The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-05-31
NO PHYSIC WITH OUR FOOD.
A PHOSPHATE BAKING POWDER THEORY
THAT Is DANGEROUS IF NOT RIDICULOUS.

That is rather dangerous proposition,
put forth by the manufacturers OF some
of the patented or proprietary articles OF
food, that their products possess supe-
rior wholesomeness because they contain
a drug of some particular medicinal pro-
perty Phosphates, alum, lime, arsenic,
calomel, etc, have their places as spec1-
fics for diseases, and are Invaluable medl-
cal remedies, each IN its place. But they
are not cure-alls. The physician who
should prescribe either calomel, or strych-
nine, or rhubarb three times day TO
man, woman and child. sick or well, be-
cause either of such drugs is a well
known remedy for some certain disease,
would receive but little honor from the
fraternity and less practice from the COM
munity.
No one viii controvert this statement;
yet We find manufacturers of baking
powders claiming superior hyglen1c VIZ
tue for their production and urging their
continuous use because they are alleged
to carry the phosphate used IN making
them "a cheap substitute for cream of tar
tar, procured from the bones of dead AMI
mals) into the food, although well 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 physical cond1-
tions or requirements, or whether or not
we may be suffering from some allment
wherein the use of such drug would be
positively detrimental. Both alum and
phosphates are useful medicaments II
certain diseases; but they should no more
be taken Unfortunately day after day
and without the prescription of physi-
can, than arsenic, aconite or calomel; IN
deed, there are conditions of the system,
particularly with women, when the pru
dent physician would be loath to permit
the use of lime phosphates even as a
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 evil
denced by the fact that they are con-
stantly being expelled in the excretlons,
both solid and liquid; likewise the state
ment that it is necessary to add phos-
pilates to the baking powder to restore
to the -four those which have been lost
in theimillng, for it is true that fine flour
as at present made actually contains a
larger percentage of phosphates than the
grain of wheat itself.
The object of baking powders is not to
provide the body with a medicine, but
simply to yesiculate or make light the
mixture of -four, SO as to render 1t when
baked easy of masticatiOn and perfectly
digestible. The most celebrated experts
In the business have worked for the per-
lection of an article that should do this
mechanically, adding to or taking from
the -four nothing, nor IN any way effect
ing change in It's properties or const1t-
uents When this has been done the
perfect leavening agent has been dlscoy-
ed. The manufacturers OF the Royal
Baking Powder have succeeded III this so
far as to make a leavenIng agent that
vesiculates and raises the loaf most per-
fectly. and without changing the proper
ties of the -four, while the Tesiduum from
it has been reduced to minimum. The
acid employed. however, to produce this
result is not phOsphatic, but the acid of
highly refined cream of tartar which, the
health authorities agree, renders that
powder perfectly pure and 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 produce an
article that is one-third or more resi-
dunn or lmpurity.
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.