The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-03-21
NoPmYsIC WITH OURF6ioD
A Phosphate Balxtng Powder
Theory HAT is Dangerous IL
not RtdtcuIOus.

f
That is rather a dangerous prop
osition, put forth by the mauufac-
turers Of some of the patented or.
/ proprietary articles of food, that
their products possess q superior
wholesomeness because they contain
/ a drug of some particular medicinal
property Phosphates, alum, lime,
arsenic, calomei, etc., have their.
| places as specifics for dtferent dir.
seases, and are inyaluaBIe medical
remedies, each in It's place. But
they are not cure-alls The phy.I
sieian who should prescribe either
calomel. or strychine, or rhubarbI
three times a day to man, woman.
rand child, sick or well, because
other of such drugs is q well known
l.emedy for some certain disease,
/ would receive but little honor from
the fraternity and less practice from
the community.
No one will controvert this state
ment; yet VIC find tnanuiaetu turel.s of
baking powders claiming superior
/ thygienic virtue for their. productions
,and urging their continuous use
because, they alleged to carry the
phosphate used in making them Ga
cheap substitute for cream of tartar,
procured from the bodies of dead
anirnals tolthe food, although well.
aware, as they. sanst be, of the fact
that with The constant. use soff such
J. article this drug must pass into our
lsystems daily, no matter what may
be our physical conditions or re-
quirements, or whether or not we
may be suffering from some ailment
wherein the use ofsuch drug would
be positively detrimental Both
alum and phosphates are useful
medicaments in certain diseases.
bnt they should no more be taken
tindiseriminately day after day and
without the prescription OF ply
sician, than arsenic, ;'conite or cal
omel; indeed, there are conditions
of the system, particularly with
women, when the prudent physician
would be loatll to permit the use of
lime phosphates even as a incidence
The fallacy of this claim of the
manufacturers of phosphate baking
powders will be apparent to all
when the fact, well known to ply,
Itsicians, is stated, that in average
health and with ordinary food the
body. gets more phosphates than are
required or.can be assimilatcd, as
is evidenced by the fact that they
are constantly being expelled in
the eYcretions, both solid and liquid,
likewise the statement that, it is
necessary to add phosphates to tho
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 81 larger percentage of
phosphates than the grain of wheat
itself
The object ofbaling powders is
not to provide the body with a
medicine, but simply to visiculate
or mako light the mixture Of .four,
$50 as to render it when baked easy.
of mastication and perfectly ysdigesti-
Bile. The most celebrated experts
in the business have worked for the
perfection of an article that should
do this mechanically, adding to or.
taking from the -four nothing, nor
in any way efecting a change in its
properties or constituents. When
this has been done the perfect leav-,
ening agent has been discovered.
The manufacturers of the Royal
Baking Powder have. succeeded in
this SO ar as to make a leavening