, 1879-02-15
ALUM IN OUR BREAD.
A Chemical Examination OF Bak.
ing-PoWders and Its Re.
Suits.
The tjsa Of AlnBl, and It's Deltttrfoas EfIttts..'
Opinions of atditai ESpefts...Prompt
Action Of llt 1rooklyn Duard
Of fftatth, Etc.

In order tint the people Of tho country may
fully understand the satlaes ot thc present cx-
Itelncnt IA TO the use Ot alHln In bakiNr-pow-
dcrs, history Of tl,c agitation Ia necessary:
In the Se'ent;ffc Anlrrtan uf Nov. 10 appeared
an article by M eminent ci,uEnist u New York
showing tho presence nf ailssll In lar0a Quantt-
tics In number ot hakiug-powdcrs.
This article was copied tuto many newspapers,
creating great excitement In ivory household
whure ballng.powder was used. The popular
feeling grew so strnug TINT In tic carly part OF
December the Brooklyn board uf Health ti(rcct-
cd samples of the various kinds Of bak}nR-pow-
dcrs sold In lrookIyp, to be af!ayzed, at,d re-
port thereon made to 11,e Board.
Santtary-Hupcrfntendcn Raymond, n. D.. has
prosc1trd to tllc Boartl Of Health substantially
tnr following report OH bnslag-powders, nn1 the
ELECTS Ut nlum on The human system. lie says:
chcap baking pewter. have introduced a1nm hs an
ingredient, and this feenA to bo tue only aattafac.
rosy Tor II ". nt s. san , be rSc gcn man., b
tns hu,aan l.'iY ara wo!l known. and arc, beyond
doubt. !njurlana when taken N largt q.antitics Or
in small quantities oftcn repeated. AT anthuri.
ties ugrec Iii this. and thsss IL no room FOR dtscus
| alun.
The rcport Of tho Brooklyn Board concludes
IL folt0ws: .
From careful examination, nm satisfied that
the weight or evidence !. aganst tho us9 Of nlnm
III b.king powders. aud mat the risks incurred IN
ita usc too great to he tnctrcd for tho sake Of
| cheaphe4a alone. Thu mucous membrane OF tts
ttun,ar1 md tho intestina! cat,al II n ducato
cect On tts outside skin might rs,tatc aul in'au,o
these orxahs.
Tic Now York Esentaq Post has been giving
this sl,hlcct soMc attention. and has published
tlie result OF some remarkable investigations,
which arc worthy the cluso attcntlon of Thought
tul people.
From it's recent exposure Of the uso Of burnt
ntuln in aonlc brands Ut bakinE- powders, In
place Of cream Ut tartar, the following extracts
Pursuing iIe Investigation of the quality Of
tic foott sold in this city. the REPRESENTATIVE Of
tie Etx"faQ i'ost took up baEtng-pnwdcr as one
Of the artelcs ID must general Use III our hou6e-
llufds. It 10 used hv nearly every family III the
city, alltl it Is naturally Of great importance to
th0sc who cat thu foad nlatie with It to know
whether 1t contaius anything Injurious 10
health.
Tiltre arc certain constituents Of gooi baking-
powder which may be regarded Ms entirely free
from dungur. They CONSIST OF pure Crane
ereum Of tartar, birarbonate OF soda. and car-
u,,itus with the other two ingredients, mud
carbonIc a.Id gus Is thrown ofr. llrodilcin2
| tile sumo effect US yeast III much shorter
tme as t xss ,9un .% 'at alum
| carbunc acid gas Will be produced. As alum
Gusts less thnn three cents, willie cream OF tar
| tAr costs mUre tlnn no ccnts pound, 1t is easy
to SEC. why alun is substituted f0r the latter BY
| sot,e baking powder manufacturers. II ts ad-
1nistcl by oil nedfca authorities that cream OF
tarsar leaves nv Injurious substancc in tho
hrcad; alum, on thc otlicr hand, Is In ttself MI
ustringeHt, utMl .thcre is witlo a,d doop.scatcd
prcjudl leo against It's usc. In England u1,l Other
| countries tic a1ultcration OF food will, alum Is
| forbidden by law under heavy penalties. When
used In baklng-powdcr, the a'um forms third
salt, tflc hytEatc Ut slumina, well tho other
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