The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-09-30
SAVE THE CHILDREN.

detrimental foods, which by reason
Of their superior strength, may not SER
iOusly affect the health OF adults, rs is
we'll known, frequently act upon the
more delicate organs of the child to
produce disorders of the most serious
character. The amount of ]andanum
or other poison that would be harm
less to An adult will cause the death Of
al infant. This great difference be-
tween the vitality of adults and chill
dren is too generally overlooked in the
preparation of food. because no harm
immediately perceptible comes t" the
adult by the use of III article of food.
no thought is given to the effect it may
have upon the more delicate organs of
inferior age.
Children diet largely upon cake and
bread, and these articles, if light.
sweet and composed of materials that
are free from injurious substances, are
easily digested. nutritious and whole
some. There is il danger tn our chill
dren, however, lurking in their bread
and cake, which is too often lost sight
Of. These articles are now leavened
largely by baking powders, and when
pure and wholesome baking powders
are used, they make not only the most
palatable food, but one much more nu
tritive and wholesome than if leavened
with yeast or cream of tartar and soda.
The trouble arises from the fact rs
shown by recent scientific tests by the
government chemists and 10y official
boards of health, that all these baking
powders, with the single exception of
the Royal, contain either alum, phos-
pilates, lime or acids of an Injurious
character. Therefore, when bread or
cake ::is made with the use of these
cheap baking powders, these ingredi-
ents (which are present through the
efforts Of the manufacturers to pro-
duce cheaper article) pass into the
food and are taken into the delicate
organs Of childhood where they are
the source of very much of the disease
with which our children are afflicted.
Persons who have not strong consti-
tutions, growing girls, young children
and nursing mothers are particularly
liable to the evil effects produced by
the introduction of the adulterants
named, as found in the cheap baking
powders. Heartburn and the preva.
lent forms of indigestion are often
solely traceable to the action of alum
on the delicate coats of the stomach.
Prof. Willard Parker, U. s. Surgeon
General Hammond, Prof. Alonzo
Clark. most eminent physicians of
New York. with scores of others, haye
written and spoken most earnestly of
the evils arising from partaking of
such food. There should be as much
care in the choice of baking powder
as in obtaining pure milk or in having
prescription compounded from pure
drugs aud not from poisons.
The matter is one of the greatest i'm.
portance, particularly to the rising
generation, and while our conservative
law makers are making up their minds
as to the proper legislation to stop the
sale of the poisonous compounds,
mothers will do we'll to study it care
fully. The housekeeper will expert
ence no Inconvenience in discarding
the use of the adulterated baking pow
der, if she has been using it. as the
Royal Baking Powder, upon the purity
and wholesomeness of which all gov
ernment chemists agree, is equally &C.
cessible; but she will need to exercise
close watch upon her packages from
the grocer, in order to prevent the in
ferior brands from creeping into her
| kitchen unaWares.