New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
SHAMS IN FOOD.
HOW FASHIONABLE TASTES RUIN THE HEALTH OF
THE PEOPLE.

THE PEOPLE
To ne Edttor Of The Tribune
SIR: Carlyle was wont to call this the age of
shams and in nothing is the justice of this more mani
than Day by day we eat food more pre-
neutrality-suspicious. too more artistic-but less real.
How comes it that dentists to-day nearly
Gus AS doctors and that youth of twenty has poorer
teeth than his grandmother Of eightyl How is it that
while sanitary improvements our large cities are
ducng the percentage of deaths and in fictitious
consumption aud other chronic diseases only keep
up bnt rather increase, the total death-rae2 Why do
dyspepsia anana, insanity ana the diseases that
enfeeble rather than kill afct every second person we
meetl Food essential TO life, know IA very
complex thing hut the sham food of our day is chiefly
food deprived OF its more soluble elements. To the
weak the dyspeptc and the rapid eater, these
elements are alimporant. one ounce of easily soluble
food is to such of more value than ten insol-
ubc; for the Inter may exhaust weak person to digest
it more than it strengthens him when digested. But
important still ia the value of those soluble ee-
ments 10 digestion. Thus dogs fed washed meat died
nearly rs soon a. those LETT without food and examna-
ton of the stomach after death found the food midi
cesed. When the soluble elements are lost the chem
istry Of digestion becomes IMPOSSIBLE
Furthermore, the saline portions the soluble Gle
mcnts the great solvents carriers of waste and
irritan matters from the blood The rheumatic acid is
by them neutralizcd and removed, and rheumatism is
the father OF heart disease acid dyspepsia and other dis
too numerous to mention But most important of
AL 1t has been found that the brain forms OF in
WHch modern civilization rejects from its dietary. And
not the brain only but every organ and tissue in c
body is liable to low forms OF degraded feeble life due
to paucity of those soluble clements
This election 81 such important part OF our food hy
modern fashion IA sacrificing of tn reality p
pcaTance Cornstarch is good corn from which the
manufacturer has carefully removed every that
can MAKE muscular tissue and bone. Geatinc isingass
ana car "-tout Jelly are equally innocent formative
value Msoaroni, Vermcei nearly ali OF those pre-
pared aud picturesque foods only a shade better
-lp1 tn Il
to improve their appearance they soaked in water
previous to canning till much of their lost But
worst oil all hr ad biscuit, crackers. buildings and pas
try and whatever is made with white wheaton Hour are
ieror to the whole grain 90 PEI cent and inferior
just tnoSc elements iOnnd lacking In The insane brain
and the consunptive glands. But. say some we use
bread. Unfortunately though they could do so tlry do
elements " rejected by this gencratou potato the
rcmai udcr. has this part Renewed, hat il NAV NOT
itS virtue whilst cooking 10 the pulp. Aid whai re-
Fod'ing u IN water previous To boiling treated the
potato, like bread, Is nearly onc-half depleted in that
which l. needed most. Other vegetables fare worse
tth'r because hry are cut smaller before washing
from thcir nature allow the boiling penetrate
their Suhst IuOc
Sham food: sham indeed. Teeth brain heart luu,s
everything, must and docs suffer Chronic diseases nni
an easy prey where Their" Is much degraded tissue and
Gle uScd blood Nor such pcrsou. tuou.e thrv MAY
often seem robust and wel-nourished undergo any real
uut"u'c Nhat oi me rcm'dNi Tine ansNcr has almost
been gwen in the pointing out OF the error FIRST insist
p"'7 81" ' o the ttf III tItir NAlnH see that Ncgcta
hcS are cooked in soups, ana washed before moi NJ
ter th'y are cur or chopped fine Use graham Hour
EI"'.In D'd'' dN on 'otn~ldlch ana ali similar
pared foods Eat ripe fruit uucookcd and prefer those
N'-tI aprN citdpc aN uucookcd salads. Many will he
IP't'u 10 Hu WhHl dlH'F nj beings they VIII feel
Yer Few months perseverance in such reform. IasSi-
t"Ie ana ms opposite extreme. ncrvons lrrabity are
"a rule Il lr 10 imperfect or 'I"iols diet. HEALTH
NUHtu 10 sd, t1t, july 3D. lN~l.