The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-07-04
Bread Making Once More.

In former article we spoke of the best
method of making white bread, we now
wish TO have some talk with our readers up
on manufacturing bread from unboIted wheat
meal. Bread made from such material gen.
orally passes under the name of "Graham
Bread" very wholesome article of food
Many of our readers will remember the cele-
brated lecturer upon human diet, Sylvester
Graham. More than a generation ago this
gentleman lectured in Portland and created
quite sensation among the people of this
city and vicinity. We remember him well,
IN N 5d Moddeh e T5sh Ely
Temple street. He was good looking, very
fluent, and eloquent, wore black silk gown
when lecturing, his voice was musical, his
command of language ready, his manner
pleasing-especially to the lAdies-his subject
then novel. his mode of treating it captiva-
ting and his illustrations apt.
With such qualities and accomplishments
it was not strange that he drew large crowds
to his lectures and made many converts to
his peculiar doctrines. He belonged to that
class of reiormers who always have strong
friends and bitter enemies. In this city he
both sexes and at the same time stirred up
the enmity of many others against him who
ridiculed his 'sawdust bread" as they called it
and 1nade much sport of him. But he was
not the man to be put down by ridicale, for
such treatment only made him the more elo-
nuQnt and 1atarminad Rnfb bsc riu laa-
lures TO the ladies capped the climax. Some
husbands, and others who were not, but
wanted to be husbands, would not stand that
These lectures to the ladies alone produc-
ed great excitement which finally cul
minated in mob in which were
found some of all classes of society,"
1t was by no means confined to the lower
class, but gentlemen of worth and respecta-
bility took pant in it and the excitement ran
high. Lectures to wives without the pres
ence of their husbands were an awful thing
at that time and could not be suffered, SO a
large crowd filled Temple street one evening,
and the Old Church in which Graham was
lecturing was surrounded by excited men and
women and Doisy boys. Stones were thrown
through the windows of the Church, those in
side became alarmed, and those outside more
and more excited. At one time the affair as
sumed serious aspect. The lecture was
broken up and Graham secretly conveyed to
place OF safety by his friends. And all this
because he advised the people to make their
bread of unbolted wheat meal and gave lee
lures to the ladies in regard to the best way
of preserving their health!
Such was the character of the man who in
| troduced new method of making bread
which is now quite common all over the
country and by many esteemed more highly
than any other kind of bread, both as to its
nourishment and health-giving qualities. 1t
| is this bread of which we propose to make a
| few remarks and also give the opinions of
| others upon the subject. Wheat is beyond
all question the most perfect article of human
food ever given to us by kind and ever
watchful Providence. No other vegetable
production has yet been discovered on this
planet which contains all the elements neces-
sary for the sustenance of the human system.
Other vegetables such as beans, Indian corn
barley and other grains, afford good nourish-
ment for the body, but not suitable pabulum
tor the brain. The brain, spinal marrow and
the nerves issuing out of it are constantly
throwing off phosphorus which must be sup
pied from some source or they will decay. And
when these important parts OF our system
fail, when these eonnnecting links between
the soul and brain become weak for the want
Of the right kind of pabulum, what are we
good for? The body may vege.ate tor awhile
but as writer 10 the American Farmer has
expressed it, "No lite-giving fire thrills alons
the nerves where light illumines the chambers
of the mind. Could we rightly understand
the correspondence between the matei ial ant
spiritual, we might see that light in the in
tellectual sense is something more than &
mere figure of speech"
Continual study throws off the phos
phorus which is found with other waste mat
ter in the secretions. SIT would seem," say
the writer alluded to above, "as if wheat wa
made for brain food, and man the only AM
J NAL that works with the brain, is the onl
consumer of it." But by strange caprice
the promptings of his intuitions are ovei
ruled by his tastes and in this particular In
stance to his great detriment. Nearly ever
4, particle of this brain-nourishing phosphoru
is found in the hull or bran OF the whea
which, when separated from the flour, ft
!, the sake of merely gratifying the eye wit
the sight of white bread, carries with it all til
superiority which wheat has over doze
% other kinds of cheaper vegetables. In add