New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-08-02

ltrOm the philadelphia LedgerJ
Marvellous is the capacity of the human stomacl
for receiving and retaining such quantity AM
farety Of substances to crafty, in the first place
hunger and thirst and, afterwards the palate
made capricious and exciting by long indulgence
a history of the dietetic usages of the differen
races and tribes now spread over the face Of the
world, would almost deter as from LAYING dowr
rules for selecting the kind of food best adapted
to the attainment of health and bodily rigor. Pas
sing over as decidedly exceptional the cases oi
those OF the poor Wretches who, with q stomach
equal to that of an ostrich, have swallowed and
partially digested jack-knives. rusty nails and the
like, we come to the people of the extreme
north, such as the Greenlanders and Es,
qumaux, who lnzuriate on the grossest
animal food--blubber, bears flesh, ETC., and con
trast them with the inhabitants Of the extreme
south, such as the Hindoos and people Of Central
Africa and the islands of the Pacific whose food
is almost entirely vegetable. The aborigines Of
Australia are manly carniyerous; they enjoy very
much and relish grGbs and ants with their eggs
We must go beyond the animal aud vegetable
Kingdom to look to the mineral, if we would learn
the entire range Of substances used by man for his
food. Humboldt tells us that the Octomaques
upon the banks Of the Ornoco, feed on fat, unc-
fIons earths species of pipe clay tinged with a
Little oxide Of iron. They collect this clay very
carefully, distinguishing itby the TASTE and knead
ing it into balls Of four or FIVE inches in diameter
which they bake slightly before slow fire. These
balls are soaked in water when about to be used;
and each individual eats about pound of the ma.
terial every day. The only addition which they
make TO this unnatural fare consists of small fish
lizards and fern roots
These apparentvagaries of appetites-and the
tst might be easily enlarged-aTe really the result
OF the necessities OF the people, who are unable to
procure more abundant and nutritiye food The
actual difference in the proportional consumption
OF animal and vegetable substances must be sought
for in geological causes, climate and soil. The
inhabitants Of high Northern ATTITUDES require a
9 much larger supply of animal food and that of a
gross quality than those ia temperate climates,
while the latter, again, more earniverous than
the inhabitants OF the equatorial regions whose
food Is chiefly vegetable. ina climate like that
of the United States, in which our seasons assmi
late 1s TO the extremes Of almost arctic cold aDd
tropical heat, We ought to obey correspondinqtv
varied rules Of hygiene. In our mannersof Nv
ing during the summer months we ought to
copy from the people Of southern Europe, il
not from those of India aud Southern China Our
meals should be light and in large proportion b
vegetable snbstancesand fruits; but in saying ti.
we do not meau to include damaged or badly
cooked vegetables, sour bread or unripe fruit 4
little improvement in the culinary arta thing, By
the way, sadly yneeded--wouldfurn with the ad
dition Of milk and eggs, great variety Of dishes
both nutFitYe and palatable. At this season flesh
meat is not required, and, except TO the hard-la
boring man, is not wholesome more than once
day, and then in the earlier partOf it. The heavy
auppers enjoyed 10 winter are now distasteful and
II taken they are apt to disorder the digestion and
prepare the way for serious disease We know
lobster and other shelhsh.
AeXt ln importance to the question of the rela.
tive aigesNblity and wholesomeness 81 tRe several
articles q food s that of the time OF day or tbe
meal at which they are taken. The Spaniards
have saying about the use of pineapples- or as
some alleges 0ranges--which is applicable ID the
use OF our own fruits: Gold in the morning iii.
yer at noon, lead at night.n We laid st1ess an
this point when speaking Of the prevention
Of cholera. This lession cannot be foo often ra
peRted. If o trial is to be madeeof a new ARTICLE
of food or one Of doubtful digesubllity lei Il III
at breakfast but never in the evening
As feiatestD drinks at this season. nature noints
out the most salutary. Foremost and mainly !,
cool water, to which frequently acids are added
with the effect of still more readily auenchinq IN
thirst. A cOnyenient substitute for lemon Iuct
Will be found in vinegar, which, with the addition
ofnaalasseH, n1akesa pleasant, refreshing beverage
The same may be said ofcream of tartar punch
as tits c8lled-hot water poured on cream Of tar
TAR, sw weetened. Slices of apples treated ID tn,
same way are good. refreshing and tonic mine
raj lemonade is made by the addition of half a tel
spoonful of elixir Of yitrel to tuinbler full 0
water, sWeetened Simple, sweet drinks, such q
sugar water and molasses water, will assuap,
thirst and are felished BY persons using them
Sugared water is a common drink among fh
French young Partisan dandy will stop al
eofeehouse and take it instead of a more stimulat
ing beverage. Copying still the habits of tht
southern people OF Europe, we should avoid a
this seasun ardent spirits and the stronger boiled
wines, giving the preference to claret and The
Rhine wines. and those of home production from
Pennsylvania, Ohio and California. Tea is to bt
preferred to cofee.