The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-04
Tomatoes as Food.

GERS are composed of animal matter,
not vegetable, and therefore cannot be
directly derived from the vegetable
kingdom. Tomatoes are not without
some defects as an article of food.
They are not, like milk, perfect diet
of themselves, and beside, like most
other articles of food, they contain
some obnoxious qualities. But they need
not be thrown aside on that account.
Nature has provided us with such .ex-
cretory organs that obnoxious matter
in our food, if in moderate amount, is
readily cast out, and the body is pro-
tected against any material injury.
Were it not so, we should be obliged to
throw out of our dietary many kinds
of food now eaten, not only with i'm
punity but with advantage. Thus, red
cabbage, cherries and peaches contain
Prussic acid, which is a deadly poison
when taken in sufficient quantity. The
very small amount of the poisoning
acid these vegetables contain is cast
out of the system without any material
injury to the person using them. A
positive good may actually be derived
from the use of food containing some
such foreign matter by way of
giving increased activity and strength
to the excretory organs from their ex-
ercise in casting such foreign matter
from our bodies, provided the guam
tity is not so great rs to overburden
them. Since we are all the time liable
to take in our food substances, the
tendency of which is harmful, a good
development of efficiency in our ex-
cretory organs is necessary to protect
us against the pernicious effects which
might otherwise occur. Almost every
kind of grain and fruit in use contains
more or less of things, which, if in
larger amount, would prove hurtful.
Unless we closely study our food, we
are taking them in when we little sus-
pect 1t. A Frenchman, not many
years ago, discovered a substance in
wheat bran, which, under the high
heat used in baking, dissolved out and
spread over the crumbs of bread, of
which bran forms q part, and discol-
ored it, and hence the brown stain Pc
culiar to Graham bread. But from
this discovery such bread has not been
rejected, but continues to be accounted
among the most wholesome kinds of
food. Rye is seldom used without
containing more or less ergot, but rye
bread Is also reckoned among the most
healthful. Tea contains tannic acid,
apples contain nalic acid, lemons and
oranges citric acid, neither of which is
used either in nutrition or respiration,
but they only become Objectionable
when used excessively.
other fruits, contain some poisonous
matter. They, and the eggplant, Je-
rusalem cherry, bitter sweet, deadly
nightshade, and the common potato
plant, all belong to the same genus
solanum-the fruit Of every species of
which is more or less poisonous, but
NONE of them very mulch SO. The fruit
of the deadly nightshade and of the po-
tato (potato balls) are probably the
most poisonous. But even these are
not very hurtful. The smaller amount
contained in tomatoes allows of their
being classed with the esculent fruits,
but there is neverless enough to give
them q peculiar flavor not apt to be
relished by unaccustomed palates, but
which use soon renders agreeable.
Used very largely, tomatoes would
doubtless develop specific results pecul-
lar to the fruit of the genus to which
they belong. especially with feeble per-
sons and those who, from their pecul-
lar constitutions, are susceptible to
such influences. BUT when moderately
...oJ by rv.vvns IN talr health, tnciv ~
no more reason for rejecting them than
there would be in rejecting lettuce for
the opium it contains.
Elephant stands in similar relations.
Its prominent characteristic and flavor
are the result of oxaGc acid, which is
q powerful poison. For persons not
having suficient vigor to dispose of
such q strong acid, and for those in
whose systems there is already an ex-
cess of acid, such highly acid food
would be Objectionable. But its mod
crate use by people in common health
is no more Objectionable than any 9TH
er acids in daily use, and regarded as
healthful.-L. B. arnold, N. =. Irsb-
Mne.
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