The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-09-23

The following article, by DR.. IL.
Hanatord, of Vermont, contains in
formation upon the waste of food
which is of the highest importance.
We give it entire in our columns and
hope that every reader of the INDIE
PENDENT who is not already famil-
lar with the subject will give it a
careful perusal. The doctor says:
Not now intending to discuss the
fearful waste of the grains in the
manufacture of ardent spirits-about
one-half of the grain products of the
country being wasted and worse
than wasted in producing the soup
of death" instead of the ''staif of life"
it is my purpose to refer somewhat
briefly to another form of waste,
scarcely less marked. refer to the
various modes of preparing and
cooking the grams, by which much
if not most of the nourishmcnt is act
ually destroyed, as may be seen by
the following, from good authority
johnson: In 1000 parts the whole
wheat has III parts ashes, showing
the relative amount of real substance,
while fine flour has only al parts,
indicating waste of over three.
fourths of tic whole substance. OF
phosphoric acid, wheat has So, flour
FL, similar destruction. Wheat
has of lime and soda o6 each, while
fine flour has only OIL, fivc-sixths
waste. Wheat has of sulphur, Is.
fine flour none; of silica wheat has
o.3, flour none.
While the whole wheat contains
Just the nourishmcnt needed for the
substances of the human body, on
which ono may live, with water, for
an indefinite period, most of that
nourishmcnt is found within the
reach of the action of the sunlight
near the surface, while the flour,
with the exception of the germ, is
mostly starch, 6S.7 per cent, or the
element that slistains the heat of the
system only, or, chsmically cx-
pressed, carbon 10 per cent, hydro
gen and oxygen, each IL per cent.
While the human body contains
some fifteen elements, including
starch, and since starch is the most
important element in white flour, in
deed it is mostly starch, it would
seem unreasonable that the best parts
of the wheaton which, with pure
water, one may subsist and enjoy
good hcalth-shouId be taken by the
miller from this truly valuable grain.
The best parts, those needed for the
sustcnancc of the muscles and nerves,
thus squandercd, leaving but little
for the nourishmcnt of the body be-
side the starch or pure element,
which, of course, is nccdful, but only
in the form in which it is found in
nature, this ordinarily being more or
less abundant according to the tenn
pcraturc where it grows. In hot cli-
mates the grains contain, relatively,
but little CarbOn-starch-w
large per cent. of nitrogen and the
phosphatcs, or muscle and nerve
food, while in cold climates this is re-
served. This fine flour contains but
little gluten, which is the equivalent
of the albumcn, gclatinc and fibrin
of the human body. Indeed, the
gluten of the wheat is the chemical
equivalent of the fibrin of the beer
steak, so that we may take our choice
of nourishment from the pure wheat
or the pure muscle of the OK, so far
as the sustcnanCc of the muscles, brain
and nerves are concerned.
1t should be distinctly borne in
mind, at least by such as wish to Sc
cure good food, such as care more
for health and strength than for the
mere taste, that the best of our grains,
such as wheat and oats, contain all of
the elements Of nourishmcnt really
needed and in just the proportion
needed, if used IN the climate where
grown, while any separation of these
elements, any waste Of what is really