The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-02

A nuisance that troubled Europe fifty
years ago is beginning to attract attention
here-that is, putting alum in the bread
we eat. The bread must be light" that
it may be digested: that is, it must be
filled by the well-known cells we are ac
customed to see in it. Bicarbonate of soda
the usual constituents of a good baking
powder. Cream of tartar sells at from
sixty cents to eighty FIVE cents pound.
This high priceahas led cheap baking
powders" to be made of alum. as sub
stitute for some or all of the cream of tar
tar. Alum will make bread look whittier,
so that bakers can make an inferior -four
salable as bread by its use; and they use
it, in some places calling it rock. so that
no inadvertent expression may let 'out1
siders" know that alum is used. Alum is an
injurious article to the human constitution
in large quantities, or in small quantities
often repeated. 1t is the small quantities,
taken every meal. that do the mischief 10
bread. Alum is cheap-three cents q
pound-to the pocket. but it takes what is
40 saved out of the stomach. and takes it
with fearful interest. Alum is an astrin-
gent, and is used by dyers .and others as
such. Taken frequently on the human
stomach, it produces heartburn, indiges-
ton, gripping. constipation, dyspepsia, and
kindred troubles resulting from irritation of
the mucous membrane, produced by the
astringsnt 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 sedentary occupations,
this alum bread IS poison most especially.
kAl Inm kc r
alum let him suck lump of it, notice its
effect upon the mouth, which is something
like that OF an unrlps persimmon; then
let him reject how it acts upon the tender,
delicate coats OF the stomach. DIR. Henry
A. Mott, the celebrated analytical chemist.
analysed twenty-three of the baking row-
ders most in use and found alum in ali but
one. 1t is time we took measures to stop
this 5read-poisoning that kills our little
ones and perpetuates dyspepsia and
cholera. DIR, Mott, in his review of the
subject 10 The Scientific American, makes
special mention of having analysed the
Royal Baking Powder. and found it COM
posed OF wholesome materials. He also
advises the public to avoid purchasing
baking powders as sold loose or in bulk,
as be found by analysis of many samples
that the worst authorizations are practiced
in this form. The label and trade mark
of we'll known and responsible manufac-
turer, he adds. is the best protection the
public can have. Prof. Angel 10 his
paper recently read before the Social
Science Association at Saratoga, said that
much tiaely alarm is felt on account of
the gross adulteratiou of Baking Powders;
that eminent physicisns have been con-
suited. and that it appears that more than
500 alum Baking Powders are manufac
tured 10 America; that the price of alum
is less than three cents a pound, while
cream of tartar costs more than thirty
cents; that the makers of these powders
substitute alum for cream OF tartar is
part OF altogether. and the result is the
numerous disorders of the human system.