The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-06-04
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 delicate organs of the child
to produce disorders 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 to- 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
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 danger to 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
wholesome and nutrltive than if leav-
ened 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 in
gradients (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. 5. 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 obtain.
ing pure milk or in having prescrip-
tion 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 to stop the
sale of the poisonous compounds, moth |
ers will do well to study it carefully.
The housekeeper will experience no in
convenience in discarding the use of
the adulterated baking powder, if she |
has been using it, as the Royal Baking
Powder upon the purity and whole
someness 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 |
uDawares.
In what we have felt it our duty to
say in reference to the subject of bak-
ing powder there is 10 intention to dis
parage the work or the products of
those many manufacturers in other
lines of food products who, with con.
scientiOusness and liberality, are serv-
ing the public with pure and whole
some articles of dict.