The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-19
WHAT CHILDREN SHOULD EAT.

The vital subject of food values is again
attracting attention. and some opinions of
the past are being reconsidered and re-
versed. SO large a proportion of the dis
eases Of the young is the fruit of errors of
diet that the very highest scientific author
ity is being brought 20 bear upon the SUBJ
ject..
:. 1t is now definitely settled that the old
preference for underdone meat over meat
we'll cooked was based on error. 1t sprang
from notion that meat lost its nutritive
value by long cooking, and it cannot be
denied that meat when overlooked is apt
to become so hard that it is insoluble to
the gastric juice and troublesome in the
stomach. But rare meat is much harder
TO nasticate than meat that is cooked
brown: and thus it passes into the stomach
in ashape which almost defies digestion
The eldsrule that a piece of meat should
be chewed once for every tooth in the
eaters" mouth was sound. Soup meat
reaches the digestive organs in the shape
of pulp and is quickly disposed Of An
other old rule which experience confirms
is that broiled meat is more wholesome
than baked. boiled. stewed or fried meats
1t is about as good as meat done in the old
: ApoobSlcs h4iICu nave RUnc Jul VI use. I lie
best way to broil meat is to place it on
s'broiler or gridiron over pan containing
water and TO expose it for twenty minutes
TO fierce heat; after this the cooking may
go:'on Under a lower temperature, if the
joint or steak is not cooked through.
Prodding soup meat with a fork, as cooks
are fond Of doing, involves loss OF valu-
able meat juices. Meat may be baked in
F.. an oven: on the same principles. and will
be only slightly inferior to Drolled meat
But boiled, stewed and fried meats are
far less digestble. An adult in the full
vigor OF health, with organs unimpaired,
may survive a fried steak. but it is not fair
to- satisfy a delicate child's hunger with
e: such food. 1t is apt to plant tie seeds of
tendency to indigestion which it will
!: trouble the family physician to handle.
: Modern opinion does not favor a fish
diet. Fish have been recommended on ac-
count Of the phosphorus they contain, but
meat and even farinaceous food contain
PHOSPHORUS. perhaps as much as the sys-
tenn ought to be called upon 20 absorb. In
some localities. where people are con-
demned to fish diet. certain class of all
ments prevail which are now traced 10 an
excess of phosphorus in the blood. Several
kinds OF fish should be avoided by people
with. weak digestOns, among others
salmon. herring, and es peciaily mackerel
To digest a fat mackerel requires the
stomach of horse.
turning to grains, controversy is pend
ing on the relative value OF wheat and oat-
meal asa food for children. All agree
thai cornmeal is too trying for delicate
stoD achs7; IL is said to be answerable for
much of the Indigestion prevailing in the
Valley and the Southern States. The best
grain to feed 10 children is wheat. But
the practice of serving it in the shape of
hot bread is highly dangerous. No food
, which is much above or below the tenn
perature of the BODY can be digested with
ease. When a mass of hot muciaginous
matter is thrown into the stomach OF a
child the digestive organs rise in rebellion as
il to say. What in the world do you expect
us to do with that? Oatmeal has been
classed as ndigestible, but this was chiefly
because ii was improperly cooked. Oat-
meal should be cooked for not less than
one hour. and should be eaten not with
syrups, but with milk. In this shape it is
wholesome. and almost as digestible as
wheaton bread
VI 'no NeSeIaDles WHICH appear at chill
orens dinner tables the commonest ana
the one OF least value is the potato. Its
nutrl.lYe value compares with wheaton
1000 as to z. aud it contains so much
starch that it is apt to give trouble in cases
OF delicate intestines. Like turnips. car.
rots and beets it consists mainly of water.
and merely fills up vacuum for a short
time. The popularity of the potato has
been godsend to doctors. Among good
and useful vege ables may be enumerated
tomatoes. asparagus. fresh peas and beans
The best of all is onions, which are a
panacea for digestive and stomach troubles.
"A child who is taught to like onions, and
eats them in moderation twice or three
times week will have fair chance Of
never knowing the meaning Of the word
dyspepsia The yeomen of England, who