The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-29
SAVE THE CHILDREN.

Detrimental food which, by reason of their su-
per1or strength, may not seriously affect the
health OF adults, as is well know, frequently acts
upon the more delicate organs of the child to
produce disorders or the most serious character
The amount of laudanum or other poison that
would be harmless to an adult, will cause the
death Of an an infant. This great difference be-
tween the vitality Of adults and children is too
generally overlooked in the preparation of food.
Because 70 harm Immediately perceprible 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 wholesome
There is a danger to our children, however, Turk
ing in their bread and cake which is too often
lost sight Of These articles are now Ieavened
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 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 bak-
ing powders, these ingredients (which are pres
ent through the efforts of the manufacturers to
produce o. 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
diseases with which our children are afflicted.
Persons who have not strong constitutions,
growing girls, young children and nursing moth
ers are particularly liable to the evil effects pro-
duced by tho 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. Prof.
Willard Parker, U. S. Surgeon-general Ham
mond, Prof. Alonzo Clark, most eminent physi-
clans Of New York, with scores of others, have
written End spoken most earnestly of the evils
arising from partaking of such food. There
should be as much care IN the choice of a baking
powder as in obtaining pure milk or in having a
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 lawmakers 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 carefully. The house
keeper will experience no Inconvenience in dis
carding the of the adulterated baking pow
der, if she has been using it, as the Royal Bak-
ing Powder, 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.
In what we have felt it our duty to say in ref
erence to the subject Of baking powder there is
no intention to disparage the work or the prod
ucts of those many manufacturers in other lines
Of food products who, with conScientiousness
and liberality, are serving the public with pure
and wholesome articles Of diet.