The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-30
ALUM BAKING POWDERS
IN CONGRESS.
Senate Committee Report That the
Evidence of Their Harmful
ness Is Overwhelming.
Efforts to Pass Pure Food Laws Opposed
by the Alum Trust-Speech Of
Senator Mason.

Senator Mason's speech in the senate
ur,on the subject of pure food embraces
a 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 accumu-
lated a 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 in alum baking
powders. The committee found the tes-
timony, they say, overwhelmingly con-
demnatory of the use of alum in baking
powders and recommend that such use
be prohibited by law.
Senator Mason, discussing the report
c. the committee and the several bills
introduced to carry the recommended
tons 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
the evidence is simply overwhelming. I
| do not care how big a lobby there may
| be here for the alum baking powder,
I do not care how many memorials
| they publish, there is no place in the
! human economy Of human food for this
/ thing called alum. The Overwhelming
| evidence of the leading physicians and
! scientists of this country is that it is
| absolutely unfit to go into human food,
and that in many cases-if the gentle
| man viii 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. want to
! give the senate an idea of the class OF
! men we have called. They are the lead
ing scientists 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 tartar is a pure,
natural, healthy food product. It is a
product of the grape, and when it is
put in solution in the bread with soda,
if there is residuum left 1t does not
hurt the stomach, and it does not go
into nor injure the brain OF the blood
OF 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 de-
gree that there will not be a residuum
left Of alum, which produces alumina
and which contributes largely to the
diseases of the people in this country.
| I 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 I have not all the names.
simply asked my stenographer to go
through hastily and give me those that
could be found readily out of 700 or 500
pages of evidence there:
GREAT SCIENTISTS TESTIFY COM
DEFINING ALUM.
Ames Howard E.. surgeon, United
States Navy. Washington, D. c.
Appleton, John Howard, professor of
chemistry, Brown University, Provi-
: Army, United States, refuses to allow
the use of alum in anything like a 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. Q.
Barker, George F., professor, Universe
| ty of Pennsylvania.
Busey, S. c., professor, Washington
| D. c.
Caldwell, G. c., professor, Cornell
2 University, Ithaca, N. Y.
Chandler, c. F., professor, Columbis
University, New York
Chittenden, Russell H, professor, Y ale
University, New Haven, Conn.
Cornwall, H. b, professor, University
D of Princeton, New Jersey.
Champion, c. A, professor, Division
of Chemistry, Washington, D. c.
Cuthbert, DR.. M. F., physician, Wash
ingtOn, D. c.
De Schweinitz, Emile, professor
y United States Department Of Agricul
ture, Washington, D. Q.
: Fairhurst Alfred, professor, chemist
University Of Kentucky, Lexington
h KY.
8 Fleming, Walter NJ, physician. New
Frear, William, professor State Col
" lege, Pennsylvania.
= Freeman, George F, surgeon, Unite
States Naval Hospital, Washington
i Jenkins, Edward H, professor, de
lie partment of agriculture, STATE of Con
necticut.
2 ton, D. G.
= johnson. Joseph Taber, professor c
- surgery, Washington, D. G.
Johnson, s. w, professor, Yale Col
/ lege, New Haven, Conn.
= Kerr. DR.. William r., ex-health off
re Ger, Chicago, Ill.
Mallet, John William. professor. Uni
versity Of Virginia.
sr The Marine Hospital Service rejec
he in their rules all alum baking powder
4 or any food containing alum. 1t is
drug, and no chemist has ever testifie
that in any food that goes into tn
n stomach of any animal the particle
as that form alum are found 1t is
r. poison. and it is SO testified to by ever
a one of these witnesses, some in on
form and some in another
NeMurtrie, William. professor, cor
lr sulting and analytical chemist.
tx New. w. NJ, professor, Army an
j. Medical Department, United Stats
m Government.
he Morton, Henry, president of Steven
Institute, HO0oken, N. J.
Munr0e, Charles Edward, professor
4. chemistry, Columbian University, WASH
ington D. c.
O. Mott. Henry A, professor, New Yor
City.
The United States Navy refuses, VI
al der the direction of the Surgeon Genel
m al, to have alum used in any of the pre-
- ducts that go into the food of the me
o. Of the Navy.
lis Prescott. Albert B., professor, Tn