Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-08-14
A MILLION A YEAR.
Lottery and Prize Schemes Used to
Sell Alum and Ammonia Baking
Powders

Lottery and Prize Schemes Used to
Sell Alum and Ammonia Baking
Powders.
A New York concern, manufacturers
of an ammonia baking powder boasts
that its yearly profits are over mil
lion dollars. While perhaps, none of
the makers of alum powders individ-
ually can show 80 large earnings yet
their profits are enormous.
A business so profitable, will al
ways attract to itself those whose
greed will cause them to utterly disre.
gard the effect their traffic may haYe
upon the health or life of others.
Alum bakingpowders are introduced
largely by gifts, prizes and lottery
schemes. A piece of glassware or
china, child's wagon, sled a pewter
spoon or some other article of attrac-
tive appearance, but of small intrinsic
value or cost is given with each pur-
chase or number is attached to the
can which entities the customer to a
similarly numbered article or to a
prize of some kind. 1t is in some such
way as this that the trade in alum and
ammonia baking powders, which has
SOW attained such giant proportions
and their consumption by the public
which has reached an extent which is
truly alarming.
The highest authorities of all coun-
tries condemn the use of alum in bread
without reserve. In America the most
distinguished physicians, chemists and
hygienists have declared that the traf-
fic in alum baking powders should be
suppressed by law. In England and
France where the subject ofpure food,
and its effects upon the system, has
been more fully considered and made
the subject of extended experiments
by the scientists, 80 serious a matter
is the use OF alum in bread or other
food considered to be, that most
stringent laws have been enacted to
prevent it. These laws arerigldly en-
forced, and the sale OF alum bakingpow-
ders would not be permitted for an
hour. Any one who attempted to
make them for use in food, or attempt
to use them for raising bread, biscuit
or cake would suffer severe penalties.
The ill effect upon the system of
food raised by alum baking powders
are the more dangerous because of
their insidious character. 1t would be
less dangerous to the community were
it fatal at once, for then such food
would be eavoided; but their deleterious
action because imperceptible at frstis
no less certain.
Tho puckering effect which alum has
when taken in the mouth is familiar
to everyone. Physicians say this same
effect is produced by it upon the deli
cate coats of the stomach and intes-
tines.
What housewife would take home
to her family can of alum or am
monia baking powder if she knew it.
Such powders not only undermine the
system, but it is pointed out that
ammonia taken into the system in
even infinetisimal doses day after day,
imparts to the complexion a sallow
and blotched appearance.
1t is safe to discard all baking pow
ders sold with prize or gift.
What misnomer are the words
Absolutely Pure" as applied to bak-
ing powders two of the largest selling
brands, one made from alum, the
other containing ammonia and both
of these drugged baking powders have
stamped upon their labels and cir
culars these words absolutely pure, a.
a matterof fact they are absolutely
Poor" a. shown by official sxamina-
tions.