Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-10-17
A MILLION A YEAR.
Lottery and Prize schemes used ia
sell Alum and Ammonia Baking
Powders.

A New York concern, manufac-
turers of an ammonia baking pow
der, boasts that its yearly profits
are over million dollars. While,
perhaps, none of the makers of
alum powders individually 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
disregard the effect their traffic may
have upon the health or life Of
others.
Alum baking powders are intro
duced largely by gifts, prizes and
lottery schemes. A piece of glass
ware or china, a child 's.wagon, sled,
pewter spoon or some other arti--
Gle Of attractive appearance, but Of
small intrinsic value or cost, is CIV,
en- with each purchase or number
is attached to the can which entities
1.-THE customer to a similarly num-
bered article or to a prize of some
kind. tbs in some such way as
this that the trade in alum and ann.
monia baking powders, which has
now attained such giant proportions
and their consumption by the pub
lie which has reached an extent
that is truly alarming.
The highest authorities of all
countries condemn the use of alum
in bread without reserve. In Amer
lea the most distinguished physic-
ians, chemists and hygienists have
declared that the traffic in alum
baking powders should be SUPPRESS
ed by law In England and France
where the subject of pure food, and
its effect upon the system, has been
more fully considered and made
the subject of extended experiments
by the scientists, so serious a mat
ter is the use of alum in bread or
other food considered to be, that
the most stringent laws have been
enacted to prevent it. These laws
are rigidly enforced, and the sale of
alum baking powders would not be
permitted for an hour. Any one
who attempted to make them for
use in food, or attempted to use
them for raising bread, biscuit or
cake would suffer severe penalties.
The i'll effects upon the system of
food raised by alum baking pow
ders are the more dangerous because
of their insidious character. 1t
would te less dangerous to the COM
munjty were it fatal at once, for
ther such food would be avoided
br their deleterious action because
J .perceptible at first is no less GER
lin.
The pickering effect which alum
has when taken into the mouth is
familiar to everyone. Physicians
say this same effect is produced by
it upon the delicate coats of the
stomach and intestines.
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 under
mine the system, but it is pointed
out that ammonia taken into the
system in even infnetisimal doses
day after day, imparts to the COM
plexion a sallow and blotched APP
pearance.
1t is safe to discard all baking
powders sold with a prize or gift.
What misnomer are the words
"a bsolutely Pure" as applied to
baking powders. Two of the larg-
est selling brands, one made from
alum, the other containing ammo
MIA, and both of these drugged
baking powders have stamped upon
their labels and circulars these
words absolutely pure, as a matter
of fact they are absolutely Poor"
as shown by official examinations.