New-York tribune., 1901-04-03
ALUM IN FOOD.
EXPERT TESTIMONY AS TO ITS INJURIOUS

EFFECTS
There Is before the Legislature of this State
bill prohibiting the sale of baking powders con-
tanning alum. There similar bills before sew
eral other State legislatures. One State at least.
Missouri. already has law prohibiting the manu-
facture or sale of alum baking powder. recent
attempt to repeal this law failed
The manufacturers Of alum baking powders. while
admitting that alum itself in food is harmful,
claim that the alum is largely dissipated by the
action of the heat during the process of baking.
number of the leading physicians Of this city
seen by a newspaper man and asked their
opinion the subject They all agree with
Victor c. Vaughan, Professor of Hygiene in the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; Professor
Russell H Chittenden. OF Yale University; Profess
sor John W. Malet. of the University OF Virginia:
G. NJ Sternberg. Surgeon-General of the United
States Army and other leading physicians chem
and hygienists, who recently testified upon this
subject before the Committee on Manufactures or
the United States Senate, that alum baking pow
ders are injurious.
DR.. William H. Thomson. president Of the Acad-
emy of Medicine, said: The use Of alum baking
powders is very injurious. I am positive Of this.
It has tendency especially TO produce tickets"
DR.. Abraham Jacob said: Alum baking powders
are harmful There is no doubt about it
DR.. George r Shrady said; alum used in food
IN any way is very deeterious- This is the opinion
of the medical profession"
DR. Louis F. Bishop. secretary Of the Academy Of
Medicine said: Bread made with alum baking
powder is almost certain to have alum in it.
often considerable quantities All admit that alum
in food is Injurious and the best authorities state
that bread made with alum is harmful even II
there is no alum left in the bread after baking,
the residue OF alum being ITSELF INJURIOUS OF oens
reconstructed into alum lnto tne stoInact ooiss-
quenty, physicians generally believe that the manu-
9ao,q59 and l. sale Of alum baking powder should be
DR.. George V. Foster. Of the New-York Hospital.
a famous specialist in wo-nen's diseases, said I
think that alum baking powder s bad-very bad
Of aldnl i1g' IL food even h snail QUANTITIES Would
in my opinion. be Injurious The effect would be
general nutrition as shown by the condition or the
Dr. Ralph Waldo. the noted surgeon. said: 7
think that alum baking powder ought not TO oe
Another wen known physician said: "A large
nuInPee or iea6ing & fnfIs'S i 5r anH Py - iS &
Even II there were cutie as many, or even a
who should state the contrary. sun the only SEN
the use Of alum baking powder In doubtful cases
take the safe course Alum in any form 10 be used
strongly suspected character. and should be treated
largely used and that their sale IS increasing every
gi15 st the diseases Which physicans Claim that
alum tends 10 cause large proportion OF the drugs
75 per cent? are aperents cathartlcs or alternatives
The fair DEDUCTION 70 be drawn from this 5act Is
OF the things which constipation, as all agree
that alum does. Constipation is one or the main
causes OF dyspepsia and its attendant train OF
thorties In the country on chiidrens diseases and
professor OF chudren's diseases in Cornell Univer-
sity. said: .If Professor Vaughan OF Ann Arbor
says that alum baking powders are INJURIOUS: and
What he says is practically certain 70 be correct
was sure OF his ground Alum is a powerful astrir-
gent 1t is simply impossible 70 introduce y INTO
%Hogt Io GnS GGnS m fba rSs2ve oTgaHs which in
turn brings on various other diseases"
DR.. Egbert lie Fevre. secretary Of the New-Yorl1
University expressed substantially the same
opinion.
School of Mines. the great chemist. said: This is
subject that has oeen H1c9 % I{ 5nHfsIsd.eo aiG
the general Impression among chemists and hy-
gienists that alum baking powder should not be
might eat bread made with alum baking powder
feot a hesth might be seriously injured BY it In
doubtful cases the stomach should always have the
alum baking powder. There are others cheap
BENZ harmful For that reason Would never al
low alum baking powder used in my house"
Health said Alum has two effects Firss it
renders the -four more dG i n12 20 b Ges ana
II dimnishes the flow OF gastric juice, the mud
Ia5 hG5 dges % in 5hf read feqey no and r 6nF
time. even in very minute quantities would prove
4 mass of, testimony has appearedI before the
Guiding the use food of injurious drugs. and
the sale of injurious articles to be used in food
naopie suer inrv 10 their health many OF whom
ment can furnish the best protection. and IN some
cases the only adequate protection against these
rnpositions: Unless each family employs chemist
and has each separate bottle or package OF
food material tested. IL IS impossible for them to
know whether the food or articles they buy to
use In food, are wholesome injurious, except
in those cases where the brand or name of the
manufacturer Is q guaranty OF purity
That there IS nothing more important 70 people
than their health goes without saying; conse-
quently 10 prevent the sale OF things injurious
health is among the most important duties Of legis
ators as we'll Of judicial and executive officers.
The people should demand that efficient laws FOR
the suppression of this evil be passed and that
thew be stringently enforced. II is be hoped
that the State legislatures will put upon the
statute books effective laws TO this end