Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-10
rac,s for the 60. Food.


Facts for the Gu4 Food.
Food comprises all ~ nces that can be
changed by the mechanic ssad chemical ac-
ton Of the stomachc into r. Wealthy blood
Though the number and 1kitty Of such sub.
stances are almost infnio l4kthe immediate,
or proximate principles ~ fetritivc articles
are comparatively few. 81 proximatc princi-
pies are meant those diinctivc compounds
which exist ready formsslia animal and yege-
tables For instance. starch, gum. sugar lig-
inn-or weod fibre-and glatten-that though
elastic substance remaining when wheat flour
il raped in a course cloth Ahd washed ander
stream Of water--arc the most important prox-
innate principles of vegetable food. Those Of
animal food are albumen--the chief component
of white eggs--and gelatin--of which isinglass
is an instance. together Va fats and oils.
common to both animal s,l kstable substan.
ccs.
Almos. all the eats akrpos.d
!. .principallx s.1 -
constituents OF app 8nrrents
gooscberries and all 81 y, are nearly
the same. This is true, ri animal sub
stances used as food albuiSsn, gelatin, small
proportions of salty bodies,and alarge quanti-
ty of water being common to them all. In fact
four elements only are principally concern
ed in the formation of foods These are carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, and Nitrogen.
Gluten. alone, of vegetable substances,
abounds in nitrogen, gum, sugar, starch, and
the rest are formed of carbon, hydrogen. and
oxygen, and what is singula the last two ele.
ments bear the same relative ,pportion in them
that they do in water; so tlat Of thousand
parts of starch, nearly one-hlf is charcoal and
the rest water.
There are two other curosi facts relative to
the chemical history of food. The one is, that
no animal can live long mon food wherein
there is no nitrogen, although that element is
destructive Of life: and the oher, that the con-
tinual use of only one kindof food produces
death An animal fed exclusively Oh starch,
or sugar, or albumen, soon aad painfully dies;
but mix these together in diferent times, and
the animal will thrive and faten.
Though many persons nay SO accustom
themselves as to live upon adict almost exclu-
syeiy vegetable or animal,yet in general, a
iudicious mixture Of both kinds is essential to
good hearth.
Nothing is fit for food with has not already
undergone organization Iftle case were 9th
erwise-if nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon; and
oxygen, by being compounded prtifcially were
capable of sustaining life--vith barrel of
water, barrel of charcoal. M free access to
the air, man might 81. down and live inde-
pendent of meat markets, AMI vegetable wag-
ous. But alas! air water, ant charcoal, though
containing the pure and simpsselements Of our
nutriment are useless, if til have not first
passed through the hidden Tsterious pro
cesses which are going on fessel of iiv
Pinnts -rumn Fc-wondcrfa
| operation by drawing ny from The
air and from the soil; they 4 themselves
as well as compound elemenl they become
food of the grass eating tribes, and from these
man derives the greatest portion of his animal
| food.
| Milk is the most important of all foods. In
it nature has provided that judicious mixture
of animal and Vegetable matter which we have
mentioned as being essential in most cases tt
good health. The albumen or curd of milk il
highly elaborated animal principle, Astounding
in nitrogen, yet easy of digestion. It's secont
principle, sugar Of milk, resembles vegetable
product, and is intermediate between gum ano
sugar. "A third compound Of milk is butter
partaking Of the nature of vegetable oil ant
animal fat. Beside these, it contains small
portions of sour and salt substances; which
with the other principles, are dissolved o
suspended in large relative proportion o
| water.
Upon an average, the nutritivc matter in
pound of raw meat is not more than four oun
ces. Mutton is the most nutrtive of all meat
wheat of vegetables. The following tabl
shows The average quantity in one thousan
parts of several varieties Of animal and vege
table food:
|