Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-03-04

than even wheat flour in oily and
heterogeneous matter" Parkes, author
of Practical HYGIENE SAYS: Oats
have been considered even more nu-
tritlous than wheat on barley, and
certainly not only is the amount of
heterogeneous substances great, but the
proportion Of fat is large.
The heterogeneous substances of oats
contain gliadind and especially gluten
caseine or avenine. which approaches
very closely in characteristics to the
legulmIne of beans and peas, and
causes oatmeal 10 stand nearer in nu-
| trltiue properties TO the leguminous
than do the other cereals.
| 1t is observable how large is the
amount of water in the fresh beef as
compared with the flour and oatmeal.
and as meat contains also a larp e
amount of bone about one fifth of its
weight, we see that the solid matter
In beef furnishing nutriment is but a
small portion of its original weight.
Now, making comparison between
flour, bread and oatmeal, we notice
that flour has only one element (car
DO hydrates) in greater quantity than
oatmeal, yet as concerns all the other
elements the difference is largely in
favor of the oatmeal, and the slight
excess of carbohydrates ia the flour
is probably more than compensated
for in value by the large amount of
fats contained in the oatmeal, for to
a certain extent extent these elements
are interchangeable. But when we
examine further and note the change
that has taken place in the -four when
converted into bread in which form
| 1t is usually eaten, we see that it has
gained a considerable amount of wat
err, a non nutrItive, and at the same
time has lost much of nutritive ele-
ments-albuminates, fats carlo hy-
drates and salts-s loss that has taken
place while fermenting as dough, and
while in the oven during the process
of baking. This is about III per cent.
when there has been gain of 25 per
cent. of weight IN converting a pound
of flour into bread, and about per
cent. when there has been ~ain of
33t per cent. of weight in converting
a pound of flour into bread, a loss of
% pounds of -four to the barrel in the
first case, of loss of III pounds of
flour to the barrel in the second case,
and as absorbation of water by -four
varies between IS and 33l per cent
the average loss may be stated at 161
pounds on each barrel, or loss of
one-twelfth on each barrel, or one
barrel out of every twelve, so that
while the flour in the beginning com
pared somewhat favorably with the
oatmeal in value, yet wnen made fit
for eating startling loss occurs,
loss that oatmeal is not subject to,
for by the usual method of convert
ing oatmeal into a palatable food,
that is, by boiling it in water at tenn
perature of 2l2 degrees Fair, there
are no changes in its elements. and
they exist as complete in the cooked
food as they did III the natural grain.
1t will also be noted that there is q
large percentage of salts" in the oat-
meal, much greater than in the bread
or IN any article on the table.
The presence of these is indis-
pensable in food, and is always fav-
orably regarded, being necessary for
building up all that belongs to- the
bony structure of the body, and their
absence or deficiency is the usual
cause of imperfect development of
bone tissue. In fact, it would appear
from an inspection of the table that
oatmeal contains every element in
an amount sufficient to afford nour-
ishmen for the growth and support
of every part in the body.