Holbrook argus. (Holbrook, Ariz.) 1900-1913, 1900-09-08
ALUM BAKING POWDERS IN CON-
GRESS
Report that Evidence Of Their Harmful
ness is Overwhelming.

6nClnC III In0 country.
One of the greatest sources of dan
ger to our foods, the Committee state
in their report, exists in alum baking
powders. The Committee found the
the testimony, they say, OVerWhelm-
ingly condemnatory of the use of alum
in baking powders, and recommended
that such use be prohibited by law.
Senator Mason, discussing in the
Senate the report of the. Committee
and the several bills introduced to
carry the recommendations of the
Committee into effect, said:
When we made this report we made
it based on the evidence before us,
and the evidence is siply overwhelm-
ing. l do not care how big a lobby
there may be here for the alum baking
powder do not care how many me-
MORALS 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 and scientists of this country
is that it is absolutely unfit TO go into
human food, and that in many cases
if the gentlemen will read the evil
dence, some OF the physicians say they
can trace cases in their own practice
there are diseases of the kidney due
TO the perpetual use of alum in their
daily bread.
When you mix mineral poison as
they all say that alum is, it is impos-
sible to mix it always to such 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.
1 want to give the Senate an idea
of the class of men We have called.
They are the leading scientists from
every college of the United States that
we could get hold of.
Senator Mason, from a long list of
scientists who had testified as to the
hurtfulnesS of alum baking powders,
and as to the healthfulness of cream of
tartar powders, mentioned the follow
ing:
Appleton, John Howard, professor
of chemistry, Brown University, Prov
idence, R. 1.
Arnold, ]. w. S., professor, Univer-
sity of New York.
Atwater, w. O., professor and di-
rector, Government Experiment Sta
ton, Washington, D. G.
Barker, George F., professor, Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
Caldwell, G. c., professor, Cornell
University Ithaca, N. Y.
Chandler, G. F., professor, Columbia
University, New York.
Cnittenden, Russell H., professor,
Yale University, New Havan, Conn.
Cornwall, H. B., professor, Univer-
sity of Princeton, New Jersey.
Champion, C. A, professor, Division
of Chemistry, Washington, D. c.
Fairhurst, Alfred, professor, chem
list, University of Kentucky, Lexing-
ton, KY.
Frear, William, professor, State Col
lege, Pennsylvania.
: jenkins, Edward H, professor, de-
| partment of agriculture, State of Con-
| necticut.
johnson, s. W., professor, Yale Col
lege, New Haven, Conn.
Mallet, John William, professor,
t University of Virginia.
l New, W. NJ, professor, Army and
: Medical Department, United States
=. Government.
p Morton, Henry, president Of Stevens
Institute Hoboken, N. ].
Munroe, Charles Edward, professor
of Chemistry, Columbian University
Washington, D. c.
: Prescott, Albert B., professor, Uni
d versity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich
p Price, A. F., medical director, United
), States Naval Hospital, Washington
D. G.
Smart, Charles, ieutenant-colonel
), assistant surgeon-general, United
Il States Army.
s Sternberg, George NJ, Surgeon-Gen
l. eral, United States Army, Washington
e D. c.
= Tucker, Willis G., professor o.
q chemistry and chemist of State Boart
: of Health, State of New York.
u u Vaughan, Victor c., professor, Uni
" versity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich
g Van Reypen, w. K, Surgeon-Gen
q eral, United States Navy, Washington
l. D. c.
d Wiley, Prof. H. W., Chief Chemist
a Department of Agriculture, United
70 States, Washington, D. C.
! Wyman, Walter, Surgeon-Genera
-. United States Marine Hospital, Wash
II ington, D. c.
III Mr.. Pettrigrew: Was there any ties
~ timony which showed that there wer
j. cases of injury to health as a result
r of constant use of alum?
a. Mr.. Mason: Yes; 1 can turn you t.
H. the testimony.
Mr.. Pettigrew: 1 do not care t.
1. nave the OendIOr LurH 10 II. L Slmpl
~ want to emphasize the point. 1 agre
It with the Senator. 1t has always bee
as my own impression that alum baktn
powder is injurious, but 1 wanted
bring it out and make it emphatic,
the proof sustains that position.
es Mr.. Mason: 1 quite agree with tn
ut Senator. 1t is claimed mat there
be not a country in Europe that does nc
,s prohibit the use of alum. Certainl
dc three or four of the leading countie
=. of Europe to which 1 have had 10
- attention called prohibit the use
NC alum in baking powder.
OF Mr.. Pettigrew: Did the chemis
IL who came before the Committee, thes
sh professors, generally testify-was
ce the result of their evidence-that IL
IT. cream Of tartar baking powder
re- healthy and does not leave residuu
al which is injurious to health?
90 Mr.. Mason: Yes; I say emphati
ally, yes; that the weight of the ev
dence is, that whenever any of the
distinguished men, who have a n
oa tional reputation, the leading chemis
W of the colleges, were Intercepted upc