The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-03-01
NO pnYs1U WITH OUR FOOD.
A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory
that IL Dangerous II not
Ridiculous.

Vuot - DouSOAVuC ~ nVe
Ridiculous.
That is rather dangerous proposition
put forth by the manufacturers of some
ofthe patented or proprietary articles of
food that their products possess super
ior wholesomeness because they contain
drug of some particular medicinal
! property. Phosphates, alum, lime, arse.
mic, calomel etc., have their places as
specifics for different diseases, and are
invaluable medical remedies, each in its
place. But they are not cure-alls. The
physician who should prescribe either
calomel, or strychnine, or rhubarb three
times day to man woman or 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.
Noone will controvert this statement;
yet we find manufacturers Of baking
powders claiming superior hygenic vir.
tue for their productions and urging
/. their continuous use because they are
alleged to carry the phosphate used in
making them IA cheap substitute for
cream of tartar, procured from the bones
of dead animals) into the food, although
we'll aware, as they must be, of the fact
that with the constant use OF such arti.
{ cles this drug must pass into our systems
daily, no matter what may be our phys
ical conditions or requirements, OF
whether or not we may be suffering
/. from some ailment wherein the: use of
such drug would be positively detri-
mental, Both alum and phosphates are
useful medicaments in certain diseases !;
but they should no more be taken in
discriminatory day after day without the
prescription of physician than arsenic,
aconite or calomel; indeed there are
conditions of the system, particularly
with women, when the prudent physic-
ian would be loath to permit the use of
lime phosphates even as medicine.
The fallacy OF this claim of the manu-
facturers of phosphate baking powders
will be apparent to all when the fact,
well known to physicians, is stated that
in average health and with ordinary
food the body gets more phosphates
than are required or can be assimilated,
as is evidenced by the fact that they are
constantly being expelled in the excre-
tions, both solid and liquid; likewise
Z the statement that it is necessary to add
phosphates to the baking powder tp re-
stoYe to the -four those which have been
lost in the milling for it is true that fine
flour as at present made actually con-
tains larger percentage of phosphates
than the grain Of wheat itself.
The object of baking powder is not to
provide the body with medicine, but
.'simply to vesiculate or make light the
mixture of -four, so as to render it when
baked easy of mastication and perfectly
digestible.. The most celebrated experts
lin the business have worked for the
: this mechanically, adding to or taking
a'from the -four nothing, nor in any way
Z effect change in its properties or con-
], stituents. 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 flour, while the resi-
dunn from it has been reduced to 9
minimum. Tho acid employed, how
ever, to produce this result is not phos.
phatic, but the acid of highly refined
cream OF tartar, which the health au
thoritiss agree renders that powder per
fectly pure and more reliable and health
full than any other. The recent ofIicia
tests show, on the other hand, that th'
best phosphate baking powder maker
can do is to produce an article that il
!, one-third or more residuum or impurity
We. want our food pure; especially dc
we not wish to take alum, lime ant
phosphates with it at the dictum of man
ufacturers who may find it cheaper Il
claim q virtue for the impurities thai
to remove them.
a.