The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-01-23
A MILLION A YEAR.
Lottery and Prize Schemes Used to Sell
Alum and Ammonia BAKING Powders.

h<o'IeTy ana ff1xe Schemrh Useu tO Bell
Alum and Ammonia BAKING Powders.
A New York concern, manufacturers OF
an ammonia baking powder, boasts that
its yearly profits are over "a million dol
lars. While, perhaps, none of the max
ers of alum powders individually can
show so large earnings, yet their profits
are enormous.
A business SO profitable will always at
tract to itself those whose greed will
cause them to utterly disregard the eff
feet their traffic may have upon the
health or life Of others.
! Alum baking powders are introduced
largely by gifts, prizes, and lottery
schemes. !. piece Of glassware or china,
Il child's wagon, sled. Il pewter spoon, or
some other article of attractive appear
ancc but of small intrinsic value or cost.
is given with each purchase, or Il mum
Der is attached to the can which entities
the customer to Il similarly numbered ar.
tiClc, or to It 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 sucn giant pro
portions. and their consumption by the
. public, whch 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
hygienit Is have declared that the traffic
in alum baking powders should he sup
pressed 10y law. In England and France
where the subject Of pure food and Its
effect upon the system has been moro
fully considered and made the subject OF
extended experiments by the scientists
50 serious Il matter is the use Of alum il
bread or other food considered to bt
that most stringent laws have been en-
forced and the sale of alum baking pow
ders would rot be permitted for an hour
Anyone who attempted to make then
for raising bread, biscuit, or cake woult
suffer severe penalties.
The i'll effects upon the system of foo(
raised by alum baking powders are TIT
more dangerous because Of the inSidiou
character. 1t would be less dangerous Il
the community were It fatal at once, 70
then such food would be avoided; bu
their deleterious action because imper
ceptible at first is no less certain.
The puckering effect which alum ha
when taken in the mouth is familiar {
everyone. Physicians say this same IF
feet is produced by it upon the deIicat
coats of the stomach and intcstines.
What housewife would take home I
her family a can of alum or amrn0ni
baking powder if she knew 1t. sue
powders not only undermine the system
but it is pointed out that ammonl
taken into the system III even iniinetis
mai doses day after day. imparts to tn
3, complexion "a sallow and bIotched az
pearancc.
1t is safe to discard all baking pow
ders sold with a prize or gift.
r What a misnomer are the words M
) solutcly Pure as applied to bakin
powders two Of the largest selling brand
one made from alum, the other contain
| ing ammonia and both Of these druggc
baking powders have stamped upon the
labels and circulars these words abs'
lutcly pure, as a matter Of fact they al
= absolutely Poor as shown 10y oi'icii
examinations.