The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-20
From the New York Tribune.

| les IN REFINING LONG STRIDE To-
WARD PURE FOOD.
From the New York Tribune.
Discoveries of much Importance on &C.
count of the relation they bear toward a
more wholesome food supply and conse'
quentlg upon the public health, have
been recently made in the process OF re-
lining cream of tartar Cream of tartar
as IS well known, is bitartrate OF potassa
purified from the crude tartar. which col
lects in crystalline deposit upon the
bottom and sides of wine casks during
the fermentation of the wine. This tartar,
in its crude state, contains lime and other
impurities, which process OF refining
known prior to that here described was
able to entirely remove. 1t has been pos
sible, 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 tarter in small ouanti-
ties for pharmaceutical purposes; but il
was open to serious objection in view of
the fact that the chemicals employed for
this purpose were not always washed out
but renamed in quantities that were un>
certain and prejudicial to its quality. The
supposed impossibility of removing the
lime has, accordingly, caused cream of
tarter to be classed and sold as pure when
it did not contain more than five per cent
Of this impurity. The major part, how>
ever, of that used in commerce, or for
culinary purposes, contains the tartrate
OF lime to an extent much greater than
five per cent, not infrequently being
found, upon analysis, debasea to de-
gree .equaling one fourth or more of its
entire weight
In report upon the subject of food
adulteration made to the New York State
Board of Health by Professor Chandler
and Love, it is stated that of ~ samples
of cream of tarter bought from dealers as
pure 16 were aduiterated with various
substances from to SO per cent, while of
the remainder all contained tartrate of
lime, some as high as 10, SO per cent.
The serious character of this adutera-
ton is more readily appreciated when it
is recollected how largely cream of tartar
enters into the preparation of the food of
every family. In connection with soda in
baking powder it is the chief agent now
employed for raising and making light
and digestible all our biscuit, cake, and
other pastry, and is besides, in many com.
munities, superseding the old fashioned
yeast for all leavening purposes so that
it is employed to some extent in almost
every meal of which we eat. The amount
of cream of tarter used in this country in
year in baking powder and otherwise in
the preparation of food, is estimated at
ten million pounds. If this were 90 per
cent pure-a high estimate-we would
consume one million pounds or more Of
lime annually as substitute for bread.
So large deterioration becomes appre-
ciable 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 relation
to the painful affections of the kidneys so
prevalent in this country, its bearing up
on 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 purpose, was the disc0v-
cry originally of German chemist, but
has been developed and perfected by the
Royal Baking Powder company of this
city, through whose efforts few wears
since in behalf of high standard of pur-
itY in food, the public was rid of the poi
sonous alum baking powders at that time
so prevalent.
The determination of this company to
place upon the market only absolutely
pure goods, and the impossibility of do>
ing this from the cream of tartar of cons
merce, made it apparent that some new
method must be sought by which cream
of tartar could be procured in large guam
titles, free from lime and chemically pure
The cream of tartar reiners of this coun-
try and Europe when approached upon
the subject, declared such a result impos>
sible, and declined to incur the expendi-
ture necessary to make the trial. The
Royal Baking Powder company, accord>
ingly, resolved to solve the problem for
itself, and having secured the aid of the
best chemists of Europe and America,
proceeded with its Investigations and dis
coveries until the result, after several
years of labor and the expenditure of
over half million dollars in the purchase
ofpatents, perfecting of processes, and the
erection of buildings and machinery, was
reached in the complete attainment OF the
end sought. The works NOW owned by
The New York Tartar Co are located
in Brooklyn, and exceed in size and cap
acity any other similar refinery in the
world. They produce a chemically pure
cream of tartar which is now exclusively
used for pharmac utical preparations,
and in the manufacture of the celebrated
Royal Baking Powder.
The energy and outlay that have effects
ed this will undoubtedly be fully rewards
cd by the public which will chiefly benefit
by the successful issue of the investiga-
tons. People are coming daily to more
fully appreciate the value of pure and
wholesome food. BY the exclusive use of
this chemically pure cream of tartar, the
Royal Baking Powder is produced entire
ly free from lime, and absolutely pure.
qualities possessed by no other baking
powders yet made. A baking powder en-
tirely 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 more important, possess quail
tiles of superior wholesomeness.
Chemists ard physicians have looked
upon the experiments with much interest,
and regard their success as a matter of
much Importance.