The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-12-02
Save the Children.

Detrimental food which, by reason of their su-
perior strength, may not seriously affect the
health of adults, as it is well known, frequently
acts upon the more delicate organs Of the child
to produce disorders of the most serious charsc-
ter. The amount of laudanum or other poison
that would be harmless to an adult will cause
the death of an infant. This great difference be-
tween 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 of food,
no thought Is given to the effect 1t 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 sub
stances, are easily digested, nutritious and whole
some. There is danger TO our children, how
ever, 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 wholesome and nutritive than if
leavened with yeast or cream OF tartar and soda.
The trouble arises from the TACT as shown by re-
cent 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 ingredients (which
are present through the efforts of the manuiactur-
eIs TO produce a cheaper article) pass in to 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
af1 cted
Persons who have not strong constitutions,
growing girls, young children and nursing moth
ers particularly liable TO the evil effects pro-
duced by the introduction of the adulterants
named as found in the cheap baking powders
Heartburn and the prevalent forms of indiges-
ton are often solely traceable TO the action of
alum on the delicate coats of the stomach. Prot.
Willard Parker, U. 8. Surgeon-General Ham
mond Prot. AlonzO Clark, most eminent phys-
clans of New York, with scores of Others. have
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 q
prescription compounded from pure drugs and
not from pOisOnS
The matter is one Of the greatest Importance,
particularly to the rising generation, and while
our conservative law makers are making up
their minds as to the proper legislation 10 stop
the sale of the poisonous compounds, mothers
will do well to study it carefully. The house
Keeper will experience NO inconvenience In dis
carding the use Of the adulterated b,kng pow
der if she has been using it, as the Royal Baking
Powder upon the purity aud wh0Ies0meness OF
which all The Government chemists agree, is
equally ACCESSIBLE but she will need to exercise
= close watch upon her packages from the grocer
10 order TO prevent the inferior brands from
creeping into her kitchen unawares
In what We have felt il our duty TO say in re-
ference to the SUI ject of baking powder there is
no intention to disparage the work OF the pro-
ducts of those many manufacturers in other
lines of food products who, with consciousness
and lberaly, are serving the public with pure
and wholesome articles Of diet