Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-07-21
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
NurRiTlyE ppINCIpLE or ANIMAL Foon

NUTRiTiyE PRINCIPLE or ANIMAL Foor
CONTAINED ~ GRAIN AND ROOTS.
This subject has engaged the attention
Of chemists for some TINE, NJ. pail has
at length announced. a. the result q! nu.
metous microscope examinations and eX-
perimcn,a, lha, the nutrient matter of
craln and roots is cnveoprd N shining,
white. smooth globucs quite insolo6lc III
cold water, even when immersed for II
length Of time THAI these globules con
sist Of envelope. or shell, AID n kernel;
bat the cuyclope is even inSolubc IN bol|.
ing water; that the kernel contained ~
the globuIar envelope. consists OF a gum
like mattor;-thot when immersed IN wa
ter at 1872, the kernel expands, and the
envelope bursts Mt boiling heat, bnt is new
or decOmposcd; thai IN much water the
envelopes are detached. aud sub-ldc but
when the qnauIlry is small, they tScomc
mutually cn'angiod, and form jtAg sIs.
the starch Of the laundry. The ketntN'
Of tho globules is termed dox'rlnc. Tho
gobuies dtihr in ,ize in different grains
| and roots Ut wheat they are $1,000 parts
Of an inch In The potato they are only
| 10, 900 part OF an inch in SIZE,
During tho invesrlrar OF NJ. Raspall
the following facts seems 10 have been es.
tablished
"Ist That the rlobulcs constituting
| meal, flour, and starch whether contained
IN grain or roots. are incapable OF att"r-
ding any nonrlshment AS animal food I'll
| they are broken.
"2d. That no mechanical method Of
breaking or grinding is more than partially
efficient,
sd. That the most efficient methods of
breaking the globues are by heat. by
fermentation. or by the chemical agency
of acids or aIkallcs.
" 4'h Thot the dextrinc, which is the
kernel, as 1t were, of each glohule, is
alone soluble, and therefore alone nu-
| tritivo.
" 9Th, That the shells Of the gobulcs,
when reduced to fragments by mechanism
or heat are lnsolube, and therefore not
nulrIuye.
18th. That, though the fragments of
| these shells are not nurltlvc, they are IN
| drspcnsaba TO digestion, either from their
| discndirg The stomach and bowels, or
! from some other cause not understood, 1t
having been proved by experiment that
| concentrated nonrlshment, such a cane
sugar, essence Of beef, or usmaZome, cam
not long sustain life without some mixture
Of coarser and les nutritive food.
"7th. That the economical preparation
Of ali food containing glohules of trcula,
consl's in perfectly breaking The shells.
aud rendering the deX'rlnc contained in
them soluble and dicesubIe. while the trag
men's ofthn shells are at the same time
rendered more bulky, so rs the more reads
ily 70 fill the stomach
These facts sufficiently explain, what
before was hot luperfcctv understood,
why grain, meal and roots develope addi-
tional nntrltlve properties by BENG cook
cd, or undergoing the PROCESS of ferment-
alton and should encourage rs 10 persist
IN the practice of boiling or fermentng
our hog feed, If not The food of our horses
and neat cattle. The globues. it is true,
may be partially broken, and the deX'rine
developed, by the heat and fermentation
of the stomach, particularly IN anlmps
! possessed # powerful digestive organ; yet
when they are IN manner gorged with
! food, 10 hasten the fattenlng process. there
! is good reason to believe, that without the
aid of previous heat or frrmcnta ION.
much ofthe nutrient properties Of gram
aud roots Is wasted. This discovery gueS.
a'so to demonstrate the utility OF ;he prac
tce, common IN many states Of the Euro
! pean continent, of feeding their horses
With bread, instead Of meal or graiu-lhn
Globnes being comperly ruDlured in the
! process of baking. CHHirut0r.