The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-02-10
Chemistry Of Food.

l.. e
Baron Leibig compares the body to a 10
connective in which air, water and fuel
working together generate heat and force
The foods ths fuel, g without which tht
machine would be useless. 1t likewise sup.
plies the work and material necessary to re-
! pair what is lost by wear and tear of the
machine. Three conditions, he says. are
necessary to- constitute perfect food: .
certain quantity of alhumen, Ga substance
popularity known as the ,sWhfte of anegg, ~
which furnishes an important part of the
bloodg and tie material of all the plastic
parts of elbodyS a proportion of heat-giy-
ing substances, applied chiefly in the vital
process, and nutritive suits, without which
the other two can mot give aourishalent.-
Either of these substances alone could not
support life, and only in food where they
are all united, as in meat, bread or milk, Is
found true nourishment ',i Vvvt
81 The health of every person depends on
the proportion of the different sorts of food
consumed in quantity and quality. This
proportion, differing greatly il each, must
be determined by the general state Of each
persons health, and the nature and amount
of daily work to be performed. II is prac.
ticAble; for every one to discover, by careful
observation, what food, and. how much, is
especially suited to his wants, and may thus
help to Iengthenn his. life and Increase his
powers. The daily work of each person
bears a relation to his muscular development
and this again depends upon. the nutrition
hereceives from food. The English rall-i
way, 'contraetors are, said to measure the
capacity for work Of. their iaborers by their
lappetites. d In order that the working pow.
er shah be kept up, the food must contain q
sufficient quantity of slbumen TO make up,
for what is lost in the body. 1t is eomput-
ed thatia working man of q hundred and
forty pounds weight, required nearly one,
third Of pound of this element in his food
daily. Meat contains this in its most soiu-
BILE form, and is most quickly digested, and
transmitted to the blood. Vegetables re.
quire moro complicated organs, of digestion
in order tolextraet the nutratiYe parts. The
effect of food ina given time omust be- in
proportion to the rapIditY with which it can
be assimilated, and it therefore foilowss that
for energetic work, to be performed rapidly
q purely vegetable diet is not suficient. But
where the strength is not steadily taxed and
intervals ig Of rest during labor are afforded
less meat is necessary The soldier, in time
oflpeace, may maintain perfect health with
far less Of this kind of food than is essssas
- =, ~ ~ II Lf4 snsuoo 3hl "a dJ1IIf 1
- - " te<AisiT oc ft EluJW ,enobI
n Heat t-generating substances, such as starch !
sugar ondi fat, heed the same discrimination
in their use. A degree of warmth should
be generated according to external circum-
stances. the requirements of the various |
seasons are different Fat food is rnosti
fitted for winter, when the heat must be
renewed; starch and sugar for
their action is slower. An bexl
tra alnouutaof. neutrality-suspicious. nourish-
hbns can not make up for aiiefcisncv of
strength. producing substances, and will rnIy
instead ofnourishing the body. So
an excess bfmsat win not add strength, be.
calise only dcertain measure OF. strength, eau
be generated in each individual. The right iil
relstions9f these tgo elements of food are |
of the greatest impoftAnce. Wheat .sand
most other grains contain five parts of starch
for every one OF aIbuminGus matter. rota-
toes contain nine parts OF starch to one of |
albumen, whHe the proportion Of starch in |
peas is much less. By cooking, the condi- !
tiOR, and uaturelofJ food are chaugedt3 and 4
eitsc composion and. nRtritiye value.
The pptridye salts, such as the phosphates, /
potash, lime, magnesia, iron, salts,S &c. act
an Important part Id sgehef8l assiiniI lon !
with the system. d Yithohtdhen 1.-The adbus
men As Welt as the heat aeaerators wouId
be incapable of giving nours6ment. Food
in which any of the substances necessary \
to nutfitioh aFe absent will faip to keep 1p
The TreRsf gtEAAlEailSn Of the boAs. ,asII VI