The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-28
Why We Are Sick.


No device that can add to the COM
fort and convenience of dwelling is
omitted in our modern architecture,
and money is not regarded when the
luxury of clothing or beauty of per-
SOnal adornment is in question. Hence
we all live in better houses and wear
better clothes than did our forefath
ers. Why should we not take the
same better care of our health? Why
should dyspepsia, and the train of
diseases that follow it, almost I'M
known in the olden time, be so preva-
lent now? Simply because of the
poisonous and indigestible trash
which in these days is forced upon
the public as genuine food, or used to
adulterate those articles that go to
make up the daily bill of fare of every
household. Our forefathers were con-
tent to make money by plain and
honest methods; but the hot
competition of the present
day and the strife for rapid
riches have called forth all the ingenui-
ty of modern scienceto devise cunning
receptions that shall enable the ava
ricious dealer to more rapidly increase
his profits, even though he estroy
he health of the public thereby.
The consequence is adulterated, i'm
pure, poisonous and bogus food on
every hand.
The people buy these adulterated
articles of fool because they are
cheap, entirely ignorant of their pois-
onOuS qualities. A few years ago
this evil had reached such alarming
proportions in England that the pub
lie sentiment demanded legislative in
reference, and Parliament enacted
the most severe repreSSive laws. DR..
Small, Z. s. A., after an examination
recently made under the direction OF
the war department., concludes that
the adulteration of food is as great
in this country to-day, and of as dam
gerous a character, us it was in Eng
land at the time referred to. No ar
tlcle entering so generally into
the food of every family has
been found more villainously adul-
tered than baking powder. For
the purpose of underselling an all
solutely pure powder like the Royal
which has become the standard for
purity and strength in baking pow
ders-hundreds of dealers are putting
up baking powders with cheap and
adulterated cream of tartar contain
ing lime, earth, ETC., adding strength
10y the free use of alum. These pow
ders are sold cheap, but their use is
expensive, for they are one of the
chief causes of the dyspepsia from
which the A merican people are suffer
ing. This species of adulteration, at
least, can be avoided by following the
advice of Prof. Mott. the chemist to
the government, who recommends
consumers when purchasing baking
powders to select one standard pow
der, as the Royal Baking Powder,
rather than to risk purchasing adven-
turous compounds put upon the mar
ket by persons who have no higher
motive than dollars and cents"
We hope to see congress take hold
of this important matter in suffi-
cientlyayigorous manner to put an
end to the whole nefarious business.
In the mean time, if people will be
as careful to buy the best and purest
food as they are to wear the best
clothes and build the most comforta-
BILE houses, 1T will not be necessary TO
ask so frequently the question, why
are we sick - Every scientific test
has proven the Royal" to be pure
and wholesome.