The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-06
NopHYsIC wITH OUR FOOD.
A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory that ID
nnnrnrnna II mot RIdionloua.

A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory thRti
Dangerous II not Ridiculous.
That 10 q rather dangerous proposition
put forth by the manufacturers Of some O.
the patented or proprietary articles o.
Hood, that their products possess q supe'
rlor vholesomGneas because they contain
drug OF como particular medicinal pro.
perty. Phosphates, alum, lime, arsenic,
calomel, etc, have their places as speci
icy for different diseases, aud are iuvaIuR.
tble medical remedies, each in its place.
Bat they arc not Cure-alls. The physician
who should prescribe either Calomel, or
strychnine, or rhubarb three times day
to man, woman and child, sick or well,
because either Of such drugs is Q well
known remedy for come certain disease,
would receive but little honor from the
fraternity and less practice from the COM
munity.
No ono will controvert this statement;
vet we fud manufacturers OF baking pow.
doris claiming superior hyglenic virtue for
their productions and urging their contin-
uous use because they are alleged to carry
the phosphate used in making them Ia
cheap substitute for cream Of tartar, pro-
cured from the bon9s Of dsGd animals) in.
to the food, although well aware, as they
must be, OF the fact that with tho con-
slant use OF such article this drug must
pass into our syntems daily, no matter
what may be our physical conditions or
requirements, or whether or not we may
be suffering from come ailment wherein
the use Of such drug would be positively
detrimental. Both alum and phosphates
are useful mediCanents in CsrtNindiseases;
but they should no more be taken indis.
criminately day after day, and without
the prescription Of physician than arse.
mic, aconite or calomel; indeed there are
conditions OF the system, particularly with
womep, when the prudent physician
would be loAth to permit the use Of
lime phosphateg even ss medicine.
The fallacy Of this claim Of the manu-
facturers OF phosphate baking powders
will be apparent to all when the fact,
we'll known to physicians, Is stated, that
in average health and with ordinary food
the body gets moro phoBphates than are
REQUIRED or can be aseimillted, as Is
evidenced by the fact that they are con-
stantly being expelled in the eKcretions,
both solid and liquid; likewise the state
ment that II Is necessary to add phos'
pilates to the baking powder 10 restore to
the -four those which have been lost in
the milling for 1t is true that fine -four as
at present made actually contains larger
percentage Of phosphRtes than the grain
Of wheat itself.
The object Of baking powders Is not to
provide the body with a medicine, but
simply to vealCulste or make light the
mixture Of -four, 30 ss to render 1t when
baked easy Of msstiCation and perfectly
digestible. The most celebrated experts
in the business have worked for the per-
lection Of an article that should do this
mechanically, RddinR TO or taking from
the -four nothing, nor in any way etecttnR
q change in its properties or constituents.
When this has been done the perfect leay.
eniug agent has been discovered. The
OF the Royal Baking Pow
der have succeeded In this go far as to
make leavenipg agent that veelculates
and raises the Loaf most peTteetly, and
without changing the properties OF the
Hour, while the Iesiduum from 1t has been
reduced to minimum. The acid employ
Cd, however, to produce this result 10 not
butth acid Of highly refined
cream OF tartar, which, the health suthorr
tiles Rgree, renders that powder perfectly
pure and more reliable and healthiul than
any other. The recent official tests show,
On the other hand, that the best the phos'
phAtic baking powder makers can do is to
produce on article that Is one.third or
more residuum or impurity.
We want our food pure; especially do
We not wish to take alum, lime and phos.
pilates with II at the diotur OF manuiRc-
turers who may find It cheaper to claim
virtue for the impurities than to remove
hem.