The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-03-11

,RopurIoN OF CHEMICALLY fuhs cHAAA
OF rAnrAR-TorAL ELIMINATION OF All
LIME ,MRumrrEs-Srw DISCOVER
ia IN REFINIH0-A LONG ,


STRIDE TOWARD PURE FOOD. Il
Discoveries Of much Importance on &C.
count of the relation they bear toward
more wholesome food supply and conse-
ouently upon the public health, have oeen
recently made In the process oil rehn'ns
cream of tartar. Cream OF tartar, US Is
well known. is a bitartrate of potassa puri-
fled from the crude tartar, or argoi, "nicu
collects In o crystalline deposit upon Inc
bottom aud sides of wine casks during tne
fermentation OF the wine. This tartar, In
its crude state, contains lime aud other I'M
purities which no process OF reholps
known prior to that here described WAS
able to entirely remove. 1t has been pos
sible. 1t Is true, to neutralize the lime 10
some extent by the aid OF chemicals, anu
this method was resorted TO In oruei 10
procure cream OF tartar In small quantities
for pharmaceutical purposes; out IL was
open to serious objection In view or the
fact that the chemicals employed for this
purpose were not always washed out but
remained In quantities that were uncertain
and prejud .cial TO its quality. The sup
posed impssibility Of removing the lime
has, accordingly, caused cream OF tartar 10
be classed and sold as pure when 1t did
not contain more than five per cent OF this
impurty. The major part however, OF
that used 10 commerce, or Tor culinary
purposes contains the tartrate OF lime TO
an extent much greater than five per cent,
not infrequently being found, upon anal
ysis, debased to Q degree equaling one
fourth or more Of entire weight.
In q report upon the subject OF food adul-
teration made to the New York State Board
of Health by Professors Chandler and
Love, 1t Is stated thBt OF ~ samples OF
cream of tartar bought from dealers as
pure 16 were adulterated with various SUBJ
stances from 70 SO per cent, while OF the
remainder all contained tartrate OF lime,
some high as 1889 per cent
The serious character of this adutera-
ton is more readily appreciated when 1t is
recollected how largely cream OF tartar en-
tiers into the preparation of the food OF ev-
cry family. In connection with soda in
baking powder 1t Is the chief agent now
employed for raising and making light bis
cult, cake and other pastry, and Is besides,
in many communities, superseding the old
fashioned yeast for all leavening purposes,
SO that 1t is employed to some extent In al
most every meal of which We eat Inc
amount OF cream OF tartar used In THIS
country In year in baking powder and
! otherwise in the preparation Of food is es-
timated at ten million pounds. Ii this
were ninety per cent, pure-a high esti'
pounds or more of lime annually as sub
siitute for bread. 60 large a deteriora-
lion becomes appreciate In the depriva-
tion of our food of a portion Of It's nutrl-
tive elements not only, but If, as Is now
supposed, this excess of lime taken into
the sy stem has relation to the painful at
fections of the kidneys so prevalent In THIS
country, its bearing upon the health OF the
community Is too important to be over
looked.
The new process by which cream of tar
tar Is produced 100 per cent. pure-that is,
with the lime totally eliminated-by treat
ing the crude material under pressure, ic-
stead of using any chemicals whatever for
the purpose, was the discovery originally
of a German chemist, but has been devel.
oped and perfected by the Royal Baking
Powder Company of this city, through
whose efforts lew years since In behalf
J Of high standard of purity in food, the
public was rid of the poisonous alum bak-
| ing powders At that time so prevalent.
The determination of this Company to
| place upon the market only absolutely
| pure goods, aud the impossibilty OF dol" g
| this from the cream Of tartar Of commerce,
made 1t 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 reflners of this country and
Europe when approached upon the subject,
| declared such result impossible, declined
to incur the expenditure necessary to make
the trial, The Royal Baking Powder Com.
pany, accordingly, resolved to solve the
| problem for itself; and having secured the
| aid of the best chemists of Europe and
! America, proceeded with its Investigations
| aud discoveries, until the result, after sew
nf Lab nd ma ayp nf
| over half q million of dollars in the pur-
| chase of patents, perfecting of processes,
| and the erection Of buildings and machin-
| cry, was reached In the complete attain.
| ment of the end sought. The works (now
owned by The New York Tartar Coz, are
| located In Brooklyn, and exceed in size and
capacity any other similar refinery in the
world. They produce a chemically pure
cream of tartar, which Ia now exclusively
used for pharmaceutical preparations, aud
in the manufacture of the celebrated Royal
Baking Powder.
The energy and outlay that have effected
this will undoubtedly be fully rewarded by
the public which will chiefly benefit by the
successful issue of the Investigations.
People are coming daily to more fully APP
preciate the value of pure and wholesome
food, By the exclusive use of this chemi-
| calg pure cream of tartar, the Royal Bak-
Ing Powder Is produced entirely free from
lime, and absolutely pure, qualities pos
eessed by no other baking powders yet
made A baking powder entirely free from
lime and other impurity must not only con-
tain more strength or leavening power and
produce better food and therefore be more
economical for use, but what is more i'm
portant, possess qualities Of superior Who'll
Someness.
| Chemists and physicians have looked up
on the experiments with much interest,
and regard their success as a matter of