Evening journal., 1900-06-12
ALUM BAKING
POWDERS IN
CONGRESS
Senate Committee Report That The
Evidence Of Their IIarmiulnCSS
is Overwhelming
Efforts 10 Pass Pure Food Laws Opposed
by the Alum TruSt-..Spcech
Of Senator Mason

vi hthutVl MunVN
Senator Mason's speech in the Senate
upon the subject Of pure food embraces
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 adulterations. and at numerous
sessions in the principal cities accumu-
lated 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
testimony, they say. overwhelmingly
ccndemnatory of the use OF alum in
baking powders. and recommend that
such use be prohibited by law.
Senator Mason, discussing the report
Of the committee and the several bills
introduced TO carry the recOmmenda-
ticns Of the committee into effect, said
ALUM ABSOLUTELY UNFIT FOR
FOOD.
When we made this report we made
u based on the evidence before us. and
the evidence is simply overwhelming.
do not care how big a lobby there
may be here for the alum baking pow
der. do not care how many memorialsI
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 II isl
absolutely unfit to so into human food,
ana that ln many casos-if the gen.
tleman will read the evidence, some Of
the physicians say they can trace cases.
In their own practice-there are dis
eases of the kidneys due TO the per-
petual use OF alum In their daily bread
/ want to give the Senate an idea ofl
the class of men we have called. They
are the leading scientists from everyl
college Of the United States that we
could get hold of. We had open doors, |
and no witness ever came before thatl
committee in the twelve months we
We're hearing evidence but who was
permitted to testify.
The leading physicians Of the world
say that cream of tartar is a pure, natu-
raj, healthy food product. Il Is a pro-
duct of the grape, and when it is put
in solution in the bread with soda, i'll
there is a rcsiduum left IL does not
hurt the stomach. and it does not go
into nor iniure the brain or the blood
or the kidneys.
ALUM A MINERAL POISON.
When you mix mineral poison, as
they all say that alum is, 1t is imp0ssi-
bic to mix it always to such a degree
that there will not be a residuum left
OF alum, which produces alumina and
which contributes largely to the dis
eases Of the people in this country.
l will tell you now of the men whose
evidence came before the committee
who condemned the use of alum bak-
ing powder, some in one language and
some in another. / have not all the
names. / simply asked my stenogra-
pher to go through hastily and give me
those that could be found readily out
Of zoo or 500 pages Of evidence there:
GREAT SCIENTISTS TESTIFY con-
DEMNING ALUM.
Ames, Howard f.. surgeon. United
States Navy, Washington, ID. c.
Appleton, John Howard, professor of
chemistry, Brown University, Provi-
ience, r. /.
Army, United States. refuses to allow
The use Of alum In anything Ikea food
product in the United States Army.
Arnold. J. w. s., professor, Univer-
sity Of New York.
Nfuratrrs w n r.rofr.-c,r avI Ifr.s /
tor Government experimental station,
ID. c.
Barker George F., professor, Univcr-
iity of Pennsylvania.
Busey, S. c., professor, Washington, I
D. c. s
Caldwell. G. c., professor, Cornell J
University, Ithaca, n. Y. d
Chandler G. f., professor, Columbia
University, New York.
Chittenden, Russell H., professor,
Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Q
Cornwall, Ii. b., professor, University
If Princeton. New Jersey.
Champion, c. A., professor, Division
If Chemistry, Washington. ID. c.
Cuthbert, DR.. NJ. f., physician, Wash
ngton, ID. C.
De Schweinitz. Emile, professor, I;
United States Department of Agricul-
ure, Washington. ID. c.
Fairhurst, Alfred. professor, chemist,
University Of Kentucky, Lexington1 ,
Sy n
Fleming. Walter NJ, physician, New q
fork City n
Frear William, professor, State Col a
ege. Pennsylvania. S
Freeman. George F., surgeon. United e
states Naval Hospital, Washington, ID.
:.
jenkins, Edward H., professor, de- a