The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-05
Whv We are sick,

No device that can add to the comfort and
convenience of a dwelling is emitted in our
modern architecture, and money is not regard
ed when the luxury of clothing or beauty of
personal adornment is in question. Hence we
all live in better houses and wear better clothes
than did our forefathers. Why should we not
take the same better care of our health? Why
should dyspepsia; and the train Of diseases that
follow it, almost unknown in the olden time,
be so prevalent now? Simply because of the
poisonous and indigestibleitrash 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 house,
hold. Our forefathers were content to make
money by plain and honest methods; but the
hot competition of the present day a nd the
strife for rapid riches have called forth all the
ingenuity of modern science to devise cunning
deceptions that shall enable the avaricious
dealer to more rapidly increase his profits
even though he destroy the health of
the public thereby. The consequence is adul-
terated, impure, poisonous and bogus food on
every hand.
The people buy these aduterated articles of
food because they are cheap, entirely ignorant
of their poisonous qualities. A few years age
this evil had reached such alarming proper
tions in England that the public sentiment de-
manded legislative interference, and parlia-
ment enacted the most severe repressive laws.
DR.. Small U. s. A, after an examination re-
Gently made under the direction of the War
Department, Concludes that the adulteration
of food is as great in this country today, and of
as dangerous a character, as it was in England
at the time referred to. No article entering so
generally into the food of every family has
been found more villainously adulterated than
baking powder. For the purpose of underseil-
ing an absolutely pure powder like the Royal
which has become the standard for purity
and strength i'll baking powders-hundre6s Of
dealers are putting up baking powders with
cheap and adulterated cream of tartar contain
ing lime, earth, etc., adding strength by the
free use of alum. These powders are sold
cheap, but their use is expensive, for they are
one of the chief causes of the dyspepsia from
which the American people are suffering.
This species of adulteration, at least, can be
avoided by following the advice Of Prof. Mott
the chemist to the Government, who recon-
mends consumers when purchasing baking
powders to select one standard powder, as the
Royal Baking Powder rather than to risk
purchasing adventurous compounds put upon
the market by persons who have no higher mo-
tive than dollars ano cents"
We hope to see Congress take hold of this
Important matter in A sufficiently vigorous
manner to put an end to the whole nefarious
business. In the mean time, if people will be
as careful to buy the best aud purest food as
they are TO wear the best clothes aud build the
most comfortable houses, it will not be necessa-
ry to ask SO frequently the question, why are
we sickY Every scientific test has proven the
Royal" to be pure and wholesome.