But as cucurbits and sand-furnaces are not “a part and parcel” of every family’s household chattels, if the off-hand tests above mentioned are not satisfactory, slice the loaf as before directed, and, putting the slices, with a sufficient quantity of water, into a pipkin, over a gentle fire, you will find in the course of a little time that the bread will be reduced to a pap, and, on drawing that off, the bone-ashes and other adulterating ingredients may be found in the form of a white powder at the bottom. The pernicious ingredients, alum and spirits of vitriol, used by bakers in the manufacture of bread, are intended, in the cant phrase of the trade, “as binders and whiteners.” Few persons will credit the fact that this last-mentioned article is made use of in the manufacture of bread; but, if any person feels himself aggrieved by the assertion, I am prepared to verify my information, and point out the culprits. By the insertion of these ingredients, tens of thousands of children, under three years of age, are annually consigned to the grave in this “happy” country; and to their cause, in conjunction with the horrid articles before stated, are to be assigned the number of sudden deaths that are daily occurring, and a large portion of the diseases under which mankind are suffering. The presence of alum may be detected by immersing a small piece of the crumb of new baked bread in a quantity of cold water sufficient to dissolve it; when, if a pernicious quantity of alum be present in the composition the water will acquire a sweet astringency to the taste; the more astringent of course the greater has been the quantity of alum used. Or a heated knife may be thrust into a loaf before it has grown cold; if the bread be free from alum, scarcely any alteration will be visible on the blade; but, should alum have been made use of, as soon as the knife cools, a slight aluminous incrustation will appear upon it. But this last method is, as Mr. Accum properly observes, but an equivocal test, on account of the impurity of the common salt used in making bread. When spirits of vitriol, diluted with water, have been used, the only test to detect this most pernicious and unprincipled adulteration is by chemically analysing the suspected article.