Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-25
ALUM and AMMONIA.


The why and Wherefore Of Their Use In
Baking Powde4s-6easures Of Econom-
ical Manufactdre at the Expense Of Pub
lilo Welfare.
Without beating around the bush, the
manufacturer OF the only baking powder that
is now universally trusted in the Northwest
feels warranted by recent articles in the city
papers in going straight to the root OF the
whole matter and saying that the Royal Baking
Powder company does use ammonia in its
powder, whereof there is not a jOt in Groff's
Snow Flake powder. 1t only remains, there
| fore, to point out to the public why ammonia,
| alum and other damaging ingredients are
used by grasping or unscrupalous manufac-
turers.
The use of ammonia by the wealthy Eastern
corporation who have considered the North
| western market as an easy walkover is, of
course, for the sake of a gain in strength
without the use of cream of tartar-the only
harmless and yet effective effervescent that can
| be used-simply because one pound OF am
monia equals the strength of two pounds OF
cream of tartar, while the cream of tartar
costs forty cents per pound and the ammonia
costs but twelve to fourteen cents per pound.
Those are the facts and they argue the whole
case.
The Snow Flake uses no ammonia, alum
nor any other substitute for cream of tartar,
because these materials are considered I'M
healthy. The idea that their poisonous in
fuence passes off from bread during the ba6s
ing process is absurd. Any one with reason.
ably serviceable taste, smell and sight can de-
tect their presence after the baking is entirely
done.
That consumers may fully understand the
difference between ammonia and cream OF tar
tar powders it need only be said for the latter
that cream of tartar is made from the juices
of grapes, but ammonia for commercial pur-
poses neither is nor has been successfully
made from the gases OF the air, as has
been stated by the Royal company. Its
baleful and offensive sources are thus stated
by the U. s. Dispensatory, on page LOT and
109:
"rhere have been many methods of obtain.
ing carbonate of ammonia, in all OF which the
ammonia originated in organic decomposition.
1t was probably originally prepared from
putrid urine. At present it is made of chalk
and muriate of ammonia. Muriate Of
ammonia originally came frem Egypt,
where it was made by sublimation
from the SCOT resulting from the
burning of camel's dung. At present it is
derived from gas liquor, found in condensing
vessels of coal gasworks, and the brown,
fetid ammoniacal liquor known under the
name of Bone Spirit. Other sources are
stale urine, coal SCOT, guano, peat and blum
inous schist.''
Ask your druggist or physician as to the
facts and the character CT the work in which
they are stated as above.
To the foregoing 1t is not amiss to append
the opinion of one of st. Paul's foremost
physicians concerning the Snow Flake baking
powder, as follows:
SAINT PAUL, Feb. 16. 18S2.-Mr. c. r.
GRoFF-Dear Sir: In accordance with your
request I have made carful analytic exam
nation OF the Snow Flake and Royal Baking
powders.
The Snow Flake find to be of exceptional
purity, containing neither alum nor ammonia,
nor any substance against which objection
can be urged. may say, also, that its use in
my family gives perfect satisfaction.
While the Royal Baking powder is free from
alum, it contains ammonia in considerable
quantity; a substance introduced, probably,
because of the facility with which it disengages
carbonic acid gas, and as this can be affected
equally well by other agents as
to the propriety of whose us
there can be no question, its presence IS un-
necessary, and to that extent at least, objec-
tionable.
Under these circumstances l do not hesitate
to recommend the use Of the Snow Flake pow
der, a recommendation to which additional
weight should be given because of its excel
lence, and because, also, 1t is home product.
Very truly, yours, G. b. BoARDMAN, MD.