The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-02-26
Dietetic Value OF Fruit and
Vegetables.

be very little understood. Vegetables are
nnquestionably valuable article OF food,
but IL needs only superficial study OF the
subject OF dietetics to make 1t clear that
vegetables are very greatly inferior to
grains In nutritive value, and in their
composition are far less ssited to the hui
man stomach than are the seed products
commonly known as fruits and grains. An
Interesting fact, also, is 1.at, considered
from the standpoint Of comparative anat
omy, mans digestive organs aro very diff
ferent In structure from those of animals,
which subsist upon roots, leaves buds,
twigs, stems and other products included
under the general term vegetables. An
other fact Of very great interest in this
connection Is that vegetables were not in
oluded In the original bill OF fare given to
man by his Creator as recorded in the first
ohapter OF Genesis. Vegetables were given
to the lower animals for their sustenance,
and seeds and fruits were reserved for man.
Seeds and fruits are unquestionably the
most highly elaborated products of the
vegetable Kingdom. Vegetables are much
ooarser in character and much less per
fectly elaborated. Nearly all vegetables
contain large amount of woody matter,
whlch requires the action of very power
ful digestive juices and of strong muscular
action on tho part OF the digestive organs
to reduce them to iluid state and To eS-
tract from them the comparatively small
amount OF nourishment which they cor
tain. 10 much less degree is this the
case with fruits and grains while in the
case or fruits we find food substances more
nearly prepared for assimilation and In a
form more easily attacked by the digestive
organs or man than any other.
Inc writer has met many cases In which
invalids were really suffering, and that Sc
rlously, In Ignorance OF these facts. To
person In vigorous health and with strong
digestive powers, these principles may be
ignored with comparative 1mpunity, and
often for long time, but person whose
digestive powers are feeble, and especially
one suffering from dilation of the stomach
an extremely common condition, espe-
cially among women, In consequence of
their injurious mode of dress-often suf-
fers seriously In consequence OF the great
labor required OF the digestive organs in
the use OF such coarse vegetable products
as celery and salads of various sorts. In
some instances the tubers-parsnips, beets,
turnips and cabbage-are the only articles
which need to be excluded from the diet
airy, while In others even potatoes are
source OF serious digestive disturbance.
WIN many persons the principal evils
arising from the use OF vegetables are rem
dered conspicuous only when these articles
are consumed In connection with Others
with whlch they 90 not well agree. Many
persons nave recognized that various artl-
GIGS Oh loou can pe eaten separately or win
certain oohers When In other combinations
ohey prove extremely uhwholesone. Inc
foasoh ,or oiiis IS Vhe iaUo ohao lruits ana
vegetables require so different degree
ana KIND OF actlvlty on the part OF the d1-
gestiVe organs A ruling principle In rela-
ZION 10 ohe coinpihation OF 1000 is this:
Inose aroicies OF 1000 should be eaten TO-
eeuher "nlch are ulgested together; IN
other words, the Dill OF rare should be SO
arranged tnat tine combination or food sub
stances Will harmonic with the action OF
the digestive organs upon those substances.
In applying thls principle to vegetables
we ma that the starchy vegetables are
hard OF digestion, and that the large guam
'lty Oh potash salts winch they contain Is,
according to Bunge, source OF irritation
10 the stomach ana lnterferes with gastric
oigestlon. Inc coarse, woody structure of
nearly all vegetables also renders necessary
the retention CT the dlgested mass In the
stomach Tor long time, thus frightening
three reasons for very considerable ex-
tension OF the gastric digestion OF the yege-
tables.
In the case OF fruits, on the other hand,
when ripe ana properly cooked, we have
substances which are dlgested and assim.
LATED with very great ease. The time re-
CURED for the digestion OF cabbage is be-
tween four and five hours, while ripe APP
pie dlgests In one hour. If these two ar
tlcles are taken into the stomach at the
same time, both must remain there until
Doth are dlgested, AS they will become ST.
intimately intermingled that they cannot
possibly be separated. The apple, digested
and ready for absorption, If not absorbed,
undergoes fermentation 1t Is n principle
which Is constantly recognizable In rela-
tion to digestion that the delay of the alb
sorptlon OF a rood product after 1T has been
dlgested Is certain to result In Its deterior-
alton through fermentation and decompo-
ntloh, wnlch are set up py the numerous
microbes constantly present In the all
mentary canal. The same is true If the
digestive product OF one portion OF the all
mentary canal Is not passed along with
que promptness TO another part OF the d.