Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-03-09
NO PHYSIC. WITH OUR FOOD
A Phosphate Baking Powder
Theory that is Dangerous
if not Ridiculous.


That is rather dangerous PROPOSE
ton, put forth by the manufacturers
Of some of the patented or proprie-
tary articles of food, that their pro-
duets possess superior wholesome
ness because they contain drug of
some particular medicinal property.
Phospha,es, alum, lime, arsenic, ca!o-
mel, etc. have their places a. specifics
| for e tfferent diseases, and are invalu
able medical remedies, each IN it5
place But they are lot cGre-ails
! Tue physician who should prescribe
either cAiomei, or strycnnIue. or rha
barb thrae times a day 20 mau. w0-
man or child sick or well. because
either OF suca drugs is we'll huo"n
remedy for some certain diseases.
would receive out little honor from
tie fraternity and less practice from
the community.
No one will controvert this state
ment; yet we 6ad manufacturers OF
baking powders claiming superior by
| gienic virtue for their productions and
urging their continuous use, because
they are alleged 10 carry the phos-
phate used in making them "a cheap
substitute for cream OF tartar, prOcur
ed from the b0nes Of dead ani:nals)
into the food, although we'll aware, as
they must be, OF the fact that with
the constant Use of such article this
drug must pass into our SYSTEMS
daily, TO matter what may be our
physical conditions or requirements,
or whether or not we may be suffer
ing from some lilment wherein the
use of such drug would be positively
detrimental Both alum aad phos-
phates are useful mendicaments in
certain diseases; but they should no
more be taken lndiscrimately Y day at.
ter day aud without the prescription
of physician, than arsenic, aconite
or calomel; indeed, there are condi-
tions of the system, particularly with
women, when the prudent physician
would be loayh 10 permit the use of
lime phosphates even as q medicine
TIE fail&cy OF this claim of the
manufacturers Of phosphate baking
powders will be apparent to all when
the fact. we'll known TO physicians, liz
stated tbat ia average health and
win 0rdin ~ food the body gets
more pho.phates than are required or
cen be as-imilated. as is evidenced by
the fact that iAey are constantly being
expelled in tie excretions, both solid
and liquid; likewise the statement
that IL is necessary to add phosphates
TO the baking powder to restore 10 the
-four those which have been lost in
the milling, for IL i5 true that fine
-four es at present made actually con
rsius larger percentage Of phos-
pilates than the grain OF wheat itself
The object OF baking powders ia not
to provide the body With a medicine,
hut simply to vesiculate or make
light the mixture of flour, so as to
render it when baked easy OF mastica-
tion and perfectly digestible. The
most celebrated experts in the busi-
ness have worked f.r the perfection
of an article that should do this me.
chauical!y, adding to or taking from
the four nothing, nor in any way
eifecting change in its properties or
constituents When this has BEN
done the perfect leavenin9 agent has
been discovered The manufacturers
of the Royal Baking Powder have
Succeeded in this 80 far as to make q
leaveniug agent that vesiculate5 and
raises the loaf most perfectly, and
without changing the properties of
the -four, while the rasiduum 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.
W hich, the health authorities agree,
renders that powder perfectly pure
and more reliable and hanlthtul 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 oue-third or more residuum or
impnrity.
We want our food pure; especially
do we not v isb to take alum, lime and
phosphales with il at the dictum of
manufacturers who may find it cheap
er to claim virtue for the impurities
than TO remove them.