Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-09-06
From N, London Times. A,o,, a

The evidence given before the Select Committee on
the Adueration OF Food and published with their re-
port will revive the animated discussions of la.t wear
aud recall public attention TO subject in which it never
ceases 10 take vital interest Eating and drinking are
neither religious romantic subject but they have
one advantage. The interest which Is taken IN them NAV
be defective in quality but it is strong in quantity There
Is doubt whatever that the subject commands
sympathy Ii is perhaps much say in the present
instance that this IS proud position for are afraid
" ~ indebted for such preeminencs to the nfirmss
and ailty of full AZ much as 10 philanthropy
OF science However not present going to pan.
der TO the luxurious epicurean tastes OF readers
we are not gong to mourn over the adalteaton of
enne, or confectionery, vines but only what
said on the very solid and simple subject OF bread
IL It Utopan to expect that bread in this country will
ever again be made Ct wheat and wheat only without
foreign ingredientsf This at first sight q simple
and humble kind Of desiderdi'. IL is merely wishing
that what Is universally proiessed should be true Tho
theory Is that all bread made Of wheat aud moth
ing else. Moreover there il point which all nan.
kind agreed TO be particular their bread No
class in society twit any other with its scrpu
ousness this subject the married cannot taun the old
bachelor with bis particularly, the old housekceper
the new one. Wherever you go people talk about bread
IL stands next to the weatbe: a common topic And
the curious thing H. too that other man thinks he
has got some peculiar dodge by which he is the envabs
enjoyment Of pure and uuimpeachabs wheaton bread TO
the exclusion Of all the human II s very odd that
what everybody talks shout and everybody is determined
to have, should be, after ALL a privilege. But
such appears 70 be the case and this last report adds
s testimony 10 the many others which have been given
before upon the almost universal adueration Of
IL true that 40 bakers Of London aud the vicinity have
through Mr.. Calard communicated their declaration 10
the COMMITTEES that they do not alum but London
and its vicinity must contain 1000 or 900 bakers
such declaration simply amounts an assertion right.
or wrongly made, OF their own superior virtue by
small fraction Of the profession.
This is the old story, however what want TO oh.
serve IL not much the fact Of the adulteraton Of
bread by alum, with which familiar enough a. the
tendency in part Of the evidence connected with this
port 70 justify the adulteraton II s true Mr. Batck
Dr.. Chalce Dr. Carpenter aud Mr. Rodgers all speak 10
the almost universal mixture Of alum sh bread and also
70 the unwhoesoneness Of the mixture Bot Mr. Lewis
Thompson analytical chymist disputes this point and
draws distinction between alum and the component ma
torias Of alum. lie admits that sufficient quantity Of a.
Is generally mixed with bread operate unwhoe
somey. L really alum when Il is eaten but he az.
sers that IN the process Of baking the alum IL decomposed
and that the of the baked Loaf only takes IN along
With the genuine bread suphudc acid potash and ain
na-tbe component parts Of aumwhch in separation b,
does not consider unhealthy lie Is reminded that "Ba
ron Liebg has given opinion that the Of alum 10
bread is very injurious and answers, That is quite
possible he has probably not investigated the cifcnm
stances which have been the first TO make known
that the alum Is decomposed lie argues upon the sup
position that the alum remains and all the arguments
have yet een are founded upon the imposition that the
" alum s swallowed and asringent effect u ascrbed
"to it, The witness asked the reason for usng
alum and he replies that t Whitcns the -four" and on
the Chairman pushing him further snd asking him wheth
he that "nedor -four may be passed off as 80
pohor simply by the admxtufe Of ao replies that 9TH,
quality oftbe bread Is Improved, whatever be the kind
aonr which is employed"
Nov then comes ~ what may be called the casuistr,
ofbaking The Chairman calls attention the fact hs
alum w. upon Mr. Thompson's theory, innoouous Il
still used for the purpose ~ deception aud for passing
inferior Hour superior the alum making " white and
better appearance and asks whether there Is
thing wrong IN such proceeding being allowed. 80
Mr. Thompson replies that there would be- II Won proven
ted the person who BITTER ol from adding aio,
" too but he you'll have the power ~ raising thu
quality ~ h- bread" Tho cosui.tcal rrsu, w. tha IN,
guilt Of The deception removed by IL universally En-