ALUM IN FOODS. S 
days the quantity of alum used was 2 grams? (30.866 grains) a day for 
each man; in the next 10 days the dose was doubled. Afterwards 
for 30 days the baking powder residue was treated so as to wash out 
everything except the compounds of aluminum with hydrogen and 
oxygen (aluminum hydroxide), the dose at first being the amount 
obtained from 4 grams? (61.732 grains) of alum per man per day, 
which was increased in the second 10 days to 6 grams? (92.598 grains) 
and in the third 10 days to 10 grams (154.330 grains) of alum. Finally, 
in a period of 10 days, the dose was the sodium sulphate consumed 
when 4 grams of alum were used, this compound being the cathartic 
ingredient which is left in bread by alum baking powder.‘ 
Dr. Taylor conducted experiments with a squad of eight men from 
October 8, 1911, to May 10, 1912, with an intermission from December 
16 to January 14. In this case also the powder was not used in 
bread, but was administered in wafers or dissolved in water. Six 
of the subjects took the aluminum compounds, while the other two 
took milk sugar, the men themselves not knowing which they were 
taking. There were two groups of experiments in which the whole 
squad took part. In the experiments of the first group, which ran 
from October 8 to December 16, tests were made with alum alone. 
The dose at first was such as to give each man 0.1 gram ® (1.5433 
grains) of aluminum a day and was increased from time to time until 
the daily dose was 0.298 gram ® (4.599 grains) of aluminum for each 
man. The second group ran from January 14 to May 10. Tests 
were made with the residue from alum baking powder; tests were 
also made with certain aluminum compounds (aluminum hydroxide 
and aluminum chloride) which may be found in the residues from 
alum baking powders of different kinds, and with sodium sulphate, 
the purgative salt left in bread by alum baking powders. The 
smallest dose of the compounds containing aluminum gave each man 
0.227 gram 7 (3.503 grains) of aluminum a day, while the largest dose 
gave 0.969 gram ® (14.954 grains) of aluminum a day. The dose of 
the purgative salt (sodium sulphate), in which there is no aluminum, 
1 Approximately equivalent to 24 level teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. Equivalent to about 0.223 
gram (3.44 grains) of aluminum. 
2 Approximately equivalent to 43 level teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. 
3 Approximately equivalent to 6,8, level teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. These amounts of alum 
are equivalent to about 0.44 gram (6.86 grains), 0.67 gram (10.29 grains), and 1.11 grams (17.15 grains) of 
aluminum. 
4 Editorial note: Sodium sulphate or Glauber’s salt is a substance derived from the interaction of alum 
and baking soda in making bread with alum baking powders and is of itself a cathartic, formerly much used 
medicinally. Cream of tartar baking powder, when used in bread, by a similar interaction produces a 
cathartic substance known as sodium tartrate. Phosphate baking powders when used in making bread 
produce a cathartic substance known as sodium phosphate. Cream of tartar and phosphate baking powders 
produce catharsis, similar to that produced by alum baking powders, when used in quantities. 
6 Approximately equivalent to a level teaspoonful of alum baking powder. 
6 Approximately equivalent to 3 level teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. 
7 Approximately equivalent to 2% levei teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. 
§ Approximately equivalent tc 10-level teaspoonfuls of alum baking powder. 
