The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-18
THE FOODS OF NATIONS.
Each Race Feeds to Suit the Con-
ditions of Climate.
Experience Has Led to the Proper Sc
lection OF Food by tho Iphabi-
tants of Different Parts
OF tho Globe.

1t Is only within o very recent period
that the science of nutrition has re-
ceived much attention even in a scieu-
tific way; only within very few years
that anything has been done to give
popular instruction upon the subject.
If we had waited, writes Edward At
llinson In the New York Sun, for the
scientist to tell us how to live, we might
long since have begun to diminish in
numbers. Each race, perhaps each
body of inhabitants occupying given
section of the earths surfacc, appears
to have established by u process of nat
ural selection n national food, which
can be procured ut least cost, and which
when analysed is found to contain the
nutrients, protein, starch and fat, in
about the right proportion to suit the
conditions of the climate
beginning with the so-called rice-fed
nations or races, whose rations consist
in large quantity of rice or starchy
food, it appears that they add the re-
quisitc amount of nitrogen by consum-
ing peas and beans. Living mainly in
hot countries, they do not need 50
much fat. In India the clement of fat
is derived from u peculiar kind of but
ter called ghee. In that combination
is found d complete food at the least
cost.
Moving into Europe, we find that tho
nutrition of the working classes of
Italy consists mainly of polenta. n form
OF Indian corn or maize meal, which in
itself is nearly complete food but
being little short of nitrogen, modi-
cum of cheese is added the chief ele-
ment in the diet of the Italian, how
ever, being macaroni and cheese, many
of the cheeses being made from the
skim milk after the cream has been
taken off, as these arc richer in nitro
gen. Macaroni and cheese with salad
is substantially n complete food
Passing over to Switzerland we again
find cheese furnishing that which is the
most important and the most expensive
III every dietary, the heterogeneous por-
ton. In France more meat is eaten,
but in the stock pot, or pot au fcu,
every element of meat and vegetation,
including remnants of bread and every
thing that contains nutrition, is con-
verified over into nearly complete food,
to which the customary salad and bread
serve rs IL remainder.
In England the relative scarcity of
| meat is made up by the abundant con-
sumption of cheese, bread and cheese
serving rs the mainstay of the working
| people, the cheese supplying the de-
hciency of the wheat in protein In
| Scotland oatmeal IS the mainstay, and
in the grain of the ont is to be found a
food more nearly corresponding to the
requirements of complete nutrition
than in any other single variety of food
which is known TO exist. The Irish,
subsisting from choice or from necessity
80 much upon potatoes, nre n people of
relatively low vitality, not tenacious of
life. and as rule, not long lived ex.
cept when removed to other repions
where they can secure more complete
nutrition.
In the northern nations of Europe
fish and rye bread together form
cheap and complete basis for nutrition;
the fish consisting of herring. which
supplies very large amount of fat, or
of salmon or of some other varieties
Crossing the ocean. in New England
we find in the baked beans and brown
bread made from the maize meal, q ra-
ton at low cost which is very complete
in its proportions Of energy.
Passing into Canada we come to an
entirely different dish, pcasc porridgc,
made into n combination with coarse
crackers and bit of pork, furnishing a
strong and complete ration at almost
the minimum of cost
Again, moving to the southern states,
the customary ration of the colored
man, which he chooses in preference to
almost any other kind of food, consists
of three and onc-half pounds of bacon
and Il peck of maize meal per week, to
which are added a few vegetables from
the field, making perhaps the cheapest
ration at the least cost in ratio to the
force it contains than can be found any
where. In Mexico the 'tortilla," or
bean, furnishes the nitrogen in connco-
ton with diet of other materials, very
mcager at the best.
Necessity has probably been the
teacher in each case; the experience of
many generations has probably led to
the final selection, and the habit of
| feeding upon these enforced rations has
.devclopcd an inherited appetite for
them which in many instances has be
come SO strong that change to n diff
| fercnt diet, even rs well balanced as
those named. leads for the time being
to indigestion and to disease have
been told that the southern negro will
be afflicted with dyspepsia if his Gus
tomary ration when at work is changed
from the usual hog and hominy to either
bacon and wheat bread or to corn bread
and beef.