St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-05
Save the Children.

Detrimental food which, by reason of
their superior strength, may not seriously
affect the health of adults, as is well
known. frequently acts upon the more del
icate organs of the child to produce diror-
ders of the most serious character. The
amount of laudanum or other poison that
would be harmless to an adult will cause
the death of an infant This great differ
ence between the vitality of adults and
children is too generally overlooked in the
preparation of food. Because no harm i'm
mediately perceptiEle comes to the adult by
the use of an 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 di-
gested. nutritious and wholesome. There
is danger to our children, however, lurk-
ing 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
ale used they make not only the most pal
atable food. but one much more wholesome
and nutritive than if leavened 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 ex-
| ceptiOn 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 pres
ent through the efforts of the manufacture
70, ortin inf
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 introduce
| ton of the adulterants named as found in
the cheap baking powders. Heartburn and
| the prevalent forms of indigestion are often
| solely traceable to the action Of alum on the
delicate coats of the stomach. Prof.
| Willard Parker United States Surgeon
| General Hammond, Prof. Alonzo Clark,
most eminent physicians 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 hav-
| ing prescription compounded from pure
drugs and not from poisons.
The matter is one of the greatest import
ance, particularly to the rising generation.
and while our conservative lawmakers are
making up their minds as to the proper
legislation to stop the sale of poisonous
compounds, mothers will do well to study
it carefully. The h0usekeeper will eX-
perience no inconvenience in discarding the
use of adulterated baking powder if she
has been using it, as the Royal Baking
Powder, upon the purity and wholesome
ness 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.
In what we have felt it our duty to say
in reference to the subject of baking pow
der. there is no intention to disparage the
work or products of those manufacturers
in other lines of food products Who, with
conscentiousness and liberality, are serving
the public with pure and wholesome arti-
Giles of diet.