The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-08-15
A MILLION A YEAR.

Lottery and Prize Schemes Used to
Sell Alum and Ammonia Baking
Powders.
A New York concern, manufacturers
of an ammonia baking powder boasts
that it's yearly profits are over a mil
lion dollars. While perhaps, none OF
the makers of alum powders individ-
ually can show so 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 have
upon the health or life of others.
Alum bakingpowders are introduced
largely by gifts, prizes and lottery
schemes. A piece of glassware or
china, q child's wagon, sled a pewter
spoon or some other article of attrac-
tive appearance, but of sm%allintrinsic
value or cost is given with each pur-
chase or a 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
now attained such giant proportions
and their consumption by the public
which has reached an extent which il
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
h~ygienists have declared thatthe traf-
fc in alum baking powders should be
suppressed by law. In England and
France where the subject ofpure food,
and it's effects upon the system, has
been more fully considered and made
the subject of extended experiments
by the scientists, so serious q 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 arerigdly en-
forced, and the sale OF alum bakingpow-
ders would not be permitted for an
hour. Any mi who attempted to
make them for use infood, 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 avoided; but their deleterious
action becausei mperceptible at frstis
no less certain.
The %puckering effect which alum has
when taken in the mouth is familiar
to everyone. Physicians saythis same
effect is produced by it upon the deli.
cate coats OF the stomach and mites.
tines.
What housewife would take home
to her family a 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 sallov
and blotched appearance.
1t is safe to discard all baking pow
ders sold with a prize or gift.
What a 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, al
a matterof fact they r absolutely
Poor" as shown by official examina'
tons.