Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-05-07
Tbc - farm.
THOUGHTS UPON THE NATURE OF
FOOD AND TIE PROGRESS OF
NOURlSIIMENT.

The subject of proper food. or dict-and the
progress Of digestion and nourislncnt, is enc of
great Importance to TIC farmer, not only as L
matter intimately connected with his own per-
sonal welfare. but with his business in roaring
feeding and latting cattle. This subject has en-
gagged the attention of Philosophers and Physi-
ooIists tor many centuries but it is carried on
within the system, where thc hand cannot reach
Ucr the eye see we can only Judge of the action
of certain substances by the results. This judy
ment is not always correct, because we cannot
always know how many extra causes, arising
from accidents, i'll herlih imprudencc and diet
or exercise, may vary the results. Researches
'oT some of the later chemists have thrown some
light upon this matter, but allowance must be
made even for them. accurate RS they are in the
analysis of food, and of the different products of
the body, because of the variations above men
toned and the lack as yet Ola perfect knowledge
~ oil the laws Of assimilation Of food to the Sc
vcrtl parts of the body.
IL is now received as truth that g We arc
composed OF the same substances which serve as
,@Ur nuorshment.' Hccca1.p. II pllvsoogiSt,
who ilourishcd about one hundred years ago,
brought forward the following proposition in re-
gard to the properties of food, which is undoub-
uedlv correct. viz.
That the muscular part of the animal frame
as derived from the aijumilous constituent OF
u,,,r o,a 81 ,lo ,n, ,,i,;,,' ~ ,a,,,,,II,
",o W ''o ''',7' ~, VI "
,' wa, Io,i'rIu"' t'''t - ,',."' "i'' ~
starch, the other gluten. II you take II handful
of fine flour and hold it under a little stream Of
water, working it by the hand, the starch will
be worked out, and Il tough strinry glutinous
substance be left behind. This l. the "glaiea"
OF wheat, or the albunnous part. Now if You
take ooth OF these s"DS';tnceS-l hoistch lhe'n
ana expose them To moderate heat you VIII
iind that different action WI! commence IN each.
me Starch Will at hrst ierlncnt ana y'cld an
acId or sour substance. The gluten will at
once show tendency to pntrcfaction more like
an animal substance. This last substance, he
concluded, formed the muscle of animals, and
the former the other substances.
More recently lebIg has divided, or classified
nheSe substances into the HnirirHy' and the
" hfW Pr"t"ciA%." The gluten being nutrlWty
ana the other heat producing. Thompson. III
his work on the food Of animals, observes that,
according To tins view, " all food is destined for
repairing the waste of the body and for the pro-
ducuon OF animal heat The heat may be pro-
duccd Ivy the union OF the carbon ard hydrogen
." the food with oxygen, 0le latter gaining adj
mission to the system by the lungs, stomach and
SKIM or II may be produced by the condcnsa-
non o' oNyg'n during its substitution for by
urosen ana formation oi oxygen products. Al
""Sr ,'c h"'','Ne part oil TODD requires iniN-
t"io oi nu''-prouuc'hg matter, yet the system OF
u''',''.s may pI supported on thc %'bnmnouS, or
P1'n'PS =, w "'{ oc','r o' called hDr'Ho"S matter
aaonui ~ % n.; ua' ptast8 OF prey will live
oI' ANNA y, Io'nuu9 l'a,'or elpgether We
,o .on' ;. w. w." T,' VIZ eoNS, OF Iapland
C.,,in ~ III" ',nrl ~, ~ G.uu ii9i ana
ca''.,' IL h's VIOLIN on ''Ic hngf'ean Indians,
say ' u' az 'l, 'hatn'
,no, When thev dry ms tbn', ON, ,l o' ti
meat into slices say halCnn inc,lirl ~, ,a
u a;u ao 70 havs fat ,nd an aolosS 'I
,ho hnn,, mn 70 tho snr Th h. ,yo, anu
",ten Is nonnded and snmr,;mes ,niyed viii, ~
.rrow Ths NOT only nour;.hcs them "nn.
rayino the muscular matter for .hcir bodies. br,
4 ssso Keeps M the hca, of their bodies, since