Grind your own wheat, make your own yeast, and bake your own bread (See 113, 587, 2077, 2160, 2323). The advantages will be immense, and you need not then trouble about adulterations.

2398. The Adulterations Of Bread, Etc

Bread and flour are adulterated with flour of inferior grain, Indian corn flour, potato flour, pea and bean flour, bone dust, etc. None of these are positively injurious. But they are also adulterated with plaster of Paris, chalk, alum, etc, and these are highly prejudicial to health, especially when taken continuously. (See 586.)

2399. To Discover Whether Bread Be Adulterated With Alum

Run into a loaf that is one day old, a knife made very hot; if there be alum present, it will adhere in very small particles to the blade of the knife, and will indicate its presence by a peculiar smell. If bread looks unnaturally white, and if it gives off a good deal of water, and becomes very brittle and dry when toasted, alum may be regarded as being present.

2400. To Discover Whether Bread Be Adulterated With Pea Or Bean Flour

Pour boiling water upon it, and if the flour is mixed with the farina of peas or beans, the strong smell of those grains will become manifest.

2401. To Discover Whether Flour Be Adulterated With Chalk, Plaster Of Paris Or Mineral Powders

If containing these admixtures, it will be found to be heavier, measure for measure, than pure flour. That is to say, a pint of pure flour would be overbalanced in the scales by a pint of adulterated flour. Slice the soft part of a loaf, and put it into a large quantity of water in an earth en vessel. Place it over a slow fire for three hours. Scoop up the pap, and let the water stand. When perfectly settled, pour off the water, and a chalky sediment will be found to cover the bottom of the vessel. Heartburn, after eating impure bread is a sign of its impurity. Put some flour upon a table, and blow it gently with the breath. If little heaps remain upon the table, resisting the action of the breath, and differing manifestly from the indications given by other portions when blown upon, the substance thus remaining is impure. Potato flour, and indeed all white flours, are heavier than pure wheat. Bake a small quantity of the suspected flour, until it is of a full brown. Then take it, and rub in your hands or on a table, and white particles will be seen, if chalk or plaster of Paris ba present.

2402. Pure Wheat Flour is remark able for its cohesiveness. If squeezed it will adhere; it is also very light, and may be blown into a cloud with the lightest breath.

2403. Butter is made heavy by water which may generally be seen exuding from bad samples, which should be rejected by the purchaser.