National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-01-24
Amount of Daily Food Necessary.
From the recent book by DR.. Bel
lows, on the Philosophy of Eating,
we extract the following:

lows, on the Philosophy OF Eating,
we extract the following:
Experience sustains fully the
chemio.. and physiological deduc-
tions of the preceding chapters
Animals have been fed on pure
starch. or sugar, or fat alone, and
they gradually pined away and died;
and the nitrates in all the fine flour
bread which the animal can eat will
not sustain life beyond fifty days;
but others, fed on unbolted -four
bread, would continue to thrive for
an indefinite period 1t is inmate
rial whether the general quantity of
food be reduced olow, or whether
either of the muscle-making or heat
producing principles be withdrawn
while the other Is fully supplied.
In either ease the effect will be the
same. The animal will become
weak, dwindlc away, and die sooner
or later, according to the deficiency
and if food is eaten that is deficient
in either principle, the appetite will
demand it III quantity till the def
cient element is supplied. All the
food, therefore, beyond the amount
necessary to supply the principle
that is not deficient, is not only vast
ed. but burdens the system with
efforts to dispose of it. Food, there
fore, containing the right proper
ton of heaters and muscle makers
is not only best, but most ecoLomi-
cal.
TO make the statement PLAIN, sup
pose we have a meal composed of
roast beef, rare, with potatoes and
dish gravy, and as much of unbolt-
ed wheat bread, or rye and Indian,
and fruits, and cheese, and perhaps,
if the hacf be lean, or with green
vegetables, batter or fat pork, to
give them their heating pi'4'lplcs,
OF such meal the appetite would
be satisfied with Just the amount OF
food necessary to supply either the
heating or the musclemaking prm-
cipleS, and they would be taken III
right proportions.
But suppose, instead, we tried to
satisfy the appetite with a meal
composed of fried fat pork and pota
toes, fine wheat bread and butter,
4 griddle. cakes and Syrup-articleS
| almost destitute of food for muscle
or brain. When the stonach was
I filled with these articles, there
would still be demand for the hi
tratcs or phosphates, and we should
still crave some article to supply
the deficiency, and all the carbon
ates above those which the system
reduired would be wasted.
On the other hand, if we ate only
/ lean meat, or fish, aud green vcget
ablcs and fruits, which are deficien
/ in carnonatcs, We should require {
quantity of these articles III proper
| ton to that deficiency, or the lung
/ would not be supplied with fuel sut
( ficient to "run the machine" Eu
! in Boston, aud probably III all Amer
lean cities, a large part otthe eXpen
Scs of the table are for butter, super
/ fine flour, au. sugar, neither o
which conta lnS enough ofthe muScl
or bran.fectling element to sustain
life over fifty days, rs has beer
proved by experiment with iiour
while butter and sugar would no
sustain lie u single month withou
other food.
As far as we have articles of foo
deficient III carbnnatcs, we can ust
without loss, butter or sugar to SUI
ply the deficiency but most OF on
natural food, both animal and Vel
ctablc, contains Il due proportion
and if with them we use butter q
sugar. they cannot be appropriate
by the system, and are therefor
lost.
All meats, fat and lean togctheI
all grains and milk, cont ain all th
carbonates that are needed or ca
be used to furnish heat in moderat
weather All the butter or suga
therefore. that is added tn either I
these common articles oi TODD,
they are used III making cakes, Gu
tards, pies ETC., are not only los
but by adding too much fuel, i
/, crease the tendency to- lnilamm
, tons, embarrass the stomach, AZ
, induce dyspepsia, cong cstion, o
structlonS, etc,
With beeisteak, or any lean meat
or fish, or potatoes, or any gree
vegetables, or dried bean or pea
l. some oily substance seems to
e needed, as all these articles are d
:. liclcnt IN carbon. and in comm,
f use we have the choice between lar
sweet oil, or butter, or perhaps I
V pork, all of which are precise
. alike. in chemical construction, al
= that one is most wholctome viii
e is best rclished.
|. Sugar is also necdedy tn the &C
Y fruits and berries, and especial
q with apples, which in New Englal
Is are the most valuable of all frui
d either with or without cooking, %
q. which, with sugar, furnish exc
o lent food, especially in winter n
ID spring. when other fruit cannot
,e had. But to find u good use
r. superiinc flour, out OF which h
m becn taken nine tcnths of its 70
10 for muscle or brains, is exceeding
I'd difficult, indeed, impossible
ms health; and it can only be use
n. in disease where the irritability
he the stomach or bowels forbids
ii. use of their natural stimulant, j
10. as inflammation of the eye makes
. ...un,nr,, 10 nxcludc ihn limhi