The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-06-03

eylopedia, written by DR.. Thrall, and
published by Fowlers & Wells, the fol-
lowing statistics as regards the whole
some and nutritive qualities Of various
kinds of food used at the present day.
1t will be seen that many of the ideas
are different from those commonly re-
ceived, but they are generally based
upon physiological principles, and should
be received with good degree of con-
fidence.
OF animal foods, mutton stands first
in its nutritive qualities, and beef next.
The relative quantities of nutritious
matter in different kinds of flesh may
be seen by the following. Beef
26; veal 90; mutton 90; pork "a /;
chicken 27; cod 81; haddock Is.
Fatty matters are the worst alimentary
substances and Notwithstanding arti-
ficially depraved appetites generally
crave unnatural aliment with an inten-
sity proportioned to its impurity, such
fact does not alter the truth. With re-
gard to the manner of cooking meat,
broiling, on all accounts, is the best
method of cooking fesh-meat. Boil
ing, taking care to skim off any floating
particles of oil is betssr than roasting /;
and this again is better than frying,
which is method never to be recon-
mended. Butter must rank with all
animal oils, in being difficult of diges-
ton, but slightly nutritive, and liable
to generate rancid acids in the stomach.
The fresh curd of milk is perfectly
wholesome, and pot-cheese, when made
of milk as soon as it is SOUR, and before
it gets bitter, is also harmless article.
Green cheese is not very Objectionable,
but old, strong cheese is one of the most
injurious and indigestible things in ex-
istcnce.
Next to the flesh of the herbivara
animals, the flesh of birds affords the
most wholesome form of animal food,
although all the species of the fcathered
! tribes in common are not equally whole.
i, some. Chicken, turkey, partridge
: 2 quail, &C., are very nearly as nutritious
Y and digestive as beef. The aquatic
e birds, geese, and ducks, are strong, ran
cid, and oily, and extremely unwhole
some. The eggs of oviporious animals
= when fresh and rare boiled, are moder
e ately nutritious and easy of digestion
! They are not particularly Objectionable
9 as part of dietary selection, yet thi
: virtue is rather negative than positive
: Poached eggs are extremely pernicious
S and eggs are very indigestible whel
G hard boiled or fried. In a general sens'
> fish aliment is far inferior to flesh. Th,
least oily fishes are, the most wholesome
as the cod, halibut, trout, whitefsh
n bass, blackfsh, haddock, whiting, sole
10 turbot, &c. Salmon, eels, herring
pilchards, spots, mackercl, shad, &c.
o are among the oily varieties. Of tn,
u crustaceous, Holsters, crabs, shrimps
: : and prowns, are those most generally
4 eaten. They are exceedingly indigesti
L bic, and frequent cause of disorderet
t digestive organs. Oysters are a grea
|, favorite with the lovers of sea food
: They are not very nutritive, containing
' only about IL, per cent. Of solid mat
r ter. When eaten raw they are NOR
e digestable and wholesome than whel
cooked in any manner.
Wheat is the most nutritious of tn
s vegetable foods, and rice next. Buck
s wheat is not of itself Objectionable, bu
u the melted tutter and sugar, with whicl
the buckwheat cakes are seasoned, an
the burned grease used in cooking them
= - render them exceedingly noxious. Th
al itching and skin diseases general
ry attributed to the buckwheat are reall
* chargable to its accompaniments -por
IN gravy, sausages, butter, sugar, &c. Ric
- ~, and Indian corn in nutritive qualitit
~ ~ are but little inferior 70 wheat.