Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-08-21

We advise all lovers of biscuits, mullins,
and the many delectabfe forms of hot bread
4 10 pass by this article from the Boston
journal Of Chemistry with closed eyes:--
A correspondent sends us the following
query
physicians often recommend for sick
people oatmeal or graham pudding. made
by stirring the meal into water and boil.
ing few minutes, as one of the first
things to be eaten when the stomach will
not bear hearty food. Why is the meal
thus prepared any more healthy than new
bread or hot mullins, which are considered
unhealthy? Is not the same chemical
change necessary in the one as in the
other, which can only take pl zee by stand
ing for several hours after cooking?
The two cases are by no means similar
The oatmeal or graham flour is made di-
gestible by boiling, the starch granules
being ruptured SO that their contents are
more easily acted upon by the digestive
fluids. In the making and baking of bread
the same change is accomplished. The
difference between hot bread and that
which is older is essentially the same as
between heavy and " light " bread. 1t
is its " lightness " or porosity which gives
to bread its ready digesiibility. When new
1t IS softer from the steam of the water
which it contains, and this makes it diff
cult of mastication and liable TO form a
close and cloggy mass. which on passing
into the stomach is l'ss easily penetrated
and acted upon by the gastric juices. By
cooling and drying it becomes tirmer and
more friable, so that it is more thoroughly
mixed with the saliva in the mouth. and
goes into the stomach in better condition
for the process to which it is to be subject
ed there.
If the bread is hot enough to melt the
butter eaten with it, this makes the matter
worse. The melted grease fills up the
pores of the bread, and interferes with the
action of the saliva and gastric juices.
lhe fatty matters in pastry are objection
able for the same reason, and also on ac-
count of the chemical changes which they
undergo in the oven.
Bread becomes more digestible by toast.
ing, chiefly because it is made drier and
firmer--that is, if the toasting is properly
done. The slice should be rendered crisp
throughout its entire thickness. If it be
merely scorched on the surface, as often
happens when the slices are thick and
Buddy is stupid or in Il hurry the interior
is merely sofened and made like new
bread, and consequently less digeslible.
What English people call bread jelly"
is II slight and nourishing article for weak
stomachs, in some cases preferable to the
oatmeal or wheat porridge. 1t is made
| by sleeping stale bread in boiling water
and passing it through Il fine sieve while
still hot. 1t may be eaten alone, or after
being mixed and boiled in milk.
While on this subject we may remark
that oatmeal, cracked wheat and similar
boiled breakfast dishes often become more
or less indigestible from being " bolted"
in the usual Yankee style. They are soft
and " 90 down" easily, and are shoveled
or spooned into the stomach, with no delay
in the mouth en- route. They need masti-
cation us really as beefSteak does not to
save one from choking (Which many
people seem to suppose is the sole reason
Tor chewing) but to mix them thoroughly
with saliva, which is digestive agent and
not mere lubricant to expedite the pass
age of dry food down the Gsophagus.
A friend of ours was lately complaining
that oatmeal did not agree with him, and
we found on inquiry that he was in the
habit of eating it in this hurried way,
without insalivation. He was much sur
prised when told that he ought to chew
it," or at least detain it for momeat in
the mouth before swallowing it; but, after
IL brief trial he admitted that he had no
more trouble digesting it. If the oatmeal
or wheat is not thoroughly cooked it is
all the more important that il should be
mastic ted, as the half soflened grains Of
fer considerable resistance to The digestive
fluids.