West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-03-09
NO PHYsIC WITH OUR FOOD.


A Phosphate Baking Powder Theory that
is Dangerous if not Ridiculous.
That is rather dangerous propo-
sition, put forth by the manufactur-
ers of some of the pasented or pro-
prietary articles of food, that their
products possess superior whole
someness because they contain a
drug Of some particular medicinal
property. Phosphates, alum, lime,
arsenic, calomel, etc., have their
places as specifics for different dis
eases. and are invaluable medical
remedies, each in its place. But they
are not cure-alls. The physician
who should prescribe either calomel,
or strychnine,o or rhubarb three times
day to man, woman and child, sick
or well, because either of such drugs
is well known remedy for some cer-
tain disease, would receive but little
honor from the fraternity and less
practice from the community.
No one will oontrovert this state
ment; yet we find manufacturers of
baking powders claiming superior
hygienic virtue for their productions
and urging their continuous use be-
cause they are alleged to carry the
phosphate used in making them "a
cheap substitute for cream of tartar,
procured from the bones of dead an
imals) 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, no natter what may
be our physical conditions or re-
quirements, 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 in certain diseases;
but they should no more be taken
indiscriminately day after day AID
without the prescription of physi-
clan. than arsenic, aconite or calo
mel; indeed, there are conditions of
the system, particularly with women,
when the prudent physician would
be loath to permit the use of lime
phosphates even as medicine.
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,a as is evidenced
by the fact that they are constantly
being expelled in the excretions, both
solid and liquid; likewise the state.
ment 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 -four as at present made ac-
tually made contains larger per-
centage of phosphates than the grain
of wheat itself.
The object of baking powders is
not to provide the body with med
icine, but simply to vesiculate or
make light the mixture of -four. so
as to render it when baked easy of
mastication and perfectly digestible.
The most celebrated experts in the
business have worked for the perfec-
tion of an article that should do this
mechanically, adding to or taking
from the -four nothing, nor in any
way effecting change in its proper
ties or constituents. When this has
been done the perfect leavening agent
has been discovered. The manufac-
turers of the Royal Baking Powder
have succeeded in this so far as to
make a lcavening agent that yesic-
ulates and raises the loaf most per
fectly, and without changing the
properties of the -four, while the
rcsiduum from it has been reduced
to a minimum. The acid employed,
however, to produce this result is
not phosphate, but the acid of high
ly refined cream of tartar, which, the
health authorities agree, renders that
powder perfectly pure and more re-
liable and healthful than any other.
the recent official tests show, on the
other hand, that the best the phos-
platic baking powder makers can do
is to produce an 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 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.
THE VALUE OF TRUTH.