The Portland daily press., 1880-12-17
CONDEMNED.
Alum Baking Powders in Court-Inter'
esting Testimony of Scientific Men.

l. u6 WnOl6 malueT Us W buO OAADoeo "a $4,000
alum powders, has finally been brought into the
courts, and the case was tried IN the Superior
Court of New York city before Chief-Justice
Sedgwck, reported substantially as follows in
the New York Sum-
CONCLUSION OF LITTLE TROUBLE BETWEEN
A CHEMIST AND AN EDITOR.
The suit of Dr. Henry A. Mott against Jabez
country produces at least forty-two different
kinds of baking powders. Neither Burns
nor Mott has been found guilty OF making the
baking powders, but Burns, who is the editor
of periodical called the Spice MW, has been
severely mulcted for libel in his efforts to
make his paper spicy. DR.. Mott, it appears,
is chemist, and at one time was employed 6y
tine United States Government to analyze diff
ferent specimens of baking powder which had
been recommended for adoption to the Indian
cream of,tartar baking powders for the Indians,
and against the alum baking powders The
chemist analysed forty-two kinds of baking
powders.
The Jury were out about half an hour. Then
they came in with a verdict awarding Dr.
Mott $4,000, to which the Court made an adj
ditional allowance of $3.50.
AS the public have large interest in the
wholesomeness of whatever it is called upon to
use as food the following extracts are intro
duced from the testimony of some OF the prom
inent men as to the injurious effects OF alum
powders:
DIR. MOTT:
O. Were you employed by the U. S. Govern
ment?
A. was, sir; was employed as chemist, to
analyze all the articles Of food; to express an
opinion as to the analysis of their healt HUI
6. Please tell the jury the Baking Powders
that you examined while in the employ Of the
Government?
A. 1t would be difficult to remember them
all; could refer to my books; examined
twenty-eight powders; was given sixteen at
first.
By the Court.
Give your best recollection.
@. And one of the powders included was
''Dooleys Baking Powder?'
A. Yes, sir
Q. And the "Charm?"
A. Yes, sir the "Charm'' and "Pataps CO."
@. Please state in which powders you found
alum?
A. found alum in 'Dooley's, - "Patapsco."
amazon" Lake Side, p Irwin Sisters,'
'Superlative, . liking, y "White Lily, "Mon-
arch" Zone Spoon" Regal" Imperial
Honest" Economical" Excelsior,
"Chartres," "Grant's," "Giant' and the
Queen
@. Recurring to the question that has been
asked you upon this suit-the result of these
examinations which you have made-is it your
opinion that alum in these various compounds,
in Baking Powders such as you have exam
ined, is injurious?
A. 1t is my opinion, based upon actual ex-
periments on living animals.
CHARLES F. CHANDLER, called on behalf of
the plaintiff, being duly sworn, testified as
follows:
@. DR.. Chandler, you reside in the city of
New York?
A. do.
x. It's.
@. You are and have been Professor of
Chemistry in several colleges?
A. L have.
@. Please state how long that employment
of yourself has been, and with what colleges
you are now connected?
A. am at present Professor Of Chemistry
in the Academic Department of Columbia
College; the School of Mines, Columbia Col
lege; the New York College of Physicians and
macy.
@. You are President, also, of the Board of
Health, are you not?
A. I am.
@. In your various employments, have you
had frequent occasion to examine the ques-
ton of the wholesomeness of food, and the
beneficial or injurious effects of its ingred-
tents?
A. have.
@. will ask you in regard to the use of
81 an In. With soda il baking whether
constituent of alum left?
A. There is an injurious constituent left af-
ter the mixture of alum and bicarbonate of
soda.
@ Without using any nicely of che mical
terms, what is your opinion about the use of
ammonia alum in baking powder, in combi-
nation with bicarbonate soda and other ingre-
1rno tl,arr IarIc
not?
A. 1 think it is dangerous to the digestive or
gans, and liable to produce serious disturbance
of the liver of the individual making use of
such powders.
HENRY MORTON, President of "Stevens Insti-
tute," called in behalf of the plaintiff, being
duly sworn, testified as follows:
@. You are President of Stevens Institute?
A. | am.
@. And have for many years been chem
A. 1 have.
@. Have you had occasion to examine the
substances which are used in the composition
of Baking Powders?
A. L have.
Q. Did you some time ago. examine sam
pie of Dooleys Baking Powder?
A. did.
@. Is that 1t, sir? handing canl.]
A. Yes, sir; that is it.
@. Well, what kind of alum did it contain?
A. IL contained potash alum.
@. Did you make any extract Of that alum,
to show the kind?
A. did; extracted large quantity of it
as potash alum and it is in that bottle which /
have now here Showing bottle]; that is pot
ash alum which came out of the alum Baking
Powder that was in that can.
Plaintiffs Counsel effers said can of Dool-
ey's Baking Powder in evidence.
@. Now, sir, have you made any expert
in tbo 10 froY, RoI
to see whether there was any soluble alumina
in the bread itself?
A. have; 1 took a portion of this powder
and mixed it with flour in the directed proper
tions, and baked a small loaf with it; then 1
soaked this loaf-the interior part of tin
cold water, and made an extract, in which
readily detected, by the usual tests, alum
that is alumina in a soluble condition.
@. Does any Baking Powder in which any
alumina salts enter, contain alumina, in your
opinion, which can be absorbed in the process
of digestion-are not such Objectionable?
A. Very decidedly Objectionable, in my
opinion.
@. Why do you say-from what system of
reasoning do you make it out-that because
alum is injurious, alumina is injurious?
A. Because the injurious effects of alumina,
when it get into the stomach and reacts on the
organs, are the same this hydrate of alumina
meets in the stomach the gastric juices, and
reacts with them the same as alum would; it
forms, IN laCU, q KIM Oh alum III Inc stomach
with those acids, and whatever alum would
do. it would do
Dr. SAMUEL W. JOHNSON, Professor of
Chemistry, in the Scientific School, Yale
College, being duly sworn, testified as fol-
lows:
@. You have had much to do in the exami-
nation of substances that enter into food, and
the adulteration of food?
A. More or less; yes, sir.
@. After the use of alum with soda, in a
baking powder, in your opinion, is there any
injurious substance left?
A. In my opinion, there is an injurious sub
stance left.
@. What, sir, two years ago, was the prevail
ing opinion among scientific men, as to the eff
feet of the use of alum in Baking Powders?
A. AS far as my acquaintance with scientific
men is concerned, my personal opinion is de-
rived from my investigation and from reading;
/ should think the opinion was that alum, or
any compound of alumina, would be decidedly
injurious.
@. Do 1 understand you to say that any
baking powder in which there are aluminous
salts, or any resultant from alum which could
be absorbed in digestion, is Objectionable and
injurious?
A. Extremely So
PROF. JOSEPH II. RAYMOND called, sworn
and testified as follows:
@. Would you be good enough to state your
profession?