The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-08-20
OF INTEREST TO EVERYBODY.

| injurious buectH OF concentrated
Rood.
Following is the second part of Miss
Juliet CorsOn's lecture on the "Rela-
tions of Food to Health" delivered be-
fore the Farmers Club, New York:
Water has already been mentioned as
physical element, and its Importance
may be estimated when we remember
that it constitutes at least two-thirds of
the substance of the body, and enters
into thei blood to the extent of nine
tenths of its volume. The quantity of
water used every day cannot be estima-
ted by what is drank, because all fresh
foods contain it to some extent, and dried
foods are cooked with the addition of it.
Soup and stews, which are exceedingly
who contain about three-fourths
their volume.of water. Water for drink
ing or cooking should be clear and color
less it should present no odor and have
a pleasant, refreshing taste; cool, fresh
water is more wholesome than that
| which has stood in the sun, or in a close,
warm room.
Hard water used for cooking purposes
coats the surface of meat or vegetables
boiled in 1t with lime to such an extent
as sometimes to render them hard to di-
sest; this action results from the
| presence OF lime salts, and may be coun-
teracted by soaking the dried vegetables
| over night, draining and cooking them
in fresh water; very soft water, either
rain or spring water, does not answer ms
a substitute for hard water.
Medium soft water is the best for gem
| eraI cooking purposes. although vegeta-
bles boiled in it without salt are often
soft and tasteless. Boiling water well
salted should always be used for boiling
| vegetables. Medium soft water makes
| the best tea and coffee. Both tea and
coffee are luXmies, but custom makes
them seem necessary at nearly all our
meals; their habitual use should, how
ever, be decided by their effect upon the
| system of persons using them.
| Tea generally causes a feeling of wake
ulness, cheerfulness and clearness of
mind, sometimes accompanied by nerv-
| business; it also retards destructive as
| similation or the change of the nutri-
ment contained in food into healthy and
well-nourished blood. For this reason
| it should not be used in the morning,
| when the physical forces are at their
lowest ebb and the body needs all the
nourishment it can derive from food. 1t
is during sleep that the vital forces
gather their strength from the nutritious
elements of the food consumed during
| Gll6 previous uty. TOT bllG Stlu6 I6dSO0
tea is very bad for children, whose grow
ing bodies need all the nourishment
which good food can supply. If tea is
properly made it may be used Dy robust
adults at the midday and evening meals
without injury to the general health.
Tea can best be made by putting the re-
quired quantity, half an ounce or three
heaping teaspoonfuls, into an earthen
teapot, which has been well scalded out
with boiling water, pouring in about a
fourth of the quart of water intended
for use, letting it stand ABOUT five min
utes without boiling, then adding the
rest Of the boiling water and using the
infusion at once. Coffee is the best
when bought in the bean and freshly
roasted or warmed just before grind
ing and using. A very good break
fast coffee can be made by using about
two ounces or four heaping tablespoon
fuls of finely ground coffee to each quart
of boiling water. After the coffee is
made it should not boil, but should
stand where it will keep hot without
Boiling about ten minutes until settled.
The effect of boiling upon tea OF coffee
is the extraction of tannic acid and the
dissipation of the delicate essential oil
which gives the aroma so much priced
in these beverages. The action of tan
mic; acid upon the milk used with tea OF
coffee is to harden its albumen into an
indigestible substance. 1t also aug
ments the bitter taste of both tea and
coffee.
The actual quantity and variety OF
food required to maintain health varies
with different occupations and physical
/ peculiarities, but plenty of plain, nu-
Uritious fare is called for early in the day
in order to replace in the blood those nu.
ritious elements which have been with.
drawn from it during the night
A midday dinner is the best for harC
workers, because their store of strength
is decreased by every movement, anC
must be replenished frequently if they
ire 10 be kept in good physical condi
tion.
A h aarty dinner can be made from hal
Il pint Of soup or stew, or three ounces o
i,h; quartei of pound each of meat
and bread and half pound of vege
tables. A plain pudding or little frui
md cheese are excellent TO end moor
meal.
The supper may be lighter repast o
bread and butter, Il little meat or cheese
Tor a relish, and some starchy food, sucl
IS plain cake or crackers.
When an evening dinner is taken i
, should be light if the digestion is at al
impaired.
In selecting dietary we must remem
Der that the greatest amount of nourish
ment is derived from combinations o
different alimentary substances. For in
. stance, a pound of meat and a quart o
vegetables, if cooked separately, woult
make only a meager meal; but combined
with water and seasonings, in the form
of a thick soup or stew, would make ~
+ abundant and wholesome dish.
In estimating the value Of differen
articles of food we must disregard thei
g actual cost and consider them with di
d rect reference to the degree of nourish
d ment which they are capable of yieldin
under proper culinary treatment.
For instance, pound of round steak
which costs about twelve cents in man
- - ket, when cooked by itself does not fur