Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-01
no PHYsrC WITH OUR FOOD.
a Phosphate BaainG-Powder Theory
That Is Dangerous III rot
RfdtcuIOus.

That is rather dangerous proposition
pnt forth by the manufacturers OF some
of the patented OF proprietary articles OF
food, that their products possess supe-
rior wholcsomeness because they con-
tain drug OF some particular medicinal
property. Phosphates, alum, lime, arse
mic, calomol, ETC.. have their places MS
speciics for different diseases and are
invaluable medical remedies, each in It's
place. But they are not cure-alls. The
physician who should prescribe either
calomel. or strychine, or rhubarb three
times a day to man, woman, and child,
sick or well, because either OF such drugs
is a welI-kDown 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;
vet we find manufacturers OF baking
powders claiming superior hygiene VIZ
tue for their productions and urging
their continuous use because they are
alleged to carry the phosphate used in
making them Ga 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 article
this drug must pass into our systems
daily. no matter what may be our physl-
cal conditions or requirements, or whether
or not we may be suffering from some
ailmont wherein the use of such
drug would be positively detri-
mental. Both alum and phosphates are
useful indictments in certain diseases
but they should no more be taken indls-
criminatclv day after day, and without
the prescription of physician, than
arsenic. aconite, or calomel; indeed,
there are conditions Of the system, par
ticularly with women, when the prudent
physician would be loath to permit the
use OF lime phosphates even as a medi-
cine.
The fallacy of this claim OF the manu-
fecturors OF phosphate baliing-powders
will be apparent to all when the fact,
well known 70 physicians, is stated, that
ia average health and with ordinary food
the body gets more phosphates than are
REQUIRED or can be assimilated, as IS evil
denced bv the fact that they are con-
stantly being expelled in the excretions,
both solid and liquid likewise the state
meut 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 phos-
pilates than the gram of wheat itself
The object of bAking-powders Is not
to provide the body with Il medicine,
but simply to vesiculate or make light
the mixture of -four, SO as to render 1t
When baked easy of mastlcation and per
fectly digestible. The most celebrated
experts in the business have worked for
the perfection of an article that should
do this mechanically, adding to OF taking
from the -four nothing, nor in any way
effecting change III its properties or
constituents. When this has been done
the perfe5t-leavening agent has been
discovered. The manufacturers Of the
Poval Baking Powder have succeeded in
this so far as to make leavening agent
that yesiculstes and raises the loaf most
perfectlv and without changing the pro-
perties of the -four, while the residuum
from it has been reduced to a minimum.
The acid employed, however, to produce
this result is not phosphate, but the acid
of hiGhly-refned cream OF tartar, which,
the health authorities agree, renders that
powder perfectly pure aud more reliable
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 pro-
duce an article that is one third or more
residuum or impurity.
We want our food pure /; especially do
we not wish to take alum, lime. and
phosphates with it at the dictum of man.
ufacturers who may find it cheaper to
claim a virtue for the impurities than to
remove them.