Smyrna times., 1888-04-25
No Physio in our Food.
A PHOSPHATE BAKING POwDERTH
THAT IS DANGEROUS IF NOT
RIDICULOUS.

That is rather a dangerous PROPOSE
ton, put forth by the manufactures OF
some of the patented or proprietary
articles of food, that their products
possess a superior whOlesOmeness be-
cause they contain a drug of some par
tcular medicinal property. Phos-
| pilates, alum, arsenic, calOmel. etc.
nave their places as specifics for differ
ent diseases, and are invaluable medi-
cal remedies, each in its place. But
they are not cure-alls The physician
who should prescribe either calomel,
or strychnine, or rhubarb three times a
day to man, woman and child, sick or
well, because 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 community.
NO one will contrOVert this state
ment; yet we find manufacturers of
baking powders claiming superior hv-
glenlc virtue for their productions and
urging their continuous use because
they are alleged to carry the phosphate
used IN making them Ia cheap substi-
tute for cream of tartar, procured from
the bones of dead animals) into the
food, although well aware, as thew
must be, of the fact that with the con
slant use of such article this drug must
pass into our system daily, no matter
what may be our physical conditions
or requirements, or whether or not we
may be suffering from some ailment
wherein the use of such drug would
be positively detrimental. Both alum
and phOsphates are useful medicaments
III certain diseases; but they should
no more be taken indiscriminatelv daV
after day and without the prescription
OF physician, than arsenic, acOnite or
calOmel indeed, there are conditions
OF the system, particularly with women,
when the prudent physician would be
loath to permit the use of lime phos-
phates even as a medicine.
The tallacy Ofthis claim of the manu-
facturers of phosphOric baking powders
Will be apparent to all when the fact,
well known to physicians, is stated
That IN average health and with Ordi-
nary food the body gets more phos-
phates than are required or can be
assimilated, as is evidenced by the fact
that they are constantly being expelled
In the excretiOns, both solid and LIQUID
likewise the statement that it is neces-
sary to add phOsphates 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 pres |
ent made actually contains larger
percentage of phosphates than the |
grain of wheat itself.
The object of baking powders is not
10 provide the body with a medicine. |
but simply to vesicuIate or make light
The mixture of flour, so as to render it
when baked easy of mastication and |
perfectly digestible The most cele-
DraUed experts in the business have !
worked for the perfection of the article
that should do this mechanically, add |
ing to or taking from the flour nothing,
nor IN any way effecting a change in |
It's properties or constituents. When |
this has been done the perfect leaven-
Ing agent has been discovered. The |
manufacturers of the Royal Baking
POWder have succeeded in this SO far
as to make leavening agent that vesi-
culates and raises the loaf most perfect-
~, and without changing the properties
OF the -four, while the resduum from it
has been reduced to a 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 powder perfectly pure
and more reliable and healthful than
any other. The recent official tests
show, on the other hand, that the best
phosphate baking powder makers do
IS to produce an article that is one
third or more residuum or impurity.
We want our food pure; especially
40 we not wish to take alum, lime and
with it at the dictum of
who may find it cheaper
to claim a virtue for the impurities
than to remove them.