The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-06-03
THE USE OFFLOCR,

however, have been long we'll known to phv-
sicians and the ideas advanced i'm the fol-
lowinc extract from the work on the Prcscr-
ya.on Of Health, by DIR. JC. Warren, though
10. entirely new, should serve to draw public
attention to a subject Of vital interest to eve
" one
The cercalia were perhaps the earliest
the most general, and the most valuable arti-
.les Of human food. Wheat, rye, barley oats
and maze are employed in different coun-
tries, according to the properties Of the soil
and the taste of the inhabitants Wheat
seems to bc more extensively used than either
of tie others. and is perhaps the most paIa'a-
;le md the most diocs.iblc. This grain is
not used entire. 1t consists of, principally.
two substances the coverings, or part con
'aininc. and the flour, or part contained In
The early ages Of the world, these were prob
ably employed together; but art has been
directed to their separation, and has reduced
the flour as nearly as po>>blc,to the state Of
an unpalpablc powder.
Flour, taken apart from its coverings, has
most con>tipating property. Its great use
bv the inhabitants of towns and cities will
therefore. 90 far to explain why constipation
i, so general. The separation Of the cover
in.s from the flour, as usually practccd
seems to counteract the intentions of nature.
VII ch unlouhtcdlv destined them to be en-
y,ovci together. The external skin of the
grain. thus thrown away. contains important
properties and instead of being in great
measure rejected. it should be atorether rrc-
served and ground up with the flour This
su5,'anc" which is known by the ramc of
bran. is the part which prevents the flour
from producing co>tivcncSs.
About the year 1926. began to use bread
in which the bran was retained; and after
havin. employed it a considerable time in
my own family, vcnturcd to recommend to
others. For some time it was rilicrlcd under
the name Of saw-dust bread but finalv, in
very slow way. it came to be employed bv a
large number OF persons. its valuable proper
ties were asccrtaincd and admitted. and it has
now come into general use.
Some years ago it occurred to mo that as
the brown wheat bread was beneficial on ac-
count o!its coarScncss, but was not sufficient
ly active in all cases, it might he we'll to use
the wheat in coarser state. ard without max
inc it into bread. therefore directed some
wheat to be ground in a coffee mill and after
boiling three or four hours, a little salt hay
INC been added. it was found very palatablc
This substance had better effect in prevent
inc constipation Of the bowels than any art
Gle OF food have ever met with after many
years OF observation and enquiry.
The preparation Of it consists in washing
clean IN cold water. then in boiling from three
to four hours, adding water from time to time.
sufficient to bring it out with about the con-
sl>tcncc of hominv or boiled rice. The long,
er 1t Is boiled the more agreeable it is. but
less etiectual. \ moderate degree of nuidi
" (for instance. that of boiled rice or homi
N.Y. renders it more laxative.
Supcrtine flour bread, as has been stated
above is not healthy article of food for man
or ANIMALS. Animals. so far as | have oh
served''o not like. and for the most part can
not live upon, fine bread; whereas many an
imalS' even carnverous. can subsist on coarse
wheat bread. Dogs. according to the Erc,ch
psychologists die after feeding abou. tIrcc
weeks on fInc bread. but will live on coarse
tread an indefinite time. Birds are very f,rd
oi coarse bread and of cracked wheat hom;n,
which they eat with a,idity and it agrees with
them. There is reason to believe that the
'eFteorated animals generally can be sul,>iSt-
eel on coarse bread, but not ON fine. MANY
persons object to coarse bread, that it is NOT
''"'ic dS Hic. ms sentiment Is the
result OF habit, for those who have been ac-
thstomcd to use the coarse bread for a ro,-
''"ao'c t:mc' ilnd 1t swceter to the taste and
more satisfying to the stomach than the other
IL seems then, unfortunate that fine nour ~,
article OF food which is deficient in some
principle necessary to its healthy action on
'he animal economy, should have been 50
long employed. and SO widely spread. amopo
'he population of cities, ard in truth amopr
great mass of people elsewhere.
SINCE have made use of the coarse wheat
nave had frequent communications on tbo
SUBJECT with professional friends, rs well 49,
with many other individuals, and find that
generally they are satisfied of its v,,u,,,,
effect.
In concluding this subject it must be s,,toa
That OF all the articles of food which, IN ,l,,
course OF fifty years practice, have had oc.
eas'on to recommend for the prevention of a
constIpated state of bowels and IFS consoo,
1--WE evils, this cracked wheat is the most Of.
iectual.
VOW That the properties Of coarse wheat
''e"' are extensively admitted. it appea,s
0'''ieTful that authors and practitioners
'0a'4 not have brought forward at an earlier
r','Y' to the public knowledge and for the
' ">e' properties SO very valuable.
~ 'AT'H RAT>.-Take Your bed and
1"'e IL on the floor where the rats are tbe