Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-19

Alum baking Powders IN Court
Interesting Testimony of Scientific
Men.


| cheap substitute for Cream Of Tartar, By
many manufacturers Of baking powders.
The handsome profits yielded by using the
substitute have induced dealers as well as
manufacturers to push them into the hands
Of consumers, sometimes under definite
brands. frequently by weighing out in bulk
without any distinguishing name.
Are such powders wholesome? The
Royal Baking Powder Company, who make
| a Cream of Tartar baking powder, declared
that they are injurious to the public health,
while others who make alum powders claim
they are not. The whole matter as to the
effects of these 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 SedgWick, re-
ported substantially as follows In the New
| York San:
| CONCLUSION OF LITTLE TROUBLE BETWEEN
A CHEMIST AND AN EDITOR.
The suit of DR.. Henry A. Mott against
Jabez Burns, has brought to light the fact
/ that this 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
Mil, has been severely muleted for libel in
his efforts to make his paper spicy. DIR.
Mott, 1t appears, Is a chemist, and at one
time was employed by the United States
| Government to analyze different specimens
| of baking powder which had been recon-
mended for adoption to the Indian Bureau
DR.. Mott reported In favor of the 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 verdict awarding
| DR.. Mott $4,000, to which the court made an
additional allowance Of $50"
| As the public have large interest In the
wholesomeness of whatever it is called upon
to use as food, the following extracts are
| introduced from the testimony of some of
the prominent men as to the Injurious effects
of alum powders:
DR.. MORT:
Q. Were you employed by the United
| States Government?
A. was, sir; was employed as chemist,
to analyze all the articles of food, to ex-
! press an opinion as to the analysis of their
healthfulness and purity.
O. Please tell the jury the Baking Pow
ders that you examined while in the en-
| ploy of the Government?
A. 1t would be difficult to remember
them all; could refer to my books; l ex-
amined twentY-eight powders; was given
sixteen at first.
| By the Court:
Give your best recollection.
Q. And one of the powers included was
| ''Dooley's Baking Powder ~
A. Yes, sir.
| @. And the "Charm ?"
A. Yes, sir; the Charm" and ''PAtapsco.n
O. Please state In which powders you
| found alum?
A. found alum In Dooley's, "Patapsco,"
'Charm, ""Vienna," cor ent, I" Amazon, ;"
Lake Side," ''Twin Sisters" "Superla-
tive" King" "White Lily" "Monarch,"
Honest" Economical" Excelsior"
"Chartres," Grants" "Giant," and the
Queen"
e. Now, these powders mentioned In your
communication in the Scientific Anaericdn-
" Dooley's," " Standard" "Patapsco,"
"Charm"-Baking Powder manufactured
by G. E. Andrews, Of Milwaukee, you
stated you found burnt alum; if you will
please name the respective powder that
you have examined-was it potash or am.
monia alum you found
A. In the "Patapsco," ''Charm," and in
the Andrews, 1t was ammonia alum.
O. What is the gas usually furnished by
Baking Powders
A. The object of Baking Powders is to
furnish carbonic acid gas.
@. Will you state to me again what other
gas beside carbonic acid gas, is proper to be
evolved from baking powder?
A. A limited amount of ammonia gas.
z. notice in your article that you say
starch is proper ingredient to put in
baking powder?
A. Starch is proper ingredient to pre-
vent the decomposition of baking powders.
| z. 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 examined, is iniuriousS
A. 1t is my opinion, based upon actual
experiments on living animals.
Charles F. Chandler, called on behalf of
the plaintiff, being duly sworn, testified as
follows:
Q. DR.. Chandler, you reside in the city Of
New York?
| A. do.
Q. Your business is that OF a CHI. mist?
A. 1t is.
Q You are and have been Professor of
Chemistry in several colleges
| A. have.
Q. Please state how long that employ
ment 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
| College; the New York College OF Physi-
lege of Pharmacy.
Q. You are President also of the Board of
Health, are you nOG
A. am.
| Z. In your various employments, have
| you had frequent occasion to examine the
| question of the wholesomeness of food, and
the beneficial or injurious effects of It's in
| gradients?
| A. have.
Q. viii ask you in regard to the use of
alum with soda, in baking powder, whether
or not It is neutralized-is there any In
furious constituent of alum lefty
A. There is an injurious constituent left
after the mixture Of alum and bicarbonate
of soda.
Q Without using any nicely of chemical
terms, what is your opinion about the use
of alum in baking powder, in combination
with bicarbonate soda and other ingredients,
for rising bread-whether injurious or not
A. think it is dangerous to the digestive
organs, and liable to produce serious dis
turbance of the liver of the individual
making use of such powders.
HENRY MORTON, President of "SteVens'
Institute" called In behalf of the plain
tiff, being duly sworn, testified as follows:
Q. You are President of Stevens Institute?
4. am.
Q. And have for many years been a
chemist?
A. have.
Q. Have you had occasion to examine the
substances which are used in the compost
ton of baking powders9
A. have.
@ Did you, some time ago, examine a
sample of Dooley's Baking Powder'
A did.
@. Is thatit. sir? Handing canl.
A. Yes, sir; that Is It,
Q Well, what kind of alum did 1t con-
A. 1t contained potash alum.
q Did you make any extract of that alum,
to show the kind?
A. did; | extracted a large quantity of
1t as potash alum, and it is Ia that bottle
WHICH have now here Showing bottle);
that Is potash alum which came out of the
alum baking powder that was in that can.
PLAINTIFFS counsel offers said can of
Dooley's Baking Powder in evidence.
z. Now, sir, have you made any expert
ment in the bread made from baking
powder, to see whether there was any
soluble alumina In the bread itself
a. have; took a portion of this DOW
der and mixed it with -four in the directed
proportions, and baked a small loaf with It:
then soaked this loaf-the interior part of |
tt-~in cold water, and made an extract, In |
which | readily detected, by the usual tests,
alum-that is alumna in a soluble condf- |
ton.
Q. Does any baking powder In which any |
aumina salts enter, contain alumina, in your |
opinion, which can be absorbed in the pro- |
cess OF digestion-are not such obiectiona- |
BILE?