Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-03-19
AN IMPORTANT FooD REFORM.

I'm Refining-A Long Stride Toward
Pure Food.
New York Tribune.)
Discoveries of much Importance on account
of the relation they bear toward a more
wholesome food supply and consequently up
on the public health have been recently made
in the process of refining cream of tartar.
Cream of tartar, as is well known, is a
bitartrate of potassa purified from the crude
tartar, or argel, which collects in a crystal
line deposit upon the bottom and sides of
wine casks during the fermentation of the
wine. This tartar, in its crude state, con-
tains lime and other impurities, which no
process of refining known prior to that here
described was able to entirely remove. 1t
has been possible, it is true, to neutralize the
lime to some extent by the aid of chemicals,
and this method was resorted to in order to
procure cream of tartar in small quantities
for pharmaceutical purposes; but it was open
to serious objection in view of the fact that
the chemicals employed for this purpose
were not always washed out, but remained
in quantities that were uncertain and preju-
dicial to its quality. The supposed impos-
sibility of removing the ims has, according
w. caused cream of tartar to be classed and
sold as pure when it did not contain more
major part, however, of that used in com
-merce, or for culinary purposes, contains the
tartrate of lime to extent much greater
than five per cent, not infrequently being
found, upon analysis, debased to a degree
equalling one-fourth or more of its entire
weight
In a report upon the subject of food adul-
teration made to the New York State Board
of Health by Professors Chandler and Love
it is stated that of twenty-seven samples of
cream of tartar bought from dealers as pure
sixteen were adulterated with various sub
stances from to SO per cent, while of the
remainder all contained tartrate of lime, some
as high as 1889 per cent.
The serious character of this adulteration
is more readily appreciated when it is recol-
lected how largely cream of tartar enters in
to the preparation of the food of every fami-
ly In connection with soda in baking powder
it is the chief agent now employed for max
ing light and digestible all our biscuit, cake
and other pastry, and is besides in many
communities superseding the old-fashioned
yeast for all leavening purposes, SO that
it is employed to some extent in al
most every meal of which we eat.
The amount of cream of tartar
used in this country in a year in baking
powder and otherwise in the preparation of
food is estimated at ten million pounds. If
this were 80 per cent. pure-a high estimate
we would consume one. million pounds or
more of lime annually as a substitute for
bread So large deterioration becomes ap-
preciable in the deprivation of our food of a
portion of its nutritive elements not only,
but if, as is now supposed, this excess of lime
taken into the system has a relation to the
painful affections of the kidneys SO prevalent
in this country, its bearing upon the health
of the entire community is too important to
be overlooked.
The new process by which cream of tartar
is produced 100 per cent. pure-that is with
the lime totally eliminated-by treating
the crude material under pressure instead of
using any chemicals whatever for the pur-
pose, was the discovery originally of Ger
| perfected by the Royal Baking Powder COM
l pany of this city, through whose efforts
a few years since in behalf of the
| high standard of purity in food the
1 public was rid of the poisonous alum
baking powders at that time so prevalent
| The determination of this company to
place upon the market only absolutely pure
1 goods, and the impossibility of doing this
1 from the cream of tartar of commerce. made
it apparent that some new method must be
| sought by which cream of tartar could be
| procured in large quantities, free from lime
and chemically pure. The cream of tartar
refners of this countsy and Europe, when ap
preached upon the subject, declared such
| result impossible, and declined to incur the
| expenditure necessary to make the trial. The
Royal Baking Powder company accordingly
| resolved to solve the problem fol
itself; and having secured the aid
| of the best chemists of Europe and Amer
lea, proceeded with its investigations and dis
coveries until the result, after several years
| of labor and the expenditure of over half a
| million dollars il the purchase of patents
| perfecting of processes and tbs erection OF
| buildings and machinery, was reached in the
complete attainment of the end sought. The
l works NOW owned by the New York Tartar
| CO.. are located in Brooklyn and exceed in
size and capacity any other similar refinery il
| the world. They produce chemically pure
cream of tartar, which is now exclusively
| used for pharmaceutical preparations and in
the manufacture of the celebrated Royal Bak-
| ing Powder.
The energy and outlay that have effected
this will undoubtedly be fully rewarded by
the successful issue of the Investigations
People are coming daily to more fully appre-
ciate the value of pure and wholesome food.
By the exclusive use of this chemically pure
cream of tartar, the Royal Baking Powder is
produced entirely free from lime,
sessed by no other baking pow UT
| ders yet made. A baking powder entirely
| free from lime or other impurity must not
| only contain more strength or leavening
| power and produce better food and therefore
| be more economical for use, but what is
l
| rior wholesomeness.
Chemists and physicians have looked up.
/ on the experiments with much interest, and
| regard their success matter of much i'm.
portance
Personal.
Professor A. G. Sherlock has decided to
make Bridgeport the place of his permanent
/ residence
J. M. Buckley, D. D., will lecture in the
Washington Park NJ E. church tonight or
"Cranks, or How Not to Go Mad"
The match game of pool Tuesday evening
/ in Ansonia between J. H. Tyndall of New
| Haven, Police Gazette champion, and G. F
O'Brien, of Ansonia, resulted in a victory fol
O'Brien.
S. Hart Culver has sold the new house on
Church street, Seymour, owned by w. H.
Whittemore, to George Doolittle for So, 100
Mrs. Emma A Manville, wife of Frank B.
Manville, died Tuesday evening at the Park
House, Waterbury, of Brights disease.
Nellie A. Bannon died in the Brooklyn
district, Waterbury, Tuesday evening at the
| age of twenty-five. She was daughter of
William Bannon and a sister of ex-Captain
Bannon and William E. Bannon of that
place.
Professor Ralph Mazziotta has returned to
| the American Theater and will hereafter oc-
| cupy his old place as leader of the fine or.
| chestra attached to the house.
Mr.. J. B. Sargent is in Washington.
Hon. w. w. Eaton will continue to reside
in Washington until about May LIST.
Mr.. P. Maroney, of Fillmore street, re-
turned home yesterday from Baltimore on &C
count of poor health.
Clifford, Oldest son of William A. and
Jennie Purdy, of Prospect, Conn, from the
effects of fall died Sunday morning last
aged two years and ten months The funer.
al was held Monday.
Mr.. G. H. Bishop, with Peck & Bishop
returned this week from a trip to New Or
| leans and CALIFORNIA He attended the wed
| ding of Mayor Bulkeley, of Hartford, in San
Francisco and accompanied General Bulke-
| ley, brother of the Mayor, from San Fran.
cisco to Salt Lake. He brings back q
startling handful advertisement picked Ut
in Winslow, Arizona.
The Naugatuek Rubber Shoe Makers.
The attempts at compromise between the
Goodyear Rubber company, of Naugatuck,
and the strikers have failed to affect any
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