River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-08


ton Of foreign admixtures is quite diff.
cult. A much larger proportion of
starch was found IN some samples than
III others which would imply that meal
or starch had been added in some
cases. Three OF the samples examin-
| ed were brownish-yellow in color and
contained much woody fibre. The
ash remaining after ignitiug a portion
of each Of these equalled seven per
/ cent. OF the whole, was of reddish
brown color, and gave strong reaction
for iron oxide and carbonate of lime.
while considerable quantity of sand
was found as insoluble residue. These
were doubtless manufactured from I'M
cleaned roots, and perhaps both the
sand and iron were present as impuri-
| ties and not as adulterants, but OF that
we have no proof.
The remaining samples were much
cleaner and were doubtless made from
roots that were properly prepared.
Ground mustard was found to be
most commonly and dangerously adult
terated of any article of food that was
examined, and the ten samples exam
med displayed the extent and diversity
of the fraud in their widely dssimilar
shades of color and physical proper
ties; the colors ranged from bright
gray yellow to bright and reddish
tint, and in other physical properties
| the distinctions we're quite as marked
| OF bulk-increasing constituents nine
samples contained starch in varying
quantities; one at least contained gyp-
| sum and another common salt.
! Seven of the ten samples contained
coloring matter in addition. In three
of these this agent was found to be iron
| oxide, in three others chromate of lead,
and in one sample both OF these agents
were present.
The only unadulterated sample of
ground mustard that we found was put
up by Wisconsin firm.
BAKING POWDERS AND BREAD PREPARA-
TIoNs.
The rapidly increasing use of these
adjuncts In the preparation of farina-
| cious food, together with the multitude
of chemical reagents which are being
offered to the public to supply the grow
ing demand, renders their notice nee
essary in paper upon this general
subject.
The creation of bread by the old pro-
cesses, with leaven or yeast, is doubtless
the best and safest method, but these
are too slow for modern cookery, and
here, as in other operations, dispatch
must be purchased at the risk of con-
sequences, and chemical reagents, with
their troublesome residual products, are
adopted. In the use of any of the or
binary baking powders, the carbonic
acid necessary for the process of crea-
ton is liberated by the reaction of an
acid salt upon an alkaline carbonate.
This carbonate is commonly bicarbon-
ate of soda, and with this base, three
classes of powder are formed, of which
the acid sulphates or alum powders
may be considered the first; those hav-
ing an organic acid salt, or tartratec
powders, the second; and calcium phos-
plate powders the third. Starch is also
common Ingredient of baking pow
ders, being introduced to prevent the
rapid chemical action, and to cheaper
the apparent cost of the article. The
chemical compounds produced in the
use OF the alum powders are three, al
minimum oxide, or hydrate, potassium,
or ammonium sulphate, and sodium
sulphate. The FIRST of these is gelati-
nous precipitate, but little affected by
weak acids and probably passes through
the system simple, inert substance.
The amount of this compound is rel
atively small, being less than one-fth of
the whole residual product.
The potassium sulphate comprises
slightly larger proportion of the result
ant constituents and is mild purga
tive in its effects upon the system. The
sodium sulphate or Glaubess salt, COM
prises 90 per cent. of the whole, and as
is well known as o harsh purgative
which is used only in veterinary prac-
tee. AS from one half to one per cent.
of this compound is to be found in food
prepared by the use of alum powders,
the wholesomeness of this class of pow
ders may we'll be questioned.
Another evil arises from the unskill-
fui preparation of these powders, by
which an excess of alum or soda results.
The alum excess seriously impairs the
digestibility of the article and the other
extreme renders it yellow and alkaline.
Rochelle salts, the residual prooucts
obtained in the use of cream Of tartar
powders, IS milder cathartic than the
sulphate just mentioned, and for this
reason these reagents are to be pre-
ferred. The main difficulty which is
experienced in this case arises from
the scarcity and higher price of the
tartrate and the consequent liability to
adulteration. A sample of cream of
tartar examined by us was found to
contain starch ana lime in considerable
quantity and about % per cent. of re-
sidue insoluble in all acids, and in
stances are mentioned where 70 per
cent. of the substance sold as cream of
tartar was found to be terra alba. By
the use of the calcium phosphate
powders, the residual product, So
dlum calcium phosphate, is claimed
to be valuable addition to
the food, restoring to it the phosphates
originally found in the grain, but which
were removed by the separation OF the
bran. This form of bread preparation
has the endorsement of DR.. Liebig and
others in high authority, and there
seems to be no reason why it should
not supplant the inferior and question
able mixtures now in use.
One of the four alum powders exam
ed by us, contained sulphate OF lime as
an adulterant, another contained
large excess of alum. One of the
cream of tartar powders also contained
gypsum, and common salt was also
found in each sample. Samples of
soda and saleratus also tested were
found To contain salt, in appreciable
quantities, but no other foreign ingre-
denis.
Bird Il Costumes of Fernando PO.
The Globe.
AS with us, the Fernando Pc bride
is clad in white-Eot the gauzy, flowing