The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-04-14
NO PHYSIC WITH OUR FOOD.
n Phosphate Baking Powder Theory that
is Dangerous If not Ridiculous.

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 a supe-
rior wholesomeness because they contain
drug of some particular medicinal
property PhOsphates, alum, lime. ar
senic, caiomel, etc, have their places as
specifics 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 strychnine, or rhubarb three
times IL day 10 man, woman and child,
sick or well, because either of such drugs
is we'll known 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;
yet we lind manufacturers of baking
powders claiming superior hygiene virtue
for their productions and urging their
continuous use because they are alleged
to carry the phosphate used in making
the.l 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 tho fact that
with the constant use of such articles this
drug must pass into our systems daily,
no matter what may be our physical con-
ditions or requirements. or whether or
not we may be suffering from some all,
ment wherein the use of such drug would
be positively detrimental. Both alum
and phosphates are useful indictments
in certain diseases; but they should no
more be taken indiscriminately day after
day and without the prescription of a
physician, than arsenic, aconite or Gallo
mel; indeed, there are conditions of the
system, particularly with women, when
the prudent physician 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 tact,
we'll known to physicians, is STATED, that
in average health a.d with ordinary food
the body gets more phosphates than are
required or can be assimilated, as is eyi-
denced by the fact that they are con-
stantly being expelled in the excre;iDns,
both solid aud 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 the milling, 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 medicine, but
simply to vesiculate or make light the
mixture of four, SO as to render it When
baked easy of nastication 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 flour nothing. nor in any way etfecting
a change in its properties or constituents.
When this has been done the perfect
leavening agent has been discovered.
The manufacturers of the Royal Baking
Powder have succeeded in this SO far a.
to make leavening agent that vesiculates
and raises the loaf most perfectly and
without changing the properties OF the
flour, while the residum from it has been
reduced to minimum. The acid EN-
ployed, however, to produce this result
is not phosphate, 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 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 reSidum
Or lmpurlty.
We want our food pure; especially do
we not wish to take alum, lime and pbos
pilates with il at the dictum of manu-
facturers who may fiud it cheaper to
claim a virtue for the Impurities than to
remove item.