Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-05-02
NO PHYsIC WITH OUR FOOD.
A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory
that is Dangerous II not Ridiculous.

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That is rather dangerous propos-
ition, put forth by the manufacture
ers of some Of the patented or pro-
prietary articles Of food, that their
products possess superior whole
someness because they contain drug
of some particular medicinal proper
ty. Phosphates, alum, lime, arsenic,
calomel, ETC., have their places as spe-
ciics for different diseases, and are
invaluable medical remedies, each in
its place. But they are not cure-alls.
The physician who should prescribe
either calomel, or strychnine, or rhu-
barb three times day to man, woman
and child, sick or well, because either
of such drugs is well known remedy
for some certain disease, would re-
ceive but little honor from the fra
ternity and less practice from the
community.
No one will controvert this state
ment; yet we find manufacturers of
baking powders claiming superior n.y.
gienic virtue for their productions and
urging their continuous use because
they are alleged to carry the phos-
phate used in making them IA cheap
substitute for cream Of tartar, pro-
cured from the bones of dead animals)
into the food, although well aware,
as they must be, Of the fact that with
the constant use of such article this
drug must pass into our systems
daily, no matter what may be our
physical conditions or requirements,
or whether or not we may be suffer-
ing from some ailment wherein the
use of such drug would be positively
detrimental. Both alum and phos-
pilates are useful medicaments in GER
tain diseases but they should no
more be taken indiscriminately day
after day and without the prescrip-
ton OF u physician, than arsenic aeon
lite or calomel indeed, there are con-
ditions of the system, particularly
with women, when the prudent ply
stefan would be loath to permit the
use of lime phosphates even as med
icine.
The fallacy of this claim of the
manufacturers of phosphate baking
powders will be apparent to all when
the fact, well known to physicians, is
stated, that in average health and with
ordinary food the body gets more
phosphates than are required or can
be assimilated, as is evidenced by the
fact that they are constantly being ex-
PEELED in the excretions, both solid
and liquid; likewise the statement
that it is necessary to add phosphates
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 con-
tains 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 flour, so as to render
it when baked easy of mastication and
perfectly digestible. The most cele-
brated experts in the business have
worked for the perfection of an arti-
Gle that should do this mechanically
adding to or taking from the -four
nothing, nor in any way effecting a
change in its properties or consttu-
ents. When this has been done the
perfect leavening agent has been dis
covered. The manufacturers of the
Royal Baking Powder have succeed
ed in this so far as to make leaven-
ing agent that vesiculates and raises
the loaf most perfectly, and without
changing the properties of the flour,
while the residuum from it has been
reduced to Il minimum. The acid en-
ployed, however, to produce this result
is not phosphate, but the acid of high
ly refined cream of tartar, which, the
health authorities agree, render that
powder perfectly pure and more reli-
able and hcalthful 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 an article that is one
third or more residuum or impurity.
We want our bread pure especial
ly do we not wish to take alum, lime
and phosphates with it at the dictum
of manufacturers who may find it
cheaper to claim virtue for the i'm
purities than to remove them.