Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-25
A Chat With the Family.
BY AGRICOLA.

have spoken of some kinds of vege-
table breadstuffs, and of their compare
tive value as nutritious and digestive
food. Others in common use may be
alludea to. Indian corn contains a
larger proportion of fat than any other
grain, and if the meal is thoroughly
cooked it makes palatable and healthy
bread. Oatmeal is rich in gluten and
fat. and also in starch and sugar. 1t
makes better pudding than bread is
less digestible than wheaton products,
and yet it is palatable and highly nu.
tritious. Rice is starch grain and
has but small proportion OF nitro
genous matter, fat and salts, and hence
it should not be relied upon as an arti.
Gle of diet to be eaten alone. Peas and
beans are very nutritious and rank first
among the concentrated and strength
giving foods, but they are bard to di-
gest and should be eaten in small guam
titles. Of the succulent vegetables,
potatoes are the most valuable and the
most extensively used. Three. quarters
of the whole potato is water, and it is
so poorly provided with fats and salts
that we need always to eat with it meat
or butter. Thus associated, the potato
is an easily-digested and valuable food.
Turnips, beets, carrots and parsnips are
still more watery than potatoes. and not
so easily digested. They contain more
starch and sugar and smaller percent
age of fats and salts. They are eaten
more rs relish than for nourishment.
Onions and cabbages are good as an &C.
casional partial meal, but if eaten too
often they will cause indigestion. They
are more watery than any other vege'
table yet named, and contain larger
} proportion of heterogeneous matter.
now come to fruits. These consist
largely of water, with which potash,
soda, lime and sugar, with certain or
ganic acids, are mixed. Fruits in a
proper condition are pleasant to the
taste and healthful, but do not contain
a large amount of strength. giving nour-
ishment. They are the most whole
some when cooked and Invested of their
skins, seeds and cores. Besides, we
have auxiliary foods, with are used to
give relish to other compounds, to pro-
woke digestion and to stimulate the
nervous system. When taken with
care, these things are useful, but when
too freely INDUCED they prove injuri-
GUS. Good vinegar contains at least
five per cent. of pure acid, is useful to
augment the acidity of the stomach.
Much OF the vinegar in the market is a
fraud, and some of it has not trace of
acetic acid in its composition. This is
made of sulphuric acid mixed with wa
ter, and colored with burned sugar.
Black and cayenne pepper are power
full stimulant to the digestive organs,
and may be taken in small quantities to
advantage. Mustard is also a stimu-
liant, and may be moderately used.
Taken in large doses il acts as an emetic.
OF the beverages, need not here speak
at length. They are not food, and yet
they serve the same purposes OF food
by preventing the waste of the system,
and thus diminishing the demand for
food. They act as gentle stimulants
without subsequent depression. II
staken to excess they produce wakeful-
ness, irritability and general derange-
ment of the system. DIR. Kane's party,
after repeated trials, took most kindly
to coffee in the morning and tea in the
evening. The coffee lasted, and the
men grew hungry less rapidly after talk
ing it than after taking tea, while tea
soothed them, and made them sleepy.
Either was superior 10 alcoholic stimu-
lants. Unroasted coffee will keep any
length of time, and grows better by
age. Cocoa and chocolate are highly
nutritious.