TO the taste. Man,
other articles were filled with it in like manner
In endeayoring to make light buildings, how
ever, she used so much Of the article, it was
said, as to render them as heavy, almost so, q!
| lead. The students called these buildings b,
the name of specific gravity;" SO that when
ever they wished a slice, the would ask to bt
helped to some Of the Specific gravity"
After the lapse of a few months disease
broke out among these students--so severe tha
many believed it to be contagious. Of thu
whole number, thirteen were confined for a Ions
time, and the fourteenth was slightly affected
for few days, The house became known BY
the name of the pest house. Two of the patients
died another barely escaped death; an clever
finally recovered.
The individual whoescaped the disease who'll,
was Professor Tatlock, now of the Williams
town College. The one who was only slightly
affected was the Rev. Mr.. Crawford, my infor
mant. The latter had no doubt--never hat
any-that the disease was caused solely by the
salaratus. ! saw Professor Tatlock subse
| quently, who confirmed the statement Of Mr.
Crawford. 1t appears that he, like Mr. Craw
| ford, ate very little Of the food which was 81
| filled with salaratus, and the biscuits they
seldom ever tasted.
! / also saw and conversed freely with Dr. Sa
bin, one of the two principal physicians who
| attended at the "pest house" during the sick
ness aforesaid and who is still practical ply
stefan in Williamstown. He told me that t
the present day, neither he nor his associate
| DR.. Smith, had ever entertained momentar,
doubt that the whole trouble was caused By
saleratus.
The nature Of the disease was somewhat pc
culiar but in every particular gave indication
that the citadel of life had been attacked by M
mean or powerless enemy. The bowels los
| their tone, and there was great muscular pros
| tration. Busters applied to any part of the
system, were sure to be followed by almost i'm
| mediate modification of the part. In short
| the disease was one of the most severe eve
known in that region.
| But, if the more ercessire use Of this irrita
ting substance is liable to produce such terribl,
effects, can the less excessive use of it, which
| almost everywhere prevails, be entirely innocu
Gus.
Many tell us they do not use it 10 excess
| though they are well aware that many Others
do 50. But so it is with almost every abuse
| have seldom, if ever, met with person who
L a. L. &c y.z.lS
| though have met with thousands who knew
| that such an abuse prevailed all around them
/ was recently taken to task by venerabl,
| housekeeper of this Commonwealth, for saying
that the use of ten or twelve pounds of salera
tus in family was by no means uncommon.
"Why," said she, " do not use SO much a,
| this in my great family
How large is your family, Madam 2" / in
| CURED.
1t consists of ten persons"
"And how much saleratus do you us,
yearlyG"
"A pound will last me three weeks
"Well, Madam, that is between seventeen
and eighteen pounds year."
She was surprised, and said that she did not
use so much-s pound, she said, would last hel
nearly four weeks. But this, to her surprise
was thirteen pounds year.
There can be no doubt that the sub-inlama
ton of the alimentary canal, which the habitual
use Of this alkai induces, both on children and
adults, is one cause Of that dread mortality
which prevails among the former; but which
in summer and autumn, when other causes CO
operate, proves peculiarly alarming. For my
own part, / can hardly resist the full conviction
that, Of the 100000 above mentioned, who die
prematurely, at least 100000 might survive.
but for the effects Of saleratus.
VIM. A. ALC0TT, MD.
AUBURN DALE, MASS, Dec. 20, 1854.