Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-23
The Value Of Sugar.

To the delight, as may be safely as
sumed, of every child to whose ears the
words shall come, and to the equal sur
prise, doubtless, Of many fond and eau
| ticus parent, the eating of sugar is now
| considered, by high medical authority, as
not only not Injurious, but positively ben
| efcial. One Of the ablest and best known
! English physiOlOgists-Dr Bridges Ad-
ams-investigated this subject some time
ago in a manner that left him in no doubt
as to the value of sugar in its relation to
food. Knowing, by experience, the diff
ference in nutritious effect produced by
the flesh of tired cattle on march and
those slain in a condition arising from
abundant food and healthy eXercise-that
in the former case any amount might be
eaten without the satisfaction Of hunger.
while in the latter a smaller amount re-
allied that purpose-his Investigations
led to the discovery that certain other
food, of a different quality, such as grape
sugar and fruit, would help the tired
meat to assimilate, and thus remove
hunger. He asserts, therefore, that pud-
dings and fruit tarts are not to be re-
garded as simply batteries of the appe-
tite or palate but as really digestive
agents, provided that they are not them
selves made Of indigestible materials
The fondness of artisans for cOnfection-
cry, and the inclination of patients lust
discharged from q hospital to ask for
sweets rather than for substantial food.
are examples Of a correct instinct; and,
in the case of children in whom the re-
quirements Of growth call for rapid and
efficient transformation of food into It's
sue, there is no doubt that natures de
mand for sweets is very imperious, and
parents should, therefore, understand
that the jam-pOt increases the amount of
nutrition extracted from beef and NUT
ton.
This view of the nature and effects of
sugar was entertained by the late Prof
Liebig, who was accustomed to say that,
instead of sugar being, as thought by
some, the most dangerous constituent in
pastry, it is in reality the least so; that
is, if not added in too great a quantity to
cakes and tarts, sugar is transformed into
Tactic acid, and assists the stomach in
digesting. Both by sugar and honey, in
deed, Liebig asserts, is the quantity of
the digestive juices increased, and the
digestion promoted; it also, while being
digested enriches the gastric Juice with
substance which assists in dissolving
the aliments-fOr the sugar on coming
into contact with the saliva has been
transformed into Tactic acid, which acts
upon the alimentary principles in the,
same manner as does the hydrochloric
acid OF the gastric Juice.
Ia regard to the effect of sugar on the
teeth, the correctness of the popular be
lief is met and refuted by the fact that
the teeth of West Indian negroes-a com
munity remarkable for the amount of
sugar consumed among them, are of
bright white. The reasoning of medical
science is, that phosphate of lime being
the chief constituent of the bones and
teeth, but not before the adult age, an
increase of the phosphate of lime is the
essential characteristic of the develop
ment of the bones Of children, and, as
Tactic acid dissolves the phosphate of
lime Of the food, sugar indirectly sup