Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-15

| A nuisance that troubled Europe fifty years
ago is beginning to attract attention here
that is putting alum in the bread we cat.
The bread must be eight that it may be d-
gestcd; that is, it must be filed by the we'll
| known cells we are accustomed to see in it,
Bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, or
tartaric acid, are the usual constituents of n
good baking powder Cream of tartar sells
at from sixty cents to cighty-fvc cents a
pound. This high price has led ''chcap bak-
| ing powders to be made of alum, AS u sub
stitute for some or all of the cream of tartar
| Alum will make bread look whittier, so that
bakers can make an inferior -four salablc a
bread by its use; and they use it, in some
places calling it rock" so that no inadyer
| tent expression may let ''outsiders" know
that alum is used Alum is an injurious
| article to the human constitution in large
! quantities. or in small quantities often re-
peated. It is the small quantities, taken
every meal, that do the mischief in bread.
Alum is chcap-three cents a pound-to the
pocket, but it takes what is so saved out of
the stomach, and takes it with fearful inter
| est Alum is an astringent, and is used by
dycrs and others such. Taken frequently
on the human stomach, it produces heart
burn. Indigestion, gripping. constipation. dys-
pepsia and kindred troubles resulting from
irritation of the mucous membrane, produced
by the astringent properties OF alum. All
these are nice things to be inflicted by the
bread eaten morning, noon and evening. To
young children, growing girls, persons of
weakly frame and scdentary occupations. this
alum bread is poison most especially. II
the reader wants to know something of alum
let him suck a lump of it, notice its effect
upon the mouth. which is something like that
of an unrpe persimmon; then let him
fleet how it acts upon the tender, delicate
coats of the stomach. DIR. Henry 4. Mott,
the celebrated analytical chemist. analyzed
twenty three of the baking powders most in
use and found alum in all but one II is
time we took measures to stop this bread
poisoning that kills our little ones and per-
pctuates dyspepsia and cholera. DR.. Mott,
in his review of the subject in the Scientific
American. makes special mention of having
analyzed the Royal Baking Powder, and
found it composed of wholesome materials.
He also advises the public to avoid purchase
ing baking powders AS sold loose or in bulk,
as he found by analyses of many samples
that the worst authorizations are practiccd in
this form. The label and trademark of "A
well-known and responsible manufacturer,
he adds. is the best protection the public can
have. Prof Angel in his paper recently
read before the Social Science Association at
Saratoga. said that much timely alarm is felt
on account of the gross adulteration of Bak-
ing Powders; that eminent physicians have
been consulted and that it appears that more
than 800 alum Baking Powders are manufac-
tured in America; that the price of alum is
less than three cents pound while cream of
tartar costs more than thirty cents; that the
makers of these powders substitute alum for
cream of tartar i'll part or altogether. and the
result is the numerous disorders of the hui
man system.