The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-03-22

LOUs.
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 superior
whOlesOmeness because they contain Il
drug of some particular medicinal prop
erty Phosphates, alum. lime, arsenic.
calomel. ETC., have their places as specifics
for different diseases, and are invaluable
medical remedies each IN its place But
they are not cureals. The physician who
should prescribe either calomel. or strych-
nine or rhubarb three times day to man.
woman and child, sick or well. because
either of such drugs is a well known rem
edy 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 contin-
aous use because they are alleged to carry
the phosphate used III making them Ia
cheap substitute for cream of tartar pro-
cured from the bones of dead animals) into
the food, although we'll aware, as they
must be, of the iaei that with the con
slant use Of such article this dug must
pass into our systems daily. no matter
what may be our physical conditions OF
requirements, or whether or not we may
he suffering from some ailment wherein
the use OF such drug would be positively
detrimental. Both alum and phosphates
are useful medcamentS in certain diseases:
but they should no more be taken indis-
criminately day after day and without the
prescription Of physician, than arsenic,
aCOnite OF eaIomel; indeed, there are con-
diiions OF the system, particularly with
women when the prudent physician would
IOath to permit the use of lime ph0Sphates
even as u medicine.
The falIacy of this claim of the manu-
factllrers of phosphate baking powders
VIII be apparent to all when the fact, well
known to physicians, is stated. that in
average health aud with ordinary food the
body gets more piIospllateS than are re-
uuireti or can be assimiated, as is eviden-
ced by the fact that they are constantly
being expelled in the excretions, both solid
and liquid; likewise The statement that 1t
is necessary TO add pbospLates to the bak-
ing powder to restore to the flour those
which have been lost in the milling, for it
is true that fine -four AS at present made
actually contains a larger percentage of
phosphates than the grain of weat Itself.
The oblPct OF baking powders is not to
provide tie body with a medicine. but
simply TO VeSicuiate OF make light the
mixture of Hour, SO rs to render 1t wheE-
baked easy OF msstication ami perfectly
lige>tible The most celebrated expe =
III ths business have worked for the per
lection vi ali article that should do this
mechanically. adding to or taking from
the flour nothing, nor in any way effect
ing change In its properties or consti-
tuents. When this has been done the
perfect leayening agent has been discover
ed. The manufacturers of the Royal
Baking Powder have succeeded in this so
far as to make a leayeniIg agent that
vesiculates and raises the loaf most per-
fectly, and without changing the proper
ties of the flour, 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 pow
der perfectly pure and more reliable and
healthful than any other. The recent
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 residuum or i'm
purity.
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 il cheaper to
claim virtue for the impurities than TO
remove them
Ieaa aoIro-E il}ipu houv