The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-11-19
A MILLION A YEAR.

Lott cry and Prize schemes used to sell
Alum and Ammonia Baking Powders.
A New York concern, manufact-
urers Of an ammonia baking powder
boasts that its yearly profits are over
a million dollars. While perhaps,
none of the makers OF alum powders
individually can show so large earn
ings yet their profits are enormous.
A business so profitable, will al
ways attract to itself those whose
greed will cause them to utterly dis
regard 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 article
of attractive appearance, but Of
small Intrinsic value or cost Is given
with each purchase or q number Is
attached to the can which entities
the customer to q similarly number
ed article or to prize of some kind.
1t is i'm some such way as this that
the trade in alum and ammonia bak-
ing powders, which has now attained
such giant proportions and their
consumption by the public which
has reached an extent which is
truly alarming.
The highest authorities of all
countries condemn the use of alum
I'm bread without reserve. In America
the most distinguished physicians
chemists and hygenists have de-
clared that the traffic i'm alum bak-
ing powders should be suppressed
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 matter is
the use OF alum in bread or other
food is considerd to be, that most
stringent laws have been enacted to
prevent il. These laws are rigidly
enforced, and the sale OF alum bak-
ing powders would not be permitted
for an hour. Any one who attempt
ed to make them for use in food or
attempted to use them for raising
bread, biscuit or cake would suffer
severe penalties.
Inc III tutCts utfOH TIE SYSTEM ol
food raised by alum baking powders
are the more dangerous because OF
their insidious character 1t would
be less dangerous to the community
were il fatal at once, for then such
food would be avoided; but their
deleterious action because imper-
ceptible at first Is no less certain.
The puckeTing effect which alum
has when taken in the mouth IL
familiar to everyone. Physicians
say this same effect Is produced by
IL upon the delicate coats of the
stomach and intestines.
What housewife would take home
to her family can of alum or am
monia baking powder IL she knew IT.
Such powders not only undermine
the system, but il 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.
It is safe to discard all baking
powders sold with prize or gift.
What misnomer are the words,
Absolutely Pure" as applied to
baking powders. Two OF the largest
selling brands, one made from alum,
the other containing ammonia and
both Of these drugged baking pow
ders have stamped upon their labels
and circulars these words absolutely
pure, "a a matter OF fact they are
Absolutely Poor" as shown by
official examinations