Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-03-13
No Physlc With Our Food.
Il Phosphate Baking Po,oder Theory
that is DangerousDno not Ridiculous.

-
that is. Dangerous if mot Ridiculous.
That is rather dangerous propo-
sition, put forth by the manufactar-
ers of some of the patented or pro-
prietary articles of food that their
products possess a superior whole
someness because they contain a
drug of some particular medical
property. Phosphates, alum, lime,
arsenic, calomel, ETC., have their
places as specifics for different dis
eases, and are invaluable medical
remedies, each in its place. But
they are not cure-alls. The physi-
clan who should prescribe either cal
omel, or strychnine, or rilui,arb three
times a day to man, IN or child
sick or well, because either of such
drugs is a we'll known remedy for
some certain disease. would receive
but little honor from the fraternity
and less practice from the commune
ty.
No one will c]ontrovert this state
ment; yet we find manufacturers of
baking powders claiming superior
hygienic virtue for their productions
and urging their continuous use be-
cause they are alleged to carry the
phosphate used in making them Ga
cheap substitute for cream. of tartar,
procured from the bones Of dead ami
malsC into the food, although well
aware, as they must be, OF. the fact
that with the constant use of sue ar
ticle this drug must pass into our
systems daily, no matter what may
be our physical conditions or require
ments, or whether or not we may be
suffering from some ailment wherein
the use of such drug would be posi-
lively detrimental. Both alum and
phosphates are useful indictments in
certain diseases; but they should no
more he taken indiscriminately day
after day and without the prescrip-
ton of a physician, than arsenic.
aconite or calomel. indeed, there
are conditions of the system, p%articu-
larly with women, when the prudent
physician would be loath to permit
the use of lime phosphates ever as a
medicine.
The fallacy of this claim of the
manufacturers 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 r required
or can be assimilated, as it is evil
denced by the fact that they are con-
stantly being expelled in the excre-
tons. both solid and liquid like
wise the statement that it is necessa-
ry 20 add phosphates 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 IL
larger percentage of phosphates than
the grain of wheat itself.
The object of baking powders is
not to provide the body with a medi-
cine, hut simply to v%esiculate or
make light the mixture of flour, 80 as
render it when baked easy Of mas
tications and perfectly digestihle.-
The most cefehratetf experts in the
business have worked for the perfec-
ton of an article that should do this
mechanically, adding to or taking
from the -four nothing, nor in any
way e~ffecting a change in its proper
ties or constituents. When this has
been done the perfect leavening
agent has been discovered. The
manufacturers of Royal Baking Pow
der have succeeded in this SO far as
TO make Il %leavening agent that vesic-
ulatcs and raises the loaf most per
fectry, and without changing the
properties of the flour, while the resi-
dunn from it has been reduced to 4
minimum. The acid employed, how
ever, to produce this result is not
phosphate, but the acid of highly re-
fined cream of tartar, which, the
health authorities agree, renders that
powder perfectly pure and more re-
liable and heaithful than any other.
The recent official tests show, on the
other hand. that the best the phos-
phatic baking powder makers can do
is to produce an article that is one
third or more residuum or iInpurity.
We van our food pure: especial
" do we not wish to take alum, lime
and phosphates with it at the dictum
of manufacturers who may find it
cheaper to claim 4 virtue for the i'm
purities than to remove them.