Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-02

SENATE COMMITTEES REPORT THAT
THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR
HARMFULNESS Is OVER
WHELMING.


Senator Nason's speech in the Sem
ate upon the subject of pure food en-
braces clear statement of the danger
to which the public health is exposed
from alum baking powders.
The Committee on Manufactures were
some time ago directed to investigate
food authorizations, and at numerous
sessions in the principal cities accam-
ulated volume of testimony upon the
subject from the best informed parties
and highest scientific authorities in
the country.
One of the greatest sources of danger
to our foods, the Committee stated in
their report, exists iii alum baking
powders. The Committee found the
testimony, they say, overwhelmingly
condemnatory of the use of alum in
baking powders, and recommended that
such use be prohibited by law.
Senator Mason, discussing the report
of the Committee and the several bills
introduced to carry the recommends
lions of the Committee into effect,
said:
Alum Absolutely Unfit for Food.
When we made this report we made
it based on the evidence before us, and
i the evidence is simply overwhelming.
I do not care how big a lobby there
may be here for the alum baking pow
der, do not care how many memoir
ials they publish, there is no place in
the human economy of human food for
this thing called alum The over
whelming evidence of the leading ply
sicians AID scientists of this country
is that it is absolutely unfit to go into
human food, and that in many cases
if the gentleman will read the evidence,
some of the physicians say they can
trace cases in their own practice
there are diseases Of the kidneys due
to the perpetual use of alum in their
daily bread. l want to give the Sen
ate an idea of the class of men we
have caned. They are the leading sci
entists from every college of the United
States that we could get hold of. We
had open doors, and no witness ever
came before that Committee in the
twelve months we were hearing evil
dence but who was permitted to testify.
The leading physicians of the world
say that cream of tarter is a pure,
natural healthy food product. 1t is
product of the grape, and when it is
put in solution in the bread with soda,
If there is a residuum left it does not
hurt the stomach, and it. does not go
into nor injure the brain or the blood
or the kidneys.
Alum a Mineral Poison.
When you mix a mineral poison, as
they all say that alum is, it is impos-
sible to mix it always to such a degree
will mr. hn 1oPt
of alum, which produces alumina and
which contributes largely to the dis
eases of the people in this country
| will tell you now Of the men whose
evidence came before the Committee
who condemned the use OF alum baking
powder, some in one language and some
in another. | have not all the names.
l simply asked my stenographer to go
through hastily and give me those that
could be found readily out of 700 or
800 pages of evidence there:
Great Scientists Testify Condemn
Ing Alum.
Ames, Howard E., surgeon, United
States Navy, Washington, D. c.
Appleton, John Howard, professor of
chemistry, Brown University, Provi-
dence, R. l.
Army, United States, refuses to allow
the use of alum in anything like food
product in the United States Army
Arnold, J. W. S., professor, University
of New York.
Atwater, w. O.. professor and direc-
tor Government experimental station,
Washington, D. c.
Barker, Geoge F., professor, Univers-
ity of PENNSYLVANIA.
Busey, S. c., professor, Washington,
D. c.
Caldwell, G. c., professor, Cornell Uni
versity, Ithaca, N. Y.
Chandler, G. F., professor, Columbia
| University, New York.
Chittenden, Russell H., professor
Yale University, New Haven, Conn
Cornwall, H. B., professor, University
of Princeton, New Jersey.
Champion, c. A, professor, Division
of Chemistry, Washington, D. G.
Cuthbert, DR.. NJ. F., physician, Wash
| ington, D. c.
De SchweinitZ, Emile, professor, Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. G.
Fairhurst, Alfred, professor, chemist,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Fleming, Walter NJ, physician, New
York City.
Frear, William, professor, State Col
lege, Pennsylvania.
Freeman, George F., surgeon, United
States Naval Hospital, Washington, D.
&c.
Jenkins, Edward H., professor, de-
partment of agriculture, State of Con-
necticut.
Johnston. Dr. William W., Washing
ton, d. c.
Johnson, Joseph Taber, professor of
surgery, Washington, D. C.
Johnson, S. w, professor, Yale Col
lege, New Haven, Conn.
Kerr, DR.. William R., ex-health officer,
Chicago, Ill.
Mallet, John William, professor, Uni
versity of Virginia
The Marine Hospital Service reject in
their rules all alum baking powders or
any food containing alum. 1t is drug.
and no chemist has ever testified that in
any food that goes into the stomach of
any animal the particles that form alum
are found. 1t is a poison, and it is so
testified to by every one of these wit
nesses, some in one form and some in
another
McMurtrie, William, professor, con-
sulting and analytical chemist.
New, w. NJ, professor, Army and
Medical Department. United States Gov