St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-29
TO SUIT The PUBLIC.
A Question of Home Economy
in Which Everybody Is
Interested.
The Chicago Tribune Pub
fishes an Interesting Re-
port From st. Paul,
Giving a Synopsis Of the Bill
Introduced in the Lower
House,
Relative to the Subject of
Ammonia in Baking
Powders.
IChicago Tribune, March "a.


The Minnesota legislature having no
medals of political pattern to distribute,
it is considering matters of interest to
the constituent. 1t is inQuiring what
is good for the constituents stomach.
The inquiry will do no harm, and may
lead to much that will be beneficial.
The average legislator is not much
given to brain worry over scientific
questions. A. Mr.. Gallagher, OF the
present house, has, however. introduced
bill which he had succeeded in get
ting as far as the judiciary committee.
which will be benefit to mankind if
the bill is enacted. Stripped of legis-
lative verbiage, the bill provides that
whosoever shall sell or offer for sale
any baking powder which contains
ammonia (and there are baking
powders that do) without having
the information printed on the package
containing such adulterated powder,
shall be guilty of a violation of the law
and be fined as provided III the bill.
This is the sort OF common sense leglS-
lation that will suit the people-that Is
to say, the people will be gratified to
know that the lawmakers are interested
himself, the ordinary legislator is as full
of good intentions as If he had finished
his mission in this world. And when
one, in the midst OF schemes and jobs,
sits down with himself and unselfishIy
considers provision which, if enacted,
will be for the welfare of every person
| in the commonwealth, such member
| is entitled to consideration above the
| empty plauditS which are hurled at the
member who has nailed the flag of his
| party to the staff and threatened to die
| in the ditch.
Mr.. Gallagher may not get any higher
on the ladder of legislative fame. but
| he has already done enough to entitle
| him to the thanks of that army of peO-
pie which has rights other than po-
litical.
In view of what the legislature Of
| Minnesota will undoubtedly enact this
point, and with the hope that other
legislative bodies will soon take the
same course. the subjoined article from
a recent number of the Scientific Amer
lean is not only of interest, buto OF value.
1t deals in the most direct manner with
an evil which must be cut down, tho
sooner the better. The article is of the
more value because it is the
opinion of a journal which lends
itself to no party and which is al
ways on the lookout for that which will
benefit mankind. The article is the sort
| that people should take home and read
| after the business cares OF the day are
over. 1t will create thought, and when
that is accomplished benefits always ac-
crue. The Tribune presents the article
in its entirety, knowing that it is of
sufficient interest 10 warrant it:
Baking Powders Once More.
| Many combinations of chemicals have
| been proposed and tried for baking pow
! ders, but the general consensus of
| housekeepers, as we'll as the scientific
| authorities, has settled upen a mixture
| of sodium bicarbOnate (baking sOda)
| with potassium bitartrate Cream Of tar
| tar.
Were the above mixture of chemicals
| allowed to stand, 1t would soon deterio-
| rate. To prevent this it is mixed with
| an inert substance which iSOlateS to
some extent the particles of the mix
| ture, so as to confer lasting powers upon
| it. This substance is usually flour or
| powdered starch, and is termed FILL
| ing" Some filling is necessary. About
| 10 per cent IS the least that can be used
| by the most CAREFUL manufacturer, and
| all over Is per cent should be considered
all adulterant, harmless, indeed, but
| nevertheless an imposition on the con-
sumer.
Twenty-one baking powders are cited
| in the United States department of ag-u
| riculture report on foods and food adul
| terants, Washington, 1889, as exceeding
! this amount. The amount of starch
| varies from 25.57 to 52.29 per cent, which
| goes to show how much starch is bought
and paid for at the price OF baking
| powder. All but two of these contain
ammonia or alum. or both, and are the
| list of powders given below.
A more important point, however. is
to know what baking powders are adul-
terated with alum or ammonia, as the
continued use OF such powders, accord
ing to many authorities Injuries the
health.
The use of alum in baking powders
has been prohibited in England, France
and Germany, and a law has recently
been passed in Minnesota requiring
| manufacturers using alum to publish on
the label, ''This baking powder con-
tains alum:" and the Canadian govern
ment says page 27): "The resldues
left in the bread after use of an alum
powder are sulphate of ammonia, sui
phate of soda. and alumina. The last
named is an earthly substance, quite in
soluble and therefore indigeStible."
page 81: "Alum is entirely objection
able as substitute for cream of tartar,
and ought not to be allowed place in
any well appointed bakery"
The insidious effects of ammonia as
an adulterant in baking powders are not
so well known. but Bartholomew sums
up the evidence against ammonia, as
follows: 1.-The long-continued use of
ammonia impairs digestion by neutral
iZing the gastric Juice. Increased waste
of tissue Is also one result of Its admin
istration, manifested by pallor, emacia-
tion and feebleness." And the Pacific
Medical journal, commenting on the
cause of dyspepsia, says page esq:
This question regarding the effect of
ammonia upon the human economy is
one upon which authorities do not differ,
and the individual experience of every
physician is in accord with the
assertion of authorities. The agent
(ammonia) is a drug, not a food;
an eXcrement, not nutriment. The
amount received by the system through
these means, while not great at any par
ticular time, and not sufficient to prove
injurious, becomes both great and dele
terious by being continuous. Physicians
owe 1t to their patients and to the peo-
pie generally to inform themselves re-
garding this matter, and, without fear
or favor, unqualifedly to condemn in
furious preparations; and the various
boards of health throughout the state,
in dealing with the question of food
adulterations, would do the people