The morning call., 1892-01-07
ADULTERANTs INBAKING POWDER
Ammonia and Alum Are the Principal
AduIterants Used.


San Pane .sco Pacific Medical Journal
To prove the presence Of ammonia in a baking
powder, a very simple but quite satisfactory test
may be made by any one over his own cooking
stove. Take a Tablespoonful Of the powder 10 be
tested aud dissolve Il IN a tablespoonful OF
ter place the solution over the fire and
stir il while heating. then introduce your nose
Into The cup. The resemblance to a bottle OF
aqua ammonia will, In many Instances, be very
impressive. To detect the presence Of alum
would require more critical analysis
Probably the most nearly perfect baking pow
der would be that composed of puie cream Of
tartar, biCa Donate OF soda aud starch. The
starch is a food the other tWOin.redleuts. when
united chemically IN the dough, would liberaIe
caTbonic acid gas aud leave no Objectionable
residue.
we might appropriately introduce here some
remarks on dyspepsia aud outline what, I'm our
opinion, Institutes one or It's prominent causes.
The extensive hold when disorders OF The
stomach nave secured upon the people Of AmerI-
ca has become proven bal; so much so that dys-
| pepsla las Deen designated by some as the
american disease. il may be met with all over
/ our great country, In almost every household,
and Is becoming more prevalent day by day. Ii
IS a disease OF civilization, and largely Of modern
civilization Tie geological factors which nj ght
enter In % a treatise Oh the subject are numeT-
GUS but the actual effects of many often very IN
| definite. No one, n TACT has yet satisfactorily
/ accounted for the great prevalence Of dyspepsia
! IN America.
But while numerically these causes NAV he
great, IL IS 3t Tie time tue that thOse exert
Ing any significant Influence are comparatively
! few. Without attempting 10 mention Them ALL
there Is one particularly which has been slowly,
insidi0usly. set none The less dangerously, eK-
eItng It's Influence, and 70 which the attention
Of The medical profession has not yet been care
fully drawn. We refer 10 the constant iutrOduC-
ton through the food, into The stomach OF
ammonia.
II auy one Will take the pains TO study the
modern history Of dyspepsia, lie VIII soon dis
cover that its march OF progress has been con
tcmpOrdn Gus with tie Introduction and use Of
baking powders The consumption OF this
article has become enormous. No pantry to-day
Is without II. Mol every brand, however, f. i'm
puIe. There are one or two worthy exceptions;
but many Of them are contaminated aud The
most deleteTlOus substance 10 be found In any Is
ammonia.
This ammonia Introduced into the dough IS
NOT all set free by heating. According TO Prof.
/ huRdtd, University OF California, 90 he ammou ia
/ may not assume the gaseous state further than
Goes the water Itself, OF which it slightly lowers
/ The boiling point; when present In large prOpor-
! llon Tie ammonia gas itself viii aid In The in
/ nation OF the dough. biscuit hastily baked
| may have lost only from 10 to 20 per cent OF the
| total amount introduced into the baking powder.
! AFTER cooling the carbonlc gas contained In the
! bread cells gradually diffuSes and is replaced
| by air In The course OF time; while the ammOnl a
remains Ia absorption Or solution in the water OF
| the bread, TecOmblned Into Carbonate"
So much FOR the presence Of ammonia IN some
| OF the popular brands OF baking powder now on
! the market and for its retention In the bread.
| Now what are some OF its effects BarthOlow,
CHASING IL among the agents That increase waste
! SAYS: "Iue lOng-c0nilnueQ use OF ammonia i'm.
pairs digestion by neuIraZing The gastric Juice
Increased waste. Of tissue Is also one result OIL
| Its admiuisTa. Ion, manifested by DaOr, emacia-
| ton aud feebleness. When introduced into the
| food in sufficient quantity It damages the stIuc.
| ture OF The red blood gObules, and In this way
also IL affects the nutrition OF the body, beside,
! The action which IL has in common with The
other articles, Of Increasing he rate Of waste OF
TetrOgf ade metamOrphosis." This question re-
gatdlng the effect OF ammonia upon the human
! economy IS one upon which authorities do moi
Hnt pf t4Va 4
! physician Is IN accord With the assertion OF au
! thOritles. The agent Is a drug. not food al
| e1cfemeni, not a nutTimeut. The amount re-
! celved by the system through these means
while mol great al any particular time and moi
/ suihclent TO prove Injurious, becomes both gTea
| aud deletrrOus by being continuous. Physicians
owe II 10 their patients and 10 the people gen
/ orally 10 Inform themselves regarding this nat
! ter, ana without Far or favor uuqualiiedly L
! condemn injurious preparations; add The various
boards OF lie attn throughout the State IN dealing
! with The question OF food aduteratiOns would
! do the people great service 10 look well 10 ths
! brands OF baking powders containing Ammonia
and other injurious Ingredients