The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-08
How we arc murdered by Bad COOk.
From the Cleveland Leader.


From The Cleveland Leader.
The French think that we are a
strange people, because we have in
| vented over two hundred religions and
only one'gravy. We are great people
| but we have not yet learned how to eat;
and it is disgrace TO us as nation.
The influence OF diet over the character,
disposition and morals ofa people, both
nationally and Individually, is doc
trine that has received the countenance
and support of some of the greatest
names in science and literature. That
so inconstant, self-willed and indepen-
dent being as man should be subject
ed to the perpetual modlhcations arls-
ing from food might at the first glance
seem to be a bold proposition. But,
nevertheless, so it is; and, within the
limits of certain restrictions, there can
be no question that man, both bodily
and mentally, is with all his intellectu-
al ascendancy, the helpless creatures of
his stomach. The French have reduced
eating to a science they live to eat,
we eat to live. Compare a meal OF
heavy pastry or bread, half-cooked
vegetables, tough meat, hot biscuit or
hot cakes swimming in butter and mo-
lasses, coffee, spices, pickles, and the
heterogeneous mixture OF articles which
so often constitute our present diet,
with the breakfast of the old Earl of
Northumberland. of whom we read:
"My Lord and Lldy have for break
fast, at seven O'Clock, quart of beer.
as much wine, two pieces of salt fish,
six red herrings, four white ones, and Il
dish OF sprats." No wonder we are
nation of dyspeptics 1t takes thirty
three thousand physicians to patch up
and keep in repair the diseased, debili-
tated and sickly bodies of the inhabi-
tants of this country, TO say nothing OF
the cart loads of Quack nOstrums got
ten up and sold and bought and swal-
lowed by the confiding public. A IA
nous Connecticut clergyman sometime
since remarked in sermon that "your
French cook takes quart of Goals,
small bit OF shriveled meat, quarter
of a fowl, three onions, two potatoes,
a carrot, and twig or two OF
ssyory, and cooks a feast for ten
persons. Your Irish help will burn
a hod full of coal, and take two or three
pounds OF steak, peck measure full OF
vegetables, half a pound Of butter, five
pounds OF flour, and spoil the whole!
The steak is dried, iuiceless; the vege'
tables are hard and over done; the but
ter is CONCEALED on the servers and the
flour rolled into biscuit, which means,
in the vocabulary of American cooking,
a dried ball, rank with saleratus. with
a lamp of dough in the middle?"
Oh, that we had more Blots among
MS! that overY female seminary had
professor of the art of cookery! and that
the time soon may come when cooking
shall be reduced to science! Then,
but not till then, shall we be rid OF the
abOminable, heterogeneous conglomer-
ations with which that "diabolical ar
rangement called a stomach is perse'
cuted.
live were called upon TO convert sin.
ners to repentance, we should be i'm.
PEELED to commence with their diet. II
we wouli enjoy a sound, healthy reli-
giou, if we would love God and our fell
low men, If we would look on the
bright side of everything. we must have
a good digestion.