Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-27
NO PHYsIC WITH OUR FOOD.
A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory
That IL Dangerous ar Not RIdicu-


I0us.
That is rather dangerous proposition
put forth by the manufacturers of some
of the patented or proprietary articles OF
food. that their products possess a supe-
riOr wholesomeness because they contain
drug of some particular medicinal
property. Phosphates, alum, lime,
arsenic, calomel, ETC., have their places as
specifics for different diseases, and are
| invaluable medical remedies, each in It's
place. But they are not cure alls. The
physicians who should prescribe either
calomel, or strychnine, or rhubarb three
| times day to man, woman and child,
sick or well, because either of such drugs
is well known remedy for some certain
disease, would receive but little honor
from the fraternity and less practice from
the community.
No one will controvert this statement;
yet we find manufacturers of baking pow
ders claiming Superior hygienic virtue for
their productions and urging their con-
tnuous use because they are alleged to
carry the phosphate used in making
them "a cheap substitute for
cream of tartar, procured from
the bones of dead animals) into
the food, although well aware, as they
must be of the fact that with the cons
slant use of such article this drug must
pass into our systems daily, no matter
what may be our physical conditions or
requirements, or whether or not we may
be suffering from some ailment wherein
the use of such drug would be po lively
detrimental. Both alum and phosphates
are useful medicaments in certain dis
eases; but they should no more be taken
unfortunately day after day and with
out the prescription of physician, than
arsenic aconite or calomel; indeed, there
are conditions of the system, particularly
with women, when the prudent physician
would he loath to permit the use Of lime
phosphates as medicine.
The fallacy OF this claim of the manuN
facturers of phosphate baking powders
will be apparent to all, when the fnct,
well known to physicians, is stated that
liz average health and with ordinary food
the body gets more phOsphates than are
required or can be assimilated. as is evi>
denced by the fact that they are. con-
stantly being expelled in the eXcretons.
both solid and liquid; likewise the states
ment that it is necessary to add phos>
pilates TO the baking powder to restore to
the flour those which have been lost in
the milling, for it is true that fine flour
as at present made actually contains
larger percentage of phOsphates than the
grain of wheat itself.
The object of baking powders is not to
provide the body with 4 medicine, but
simply to vesculate or make light the
mixture of -four so as to render it when
baked easy of mastication and perfectly
digestible. The most celebrated experts
in the business have worked for the pcr>
fiction of an article that should do this
mechanically, adding to or taking from
the flour nothing, nor in any way effect
ing a change in its properties or constit-
uents. When this has been done the
perfect leavening agent has been dis
covered. The manufacturers of the
Royal Baking Powder have succeeded in
this so far as to make leavening agent
that vesiculates and raises the loaf most
perfectly, and without changing the
properties of the -four. while the residuum
from it has been reduced to minimum.
The acid employed, however, to produce
this result is not phosphate, but the acid
of highly refined cream of tartar, which,
the health authorities agree, renders that
po"uSl pclleStlf puiS anu hlplS lSilhulV
and healthful than any other. The re-
cent official tests show, on the other hand
that the best the phosphate baking
powder makers can do is to produce an
article that is one third or mole residuum
or impurity.
We want our food pure; especially do
we not wish to take alum, lime and phOs
pilates with it at the dictum of manufac
turers who may find it cheaper to claim a
virtue for the impurities than to remove
them