FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 367 



purity and wliolesomeness of which are of first importance to the community, 

 should be manipulated and treated with foreign substances, the utility of which, 

 from the point of view of the consunier. is more than questionable." 



On the presence of calcium sulphate in baking powder and self-raising 

 flour, J. M. Hamill (Rpts. Local Govt. Bd. [Gt. Brit.\, Pub. Health and Med. 

 Subjs., n. ser., 1911, No. .'f6, pp. 16; rev. in Brit. Med. Jour., IDll, No. 262.'i, pp. 

 881, 882). — The data discussed and experiments reported have to do chiefly with 

 the presence of calcium sulphate iu baking powders and self-raising flour in 

 Great Britain. 



According to the author's conclusions, " acid calcium phosphate of the lowest 

 commercial quality containing large proportions of calcium sulphate as an im- 

 purity is used to a considerable extent by makers of self-raising flour, confec- 

 tioners, wholesale cake makers, etc. Less commonly this low-grade phosphate 

 is an ingredient of baking powders sold as such to the public. Where the 

 maker concerned buys his acid i)hosphate as such, and selects the lowest grade 

 as the cheapest, he may obtain a slight additional profit from its employment, 

 which, however, may be counterbalanced by the lower efficiency of the article. 

 It does not appear that the consumer derives any benefit ; on the contrary, he 

 is liable to be prejudiced by the use of this material. . . . 



" If acid phosphates of relatively low commercial quality and purity are used 

 iu food prepai'ation, the interests of the majority of the traders concerned, as 

 well as those of the public, would be served by the existence of an untlerstand- 

 ing as to the degree of impurity which should entail their rejection as food in- 

 gredients." 



A number of recommendations are made which would lead to improved con- 

 ditions. 



Appended to the paper is a report by C H. Cribb on the alleged utility of 

 calcium sulphate in " phosphate " baking powders. From a consideration of 

 the data presented the author concludes that " the presence of much calcium 

 sulphate in the residue left by the powder after it has done its work in the loaf 

 seems to be unavoidable. The statement that it is converted into the easily 

 soluble sodium sulphate is not borne out by experiment. A portion of a loaf 

 baked with a powder containing pure acid calcium phosphate, calcium sulphate, 

 and sodium bicarbonate far iu excess of the neutralizing power of the phos- 

 phate, was dried, very finely powdered, and shaken up with chloroform. A 

 heavy sediment of mineral matter was obtained which contained no calcium 

 carbonate, and in which only I of the total combined sulphuric acid was 

 present as sodium sulphate. 



" To whatever extent the formation of sodium sulphate may occur during 

 baking, the ultimate fate of the combined sulphuric acid is to be reconverted 

 once more into calcium sulphate when it reaches the stomach. A mixture of 

 tri-calcium phosphate, sodium sulphate and excess of dilute hydrochloric acid 

 of the strength of the gastric juice, after standing for a short time, was found 

 to contain a residue insoluble in strong acid and consisting, as would be ex- 

 pected, entirely of calcium sulphate." 



Nutrition investigations on the carbohydrates of lichens, algae, and re- 

 lated substances, Mary D. Swaetz (Trans. Conn. Acad. Arts and ^8ci., 16 

 (1911), pp. 2^^7-382). — The investigations reported have been noted from a 

 summary previously published (E. S. R., 24, p. .S67). 



Experimental studies of the preservation of horse meat by low tempera- 

 ture and its use as food, A. Costa and N. Mori (Clin. Vet. [Milan], Sez. 

 Prat., 33 (1910), Nos. 50, pp. 793-797; 51, pp. 809-813; 52, pp. 830-832) .—Ex- 

 perimental studies are reported and discussed. 



