Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-25
Rcspon sibiiity OF Housel5eepers.

Of the first Importance, for without il
people are unfit for most Of the duties
of life, unable to enjoy its pleasures
and usually experience more or less
mental ard physical suffering.
1t has been decided, not only by
the most eminent of the medical
profession, but by the majority of en-
lightened people everywhere, that i
mans food, that is, what he eats and
how he eats it, has more to do with
the state Of his health than any one
other ordinary condition.
If this be the case, it follows that
a rather heavy responsibility rests
upon the shoulders Of the house
keeper, particularly If she also fultills
the Office of cook.
Now, the majority Of honsekeepers
are good, wellmeaning persons, but
what miserable work they often
make with the preparation of food.
If they study the subject at all, it is
! to make their dishes present a good
appearance, and taste well, giving
very little consideration to the whole
someness or unwholesomeness Of the
ingredients.
People who seem to exercise a fair
amount Of common sense with re-
gard to other matters, shcw them
selves miserably deficient on the sub
ject of hygiene, as relating to food
and the proper time to take it,
One woman forbids her children
eating fruit at breakfast time, be-
cause they are delicate; and allows
them to have coffee, hot doughnuts,
and fried pork,
Another housebcepor in cooking
beans, par-boils them in three wa
ters, carefully pouring away each wa
ter to get the ''poison' out, and cooks
all her fruit in a tin pan two or three
days, thereby absorbing a quantity
of positive metallic poison from the
action of the acid on the lead con-
tanned in the tin.
Not one housekeeper in twenty en-
joys perfect health, yet none of them
will admit being troubled with dys-
pcpsia, or even the slightest indigcs-
ton.
Mrs. Smith is afflicted with sick
headaches two or three times a week
always after eating roast pork or
boiled cabbage; but of course those
dishes have nothing to do with it,
it is constitutional, or is caused by
the cold or the heat.
Mrs Brown is subject to colds,
dizziness, bad breath, no appetite in
the morning, and multitude Of
aches and pains; but none of these
are attributed to the pastry, black
pepper, greasy gravy, hot white
bread and biscuit that she INDUCES
in every day. 0, no. it is the air, or
the location of the house, or her hay
ing to do house work, or not being
able to ride often. And as she goes
on, until too unwell to eat anything
at all for day or two, not even a
mouthtul Of pork and beans, or bit
of mince pie; then she takes a dose
of some patent medicine, or puts n
plaster on her back, and meditates
on the mysteries Of Providence.
Providence has little to do with
the poor health Of American women,
the blame rests mostly with them
selves,
The health of the whole family is
to a great extent in the hands Of the
mistress Of the house She usually
buys the food, and II she does not
buy it, she prepares it for the table,
or oversees its preparation, and can
easily spoil the biscuit O. the pan
cakes, or corn bread with over doses
Of soda, and fill the Vegetables and
meat with black pepper and pork fat,
making them fit for nobody to eat,
not even savage. The other in
mates OF the house are obliged to eat
what is put on the table, OF take the
alternative of starving, and the re-
suit Is the general prevalence Of dys-
pepsia.
Heads Of families, and particularly
housekeepers, should be better IN
formed in regard to the properties
Of different kinds of food, and the
best modes Of preparing them, and
when that time comes we shall see
an improvements the general health
Of the people.