The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1883-07-19
Nutritiousness OF Foods.

Jno. stainbsek Wilson, NJ. d., an southern
In my last article i passed in re-
view a number of fruits and yegeta-
bles, recommending their use both
as food and medicine. Tomatoes,
apples, peaches, oranges. lemons, aid
1.-The sinai. seeded fruits were mem
toned as good medicine for the Iises
.ad bowels, and wale!saaisas sS
If the best TO act OF the An!uYs.
Let MS now considrr seme otlet
articles Of food IN common nsr,
Peas. beans aud oily anls fcsen
Die the s'bread stu.ls in their com
position, though III ti.s lan,l 81
abundance, nuts are hardly regarded
as food, but merely as something 20
CRAFTY the palate. But all the ar
ticlcs just mentioned are highly nu
Jftious, though more iudhgrstib;e
than the grains, on account Of the
greater quantity of oil they contain.
Yet persoas oil fail digestive bowers
can use them with impunity; and II
necessary, our laborihg classes might
-Absist comfortable on them to tn,
Nelusion OF meat, which has less
utritiye value. The practice. bow
yer, of making desert of nuts.
diamonds. and raisins after Il heatts
dinner is rather too much for mosr
ss9machs. =
Among the csculent roots, the 90
tato is the best. Sweet POTATOES ar.
lguite nutritious. and gsneraih 'si-
gestible. The greatest oh, elton Il
them is their tendency to cause ia.
nlcncy. This, however, is not like ~
TO prove serious except IN persons Of
weak digestion. Irish potatoes are
less nutritiye than sweet; but wbeh
we'll cooked, so as to be mealy and
not close and clammy. are very di-
gestib!e. Boiling or baking is tie
best mode Of cooking potatoes, I'm
less we except roasting in the ashes,
which Is not $50 nice but one ~ the
best modes Of cooking.
| Turnips and parsnips are whole
some, but contain very Htle 1utr,-
ment. Beets and carrots are also
wholesome and mt 'itloas, on account
Of the large amount Of sugar enter
ing into their composition Rauish-
es contain scarcelyanY nouris imeht,
and they are too acria and irritating
for any one who has proper regard
for the welfare OF the stomach As
n rule. with very few exceptions, all
I.st,mulants and condiments should
be excluded from the dietary Of
every one desiring to preserve the
| integrity of the digestive organs
SO absolutely essential to health and
comfort, and SO terribly abused by
excuses and errors in diet.
Cabbages and colqrds, '.bacon and
greens" are the staple articles OF
diet among many people. particular
| ~ In the Southern and Western
States. Fat bacon has very little
nutrimcnt, being mainly heat gen
Grating agent, and lean bacon has
much less nutrimcnt than bread,
in common use.
The truth is our laboring popula-
ton could hardly preserve the di-
gestiye powers of their stomachs, or
the strength of their bodies with
such diet, unless these digestive
powers were sustained by their ac-
tive life, and their strength preserv.
ed by the free use of corn bread and
nutritive vegetables, sucE as beans,
peas, etc. The cabbages and col
iards eaten with this meat have very
little nutritiye value, but are unob-
jectionable, If cooked without such a
large admixture Of hog grease. The
objection, then, is not to the greens"
out to the grease; and unless some
better mode of cooking than boiling
with fat bacon can be invented, no
one except the stoutest iaborers
=hoald make them an everyday ar
t,cle of diet. And yet many delicate
women and children in this country
live almost exclusively on fat bacon
and collards. If the present excite
ment in reference to adulterated lard
results in restricting its use, 1T will
prove a blessing compared with
which the loss of a few millions of
money IS not worthy of a moments
consideration, and especially when
the loss is sustained by set of spec
ulators who live by making corners"
on the necessaries of life.
Now a word specially to the chill
dren. All that has been said on the
righteousness, digcstibility, whole
someness and medicinal virtues OF
different kinds of fruits and veaeta-
bles applies alike TO children and
adults. Fruits and vegetables are
no more unwholesome for children
the proper age to take solid food
than for grown people. The Difficult
ty with children is that they are al
lowed TO indulge in fruits and other
kinds OF food at time of life when
they should be restricted to milk or
other fluid nourishment. And when
they are old enough To be weaned,
and therefore old enough TO take
solid food, they eat enormous guam