St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-10-07

provided slwayD you give them the
proper conditions. These conditions
are TO be found in dough which IL be-
ing raised with yeast. They are
warmth, moisture and the organic
matter of the -four on which the germs,
after certain changes, feed.
1t is necessary 10 remember at this
point that yeast Is germ growth, and
when introduced into mixture on glu-
eose or starch, in the presence Of
warmth and moisture sets mp fer.
mentation. II the mixture be . starchy
dough the yeast first changess portion
Of the starch into glucose and then de-
composes the glucose by changing il
acid gas and alcohol.
Now the gluten, which Il also . con-
stituent of dough and moist starch,
affords, with the latter, IN excellent
indus for the development Of germs Of
disease a. well - for the yeast germs.
The germs Of cholera, as of typhoid
fever, would, If introduced into dough,
find very favorable conditions for their
growth.
l do not wish to ''pose" as an alarm
ist, nor am willing to say there II
very much chance Of the germs Of
typhus and of cholera reaching the
stomachs of tho people who eat bread
which has been raised with yeast.
But while sm not afraid that cholera
and typhus will be greatly spread BY
yeast-rNised bread. I have not the
slightest cause to doubt that other dis
eases have been and will b carried
about in the bread.
have met journeymen bakers, suf-
fering from cutaneous diseases, work
ing the dough in the bread trough with
naked hands and arms. ! suppose I
need scarcely say this was put . stop
20 in very short order. / have no rea-
son 70 suppose bakers are less liable 70
cutaneous diseases than arc other
men, and know, ss every house
wife knows, yeast-raised bread
must be worked . long time. This
Is IN exceedingly Questionable
thing from the standpoint Of . physi-
clan, and for the reasons that tho
germs Of disease which are In the air
and dust and on stairwsys and straps
in street cars, are most often collected
on the hands. So well do physicians
know this that there il no ablution
practical eqaal to that which they un-
dergo before they perform any kind Of
surgical operation. Any person who
has ever kneaded dough understands
the way in which the dough cleans the
hands. In other words, this means
that any germs which may have found
. lodging place on the hands Of the
baker before he makes mp his batch Of
bread are surs~ to md their way into
the dough, and once there, to And al
the conditions necessary for subdi-
vision and growth. This n equivalent
10 saying that we must rely on heat 70
kill these germs, because Il = almost
certain that they win Be there. Now,
underdone or doughy bread Il form
which every man and woman has seen.
II Is belief ss old - the hills that
underdone bread Il unheslthful This
reputation has been earned for it BY
the experience Of countless generar
lions. and no esreful mother viii wish |
her children 70 eat bread that has not |
been thoroughly cooked. The reason
given for this recognised unhealthfal-
ness has heen that the uncooled yeast !
dough Il very diAacult to digest, and |
his reason has value. No one but .
physician would b spt to think Of dis |
Dase germs whieA-have not been killed |
luri1g tie pgeeso Of halin9 - .
Daase q the keknses- following ~
= .