The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-09-22
ALUM BAKING POWDERS IN
CONGRESS.
Report That Evidence of Their
Harmfulness II Overwhelming.

The committee ON manufactures Of
the senate were some time ago directed
to investigate food authorizations, and
accumulated volume of testimony up
on the subject from the best informed
parties and highest scientific authOri-
ties in the country.
One of the greatest sources of danger
to our foods, the committee state In
their report, exists in alum baking pow
ders. The committee found the testi-
mony, they say, overwhelmingly con-
demnatory of the use of alum in bak-
ing powders, and recommended that
such use be prohibited by law.
Senator Mason, discussing in the SEN
ate 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 simply overwhelming.
I do not care how big lobby there may
be here for the alum baking powder. l
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 evil
dence 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 will read the evidence, some of
the physicians say they can trace cases
in their own practice-there are dis
eases 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 degree
that there will not be residuum left
, of alum, which produces alumina, and
which contributes largely to the dis
eases of the people In this country.
81 want to give the senate an idea Of
the class of men we have called. They
are the leading scientists. from every
could get hold Of"
Senator Mason, from long list o1
+ scientists who had testified as to thu
hurtfulness of alum baking powders
and as to the healthfulness Of cream o
. tartar powders, mentioned the follow
ing:
Appleton, John Howard, professor o
:, chemistry, Brown University, Provl
dence, R. I.
Arnold. ]. w. s., professor, Univel
sity of New York.
Atwater, w. O., professor and diret
. tor. government experimental station
Washington, d. G.
g Barker, George F., professor, Univel
sity of Pennsylvania.
l. Caldwell, G. c., professor, Cornel
II University, Ithica, N. Y.
Chandler, G. F., professor, Columbi
University, New York.
\ Chittenden, Russell H., professo
Yale University, New Haven. Conn.
Y Cornwall, H. B., professor, Unive
4 sity of Princeton, New Jersey.
!. Champion, c. A., professor, Divisio
g g of chemistry, Washington, D. G.
u Fairhurst Alfred, professor, chemis
9 University Of Kentucky, Lexington, X.
Frear, William, professor, State Co
lege, Pennsylvania.
Jenkins, Edward H., professor, d
partment of agriculture, state OF Col
\ necticut. t
d johnson, s. W.. professor. Yale Co
lego, New Haven, Conn.
Mallet, John William, professor, Un
versity Of Virginia.
New. w. M, professor, Army an
= Medical Department, United States go
y ernment.
Morton, Henry, president OF Steve'
Institute, Hoboken, N. J.
= Munroe, Charles Edward, profess'