St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-27


he can purchase the particular baking
powder containing the ingredients. 1t
Is we'll. perhaps. to legislate against
particular evil. but why not gos
even further and protect the public, as
IS done III any foreign country? In Lon
don even patent medicine is properly
labeled by an enumeration Of the ingre-
dlents contained in the bottle. The
legislatures of this country have not
been very alert in matters of public san
itatien. We have not even a national
health board in the United States.
DR.. James c. MarkOe-Used in large
quantities, ammonia is certainly very
Injurious. but perhaps not in small
quantities. Just how much might be
| used without harm | should not like to
say without more study than | have
given it. The substance of my opinion
given couple of years ago [ still adj
here TO. In its original primary form
ammonia represents decay, not nutri-
ton, ana while vegetables will take up
and aSsimilate food from it. it is not
! only void of nourishment for the human
system, in many of its forms, but its
daily use in the food would certainly be
| Injurious i'll many ways. 1t has its uses
as drug. but is not to be administered
| as such excepting by physicians.
DR.. Arthur SWeeney-The primary OBJ
lect Of taking food is to obtain nOurish-
ment. There are no nutritiYe qualities
in ammonia. 1t is not food. 1t neu-
traliZes the acids of the gastric juice and
interferes with digestion. 1t is an irri-
tant IN its properties. and when taken
in large amounts its effects upon the di-
gestiOn is manifest By irritated dyspep-
sia. There has been much legislation
recently in favor of the publication of
our food products. 1t is just as wrong
to sell baking powder with ammonia in
it without so labelling it as to sell Oleo-
| margarine for butter. The American
stomach is abused enough voluntarily,
and it is high time to put a stop to the
| involuntary abuse of it by seeing that
| cur food products are absolutely pure
| and free from adulteratiOns. The pro-
posed measure before the Minnesota
legislature will do away with all false
pretenses. and people who buy baking
powder will know that it contains no ir-
ritant poison.
DR.. Talbot JOneS-I DO not care to ex-
! press any opinion at this time, but will
indorSe what | stated when formerly
interviewed. Ammonia is a dangerous
drug TO be used in any kind of human
food. Its tendency is to destroy the
| gastric juice, to cause catarrh OF the
stomach, TO reduce the blood and lead
TO other evils,
Dr.. ). w. Flagg i prefer not to dis
cuss the matter now, but I hold to the
opinion which l formerly gave, that
ammonia Is drug, q strong StTmulant.
the use of which in the daily bread or
food ought not under any circumstances
TO be tolerated. 1t has for MAN no nu-
/ trltiYe principle whatever. 1t may in
its primary form Serve to manure and
feed vegetable life, but in no form or
combination should il be forced back
upon nature in articles of nutrition.
Dr. Lee-AmmOnia is a poison and
cannot but produce harmful effects
when used in any way i'll food. 1t may
in some of its forms be evapOra1ed to a
/ cer,ain extent by the process OF baking,
/ but l do BOT think that that process
would modiFs the harm it may do as an
/ Ingredient OF baking powder. Still, tits
no more OF poison than many other
articles which are daily partaken of by
the large majority of people, such as to-
bacco. pickles. etc.
DR.. RitchIe-I think there is a great
deal of theoretical assumption and eX-
aggerated sentiment in regard to this
question Of ammonia. Briefly stated.
( ammonia is a poisonous drug. and if
taken in large quantities anu frequently
there Is no doubt that it would produce
very injurious effects. But as to the
exact extent OF harm that may result
from smaller quantities, or from it as it
Is contained in the various baking DOW
ders that are upon the market, am not
prepared TO say.
DR.. !. 3. Aneker-I do not know
much about the subject. having never
given it any great study. but l should
not like to eat much bread with great
quantity of ammonia in it. and if any of
my patients were using it, l would ad-
wise them 10 give 1t up.
Ammonia certainly is a poison. and il
used considerably, must be harmful. 1t
is an irritant, and will interfere with
proper stOmachIc condition.
DR.. McLaren-Ihere is no doubt that
much OF the evil resulting from eating
white bread is due 10 the presence of
ammonia and alum. One of the first
things done when treating a patient for
dyspepsia is generally to forbid the use
of white breads on that account. Am
/ mOnia, when taken constantly into
the system, Will produce dyspepsia
and attendant evils. | had no
idea until l saw some time ago a state
ment by Prof. Howard, of Cornell, that
/ ammonia was SO freely used in The
prominent baking powders as it is. [
thought it was used only by the inferior
grades. There should certainly be a
law compelling the labelling of baking
powders containing ammonia, as is done
in Europe.
DR.. j. II. Fulton-Ammonia is, as
every Que knows.a poison, and if largely
taken would be injurious. As to its
effect as a constituent of baking pow
der, | cannot speak positively, not hav-
ing given the question any study. Very
small quantities properly diluted might
not do any harm, but it is a question
Just how small the quantity would have
to be. The excessive use of it in bak-
ing powders should certainly be con-
demned, and it would be very wise to
enforce the labelling Of all baking DOW
ders that contain any portion of it what
/ ever.
I DR.. Wheaton was very busy when
called upon, but stopped long enough to
remark tnat ammonia certainly was q
dangerous poison, and if used exten-
sively could not but result very injuri-
ously. Its presence in food taken into
the human system would be very harm
| full.
DR.. A. E. Senkler-Ammonia is a vol
atile substance and evaporates in the
process of baking. | cannot see what
possible harm could therefore result
from It's being used as an ingredient Of
baking powders il used in small guam
titles. There are, it IS true, certain
forms Of ammonia not volatile, but that
which is used in baking powder is a
car Donate of ammonia and is very vol
atile. The process of evapor alton re-
moves any possibility of harm that
would otherwise result, as ammonia is
certainly poison, and if taken into the
system would be most Injurious.
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