Proci:edings of tee Farmers' Club. 491 



had been experienced from the use of Frof Horsford's well-known 

 baking powders. Of these letters some were so abusive and personal 

 as to be nnworthy of notice, while others were evidently written by 

 persons sincere in their strictures, but with little knowledge of chemi- 

 cal principles, and others still by those who having felt an uncom- 

 fortable degree of internal disturbance, very naturally desired to 

 ascertain the cause. To the two classes last named, the report of your 

 committee is directed. The Horsford method of bread-making 

 depends upon the combination in the bread of phosphoric acid and 

 bicarbonate of soda. The phosphoric acid expels from the bicarbon- 

 ate the carbonic acid which acts to lighten the bread, while the phos- 

 phoric acid unites with the soda itself to form a phosphate of soda 

 claimed to correspond to, and to be assimilable in ^he same manner 

 as the phosphate of potash found in plants. The objections urged 

 by some of the correspondents above referred to, were, that as phos- 

 phoric acid is derived from phosphorus, a deadly poison, the acid itself 

 must possess like injurious properties. This is not tenable. When 

 phosphorus combines with oxygen to form phosphoric acid, its prop- 

 erties are changed just as the properties of chlorine and sodium, both 

 poisonous, are changed when they are combined in common salt. It 

 is possible that either free phosphoric acid or uncombined carbonate 

 of soda, would, in the stomach, produce the same sensation of burning 

 spoken of in some of the letters, but this would occur only if the 

 admixture of the two components of the baking powder were imper- 

 fectly mingled or combined. This will be likely to occur to some 

 extent in making bread and seasoning a priori, the addition of oily 

 matter or shortening would be desirable, inasmuch as the alkali and 

 free acid would be likely to be neutralized respectively by the acid 

 and other constituents of fat or oil. Your committee have made their 

 report thus brief for the reason that with the slight qualification just 

 indicated, they see no reason to dispute the claims put forward by Prof. 

 Horsford in behalf of his preparation. As to the utility of the latter in 

 actual use, your committee believe that its merits are justly and fully 

 set forth in the subjoined testimony of a practical housekeeper, Mrs. 

 Laura E. Lyman, who having used the Horsford yeast powder for 

 nearly two years, has kindly forwarded to your committee the follow- 

 ing statement : When the first box of Prof. Horsford's preparation 

 came into my house I used it for bread-making and followed the 

 directions strictly. The bread produced was whiter than common, 

 and perfectly raised, but it wanted the peculiar flavor of yeast-raised 



