Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-09-29
SAVE THE CHILDREN.

Detrimental foods, which, by reason of
their superior strength. may not seriously
affect the health of adults, as is well
known, frequently act upon the more
delicate organs of the child to produce
disorders of the most serious character
The amount of laudsnum or other poison
that would be harmless to an adult will
cause the death of an infant. This great
difference between the vitality of adults
and children is too generally overlooked
in the preparation of food. Because no
harm Immediately perceptible comes to
the adult by the use of an article flood,
no thought is given to the effect it may
have upon the more delicate organs of the
inferior ages
Children diet largely upon cake and
bread, and these articles, if light, sweet
and composed of materials that are tiee
from injurious substances, are easily
digested, nutritious and wholesome There
is danger to our children, no Eever,
lurking in their bread and cake which is
too often lost sight of. These articles are
now leaveLed largely by baking powders,
and when pure wholesome baking powders
are used, they make not only the most
palatable food, but one much more whole
some andsnutrisive than ifleavened with,
yeast or cream of tartar and soda. The
trouble arises from the fact as shown by
recent scientific tests by the Government
chemists and by official boards of health,
that all these baking powders, with the
single exception of the Royal, contain
either lime. alum phosphates, or acids of
an injurious character. Therefore, when
bread or cake is made with the use of
these cheap baking powders, these ingre-
diants (Which are present through the
efforts OF the manufacturers to produce
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 constitu-
tions, growing girls, young children and
nursing mothers are particularly liable to
the evil effects produced by the iDtroduc-
ton of the adulterants named, as found
in the cheap baking powders. Heartburn
and the prevalent forms of indigestion
are often solely tracea5le to the action of
alum on the delicate coats of the stomach.
Prof. Willard Parker, .. S. Surgeon
General Hammond, Prof Alonzc Clark,
most eminent physicians of New York,
with scores of others, have written and
spoken most earnestly of the evils arising
from partaking ofsuch food. There should
be as much care in the choice of a baking
powder as in obtaining pure milk or IN
having prescription compounded from
pure drugs and 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 well to study it carefully. The
housekeeper will experience no incon-
venience in discarding the use of the
adulterated baking powder, if she has
been using it, as the Royal Baking Pow
der, upon the purity and wholesomeness
of which all the Government chemists
agree, is equally accessible; but she will
need to exercise close watch upon her
packages from the grocer, in order to
prevent the inferior brands from creeping
into her kitchen unaWares.