THE CHEMISTRY OF FOOD

BY RBV. HBNRV S. CLDBB.

Chemistry in its analysis of foods fur- nishes very strong reasons for the disuse of flesh and the adoption of a fruit, nut and farinaceous dietary. The accompanying table of foods most commonly used in America is compiled from a much more extensive one published in May's Compre- kensive Cookery, as Used in Various Hygiene Establishments Throughout the World, sent by mail by the Vegetarian Society of America, 1023 Fonlkrod Street, Frankford, Phila., cloth bound, for 50 cents a copy. It contains 1000 recipes. In this work, the time of digesting each article is also given, but as this must depend on the condition of each individual stomach, we have omitted

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the figures pertaining to it, relating, as they do, to physiology rather than to chemistry. The following table contains the approx- imate chemical compositions of various foods.

R.raw. S.Ueanied. B, boiled. P, fried. K, hiked.

ApricoU R

Bratil Noti R

t li t| 4!f l|

Lentil! 9. B 11.0

3.0 3.0

Uioroul S, B ,i.Q

u>iK, Hoi a, B 14.0

Mllk.o.w,B.B BS.O

HuMoD S, B 66.4

OruEC R 86.3

green, B, B jS.s

PeaoDti R, K 70

Pine Kernili R. K so

POTk,fre«h.S,B66.o

31.8 10

Tom«o« R 860

Turker S, B 73 j

6.0 i.d

JO 44

The tiae of food is to supply the body with elements required to form the best and purest blood for the sustinence of the human body. It will be seen from a care- ftil study of the preceeding table that while fruit consists of a larger proportion of water than beef, the diflference in this re- spect is not mure than fourteen per cent., while, when the character of the water is considered, it must be conceeded that the water in fruit is pure, which cannot be said of the water in beef or other butcher's meat for the reason that the water in 0esh con- tains much of the effete matter which is constantly passing away through excretion- ary channels of even healthy animals, and

the water of unhealthy animals is still more ofifensive and poisonous, while the water of ripe fruit is pure and uncontaminated. As water constitutes at least seventy per cent- of flesh, the quality of the water as com- pAYei with the character of the juice of fruits and vegetables is an important con- sideration. When fruit is ripe, the jnice on it is not contaminated with excremen- titious matter as the juice of flesh is, con- sequently it is pure and wholesome and may remain so until fermentation or decay fnsues, which, in well perfected &uit which has substantial rind, soch as oranges, lemons, apples, pears and even plums and peaches, may not be for months, whereas the dead bodies of an- imals, owing to the excrementitious mater- ial contained therein, commences to decay as soon as the fatal blow is struck which takes away the life of the animal, and un- less this process of decay is arrested by some process of embalmment or salting, putridity ensues and poisonous ptomains accumulate in the flesh with great rapidity.

These poisonous elements are not ob- jected to by the average flesh-eater up to a certain proportion because the stimulus due to the poisons produces a pleasurable sensation : hence game that has become putrid or ripe, as it is called, is often pre- ferred to fresh meat, but its ultimate effect on the nervous system is most distressing, and we have only to visit any lunatic asylum to see its dreadful consequences, while the nervous irritation, so common in domestic life caused by the use of flesh, is the chief cause of domestic infelicity.

A comparison of the chemical constitu- ents of nuts, pulses and grains in the pre- ceeding table with those of flesh, will show a most decided advantage in those products over those of flesh, both as to quantity and quality of the nourishment supplied.

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BREAKFAST.

Raspberries. Rice fritters.

Graham gems. Cereal coffee.

Green pea salad. Sliced cucumbers.

Tomatoes. Nat sandwiches.

Sliced pineapple. Sponge cake.

Cream of carrots.

Fried egg-plant. Browd bread.

Lettuce and cress salad.

Ice cream. Strawberries.

Rice Fritters. — Pick over and wash one- half cop rice, pat it in the top of double boiler with one-half cup of boiling water and one level teaspoon salt. Cook directly over the fire nntil water is absorbed, then add one cap of milk and cook over boiling water antil very soft. Stir in one roaaded tablespoon batter, and one well-beaten egg. Remove from the fire and stir in four tablespoons canned cherries, stoned and cut small. Mix well and tarn into a round shallow tin to cool. When cold, divide into six or eight sections, cover with fine bread crumbs, egg and crumbs, and brown on each side tn hot butter.

Hominy as a Vegetable, — Wash two cups of white com : pour over it three pints of boiling water, and let come quickly to the boiling point, stirring constantly ; then add a tablespoonful and a half of salt, and set the dish on the back of the range, where it can cook very slowly all day ; stir it occa- sionally, and add more boiling water if needed. The next day, when ready to serve make a pint of cream sauce with one-foorth a cap each or butter and flour, half a tea- spoon of salt, and a pint of rich milk ; use 1899

part cream if convenient. Stir into this one pint or more of the cold hominy, and, when very hot, serve in the place of po- tatoes.

Greeu Pea Salad. — This salad may be prepared from peas left over or freshly cooked. In the latter case, cook a pint of young tender peas with one tablespoonfiil of butter, and as little salted water as possible, stirring constantly antil the peas are tender and the water has evaporated. Set aside antil cold. Thoroughly wash and drain a head of lettuce, and arrange the leaves on a serving-dish. Wix. the peas with salad dressing and place on the lettuce leaves.

Cream of Carrots.— Boil young carrots un- til tender. Drain off the water and mash through a colander. Add milk thickened with a little flour. Flavor with chopped parsley and season to taste. Return to the fire and boil a few minutes. ORCHATA.

From Alfred B. Weslrup, 18 Marks Ave- nue, Brooklyn, N. Y.

In all parts of Mexico the natives grind the seeds of musk -melons and strain through a fine sieve to separate the husks. The seeds are ground wet on the primitive grind- ing stone called metate ; the mass is dilated with water and sugar is added. The drink is called orchata and is very palatable. The Vegetarian Milt would do the grinding very effectually to make this drink, I should think. — We will try it in the mnsk-meloa season. — Ed, CONDITIONS OF THE COCOANUT.

"There are three stages through which the milk of the cocoanut passes, in each of which it is excellent, ' ' said Captain Nathan Traelove, master of a trading craft in the 107

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South Pacific Islands. "The first is when the meat and tnilk in the green cocoanut have not yet separated and are blended to- gether in a semi-fluid pulp, about the con- sistency of a water ice, and may be scooped out and eaten with a spoon. The second is when the meat is newly hardened against the inside of the shell and the hollow within is filled with the cool, fragrant milk, one of the most beautiful and refreshing draughts that a man can find tn the tropical lands. The third stage, to which few people outside the tropics are initiated, is when the cocoannt is sprouting and the embryo palm tree, formed from the milk, and the best of the meat lies in the hollow that is left, a kemal within a kental, so to speak, and one of the daintiest morsels that a man ever lifted to his mouth."