The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-09-23

provided always You give them the
proper conditions. These conditions
are to be found in dough which is be-
ing raised with yeast. They arc
matter of the flour on which the germs,
after certain changes, feed.
1t is necessary to remember at this
point that yeast is germ growth, and
when introduced into Il mixture of glu-
cose or starch, in the presence OF
warmth and moisture sets up fer
mcntation. If the mixture be a starchy
dough the yeast first chanGesa portion
of the starch into glucose and then de-
composes the glucose by changing 1T
! into two new substances, viz. carbcnic
acid gas and alcohol.
| Now the gluten. which is also a con-
stitucnt of dough and moist starch,
affords, with the latter, IN excellent
| indus for the development of germs OF
! disease a: we'll as for the yeast germs.
The germs of cholera, as of typhoid
| fever. would. if introduced into dough,
| find very favorable conditions Tor their
! growth.
| do not wish to ''pose" a an alarm
list, nor am I willing to say there is
! very much chance of the germs OF
! typhus and of cholera reaching the
stomachs of the people who eat bread
| which has been raised with yeast.
But while I am not afraid that cholera
and typhus will be greatly spread by
yeast-raiscd bread, I have not the
slightest cause to doubt that other dis.
| eases have been and will be carried
about in the bread.
have met journeymen bakers, sui
! fcring from cutaneouS diseases. work
ing the dough in the bread trough with
naked hands and arms. / suppose 1
!, need scarcely say this was put stoF
to in very short order. 1 have no rea
con to suppose bakers are less liable tc
cutaneous diseases than are Other
} men, and 1 know, as every house
T wife knows, yeast-raised bread
] must be worked n long time. Thl:
p is an exceedingly objectionabls
. thing from the standpoint of a physi
o clan, and for the reasons that thu
l.! germs of disease which are in the al
d and dust and on stairways and strap
g in street cars, are most often collected
e on the hands. So well do physician
Q know this that there is no ablutio1
5, practical equal to that which they un
;. dergo before they perform any kind o
;. has ever kncaded dough understand
:. the way in which the dough cleans tn
hands. In other words, this mean
that any germs which may have foun
~ a lodging place on the hands of tn
d baker before he makes up his batch {
- bread are sure to find their way int
;" the dough, and once there, to find a
the conditions necessary for subd
d vision and growth. This is equivaler
= to saying that we must rely on heat
IL kill these germs, because it is almo
= certain that they will be there. Nov
IN UNDERGONE or doughty bread is a for
- which every man and woman has seel
q 1t is belief as old as the hills tn;
ID uuderdone bread is unhealthful. TIL
.s reputation has been earned for it I
IL the experience of countless gener
I'D tions, and no careful mother will wis
ID her children to cat bread that has n
~ been thoroughly cooked. The rcasc
ca given for this recognized unhealthfr
ness has been that the uncooked yea
dough is very difficult to digest, Al
de this reason has value. No one but
nd physician would be apt to think of d
ed ease germs which have not been kill
n during the process of baking as
Is. cause of the sickness following t
Use use of uncooked yeast bread. Yet tt
,e- | result from this cause is more thu
ID | probable. have not the slighte
en- | doubt that could we trace back Sol
to | of the eases of illness which we me
or in our practice we would find tn
,r- germs collected by the baker ha
,ca found their way into the yeast bres
to that the heat has not been sufficient
NO destroy them, that the uncooked ye'
Y. bread has been eaten and with it
.cloniea of germs. that they Ia