Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-01

quence of the existing method Of publica- |
ton. Put out by the Agricultural Depart |
ment as farmers bulletins, it's practical |
character is lost sight of, both in the chan |
nels through which it seeks the people and |
as a result of the formless shape in which |
1t appears. The government endeavors to |
direct this Information to the people by |
means Of educationalb Institutions, but I
have observed how, in a most distinguished
representative institution, .Drexel Institute,
there is perversion of the original purpose
sought, and institutions Of learning teach,
as the government studies domestic science
as an end in itself, making to IN unfortu
nate degree an Intellectual diversion of
what might be at every step of its pro-
ically. f.
When n Woman is Needed.
DR.. True has told me that in the matter
of utilizing the results of Prof. Atwater's
Investigations in constructing the tables
and dietaries, published in the reports, the
government has been at loss how best to
proceed. In this emergency woman
chief of a household division, who would
bring to the Office the intellectual require
ments Of a scientist and the practical ex-
perience in dietaries of, a housewife would
unquestionably serve the government.
With little or no experience in science and
not much in housekeeping, 1 can myself
perceive that if the daily dietaries calcu-
|
Nutritive Value and Cost were done in the
form of average menus for the day, they
would much more exactly and graphically
represent a standard Of living to the pub
lie mind.
In creating a demand for both nutritive
and pure foods, it is the women of the
country who must be educated first. My
| belief in the possible utility of a science of
nutrition long hung fire over what seemed
| to me forever irreconcilable factor in
| final equations-the personal factor. 1 re-
Gently put this difficulty before Mrs Ellen
| H. Richards professor of sanitary chemis-
| try in the Massachusetts Institute of
| Technology, who instantly made the matter
| simple to me, at the same time revealing
how the scientists perception of truth
gains point in application through the ex-
perience of a mother.
| 1T is all very well,' said, ito figure out
the number of calorics a man must have,
| and be able to cook them hygienically, but
how can you make him eat when you've
| finished? You must get your calorcs
| swallowed before the science of nutrition
can so much as begin to operate, and my
| experience and observation are that the
| average man would rather be poisoned
than eat anything you tell him is good for
| him."
Learning to Eat.
| Precisely" answered Mrs Richards,
land right there lies woman's opportunity
| in the social economy. Women must learn
| domestic science. and through their posi-
| tlOH IN the nome, make living the science
habit with men. I know how it Is with
my boys. If 1 tell them anything is n.y.
gienic, as you say, they hate it. Therefore.
1 don't tell them. 1 just put proper food
before them, and they eat it, until after
| awhile their palates become educated, and
they finally will not eat anything else"
The literature bearing on domestic science
published by the government up to date
comprises a report Food and Diet by
Professor Atwater; Farmers Bulletin, No
23-"Foods: Nutritive Value and Cost" by
Professor Atwater; Farmers Bulletin, No
21-"Methods and Results of Investiga
tions Of the Chemistry and Economy OF
Food" by Professor = Atwater; Farmers
Bulletin, No. 34-"Meats: Composition ano
Cooking" by Chas. D. Woods, office of ex
pertinent stations, and "Suggestions Re
garding the Cooking of Food" by Edward
Atkinson, with Introductory statements re
garding the nutritive value of common
food materials by Mrs. Ellen H. Richards
reports on Food and Food Adulterants sew
eral in number, by the chemist of the Ag
ricultural Departments; reports on Insec
Pests of the Household, by Professor
Riley; reports on the Cost of Living and or
Housing the People. by Commissioner O.
Labor Carroll d. Wright.
The Cost Of Living.
On first going into the science Of nutri
ton woman's mind may be bit upset by
the technical knowledge necessary to b.
gained in order to intelligently proceed
This is not much, however. and familiarlt!
soon makes calculating a dietary an alnos
involuntary exercise In the ordering Of
meal, but to acquire this familiarity man,
will doubtless be stimulated by rerceivin.
in advance just what good the bother o
} 1t is.
. My experience has developed this:
I know that 1 would like to reduce tn
amount CT money spent in feeding m.
family 1 know that relative to wha
| al ofh fay I ay
travagant. At the same time habit ha
rendered the particular features Of Thu
extravaganza so much In the nature o
necessities that I don't know how to g.
about cutting down rations and expense
} If my dinner does not include the regula
order from savory soup to salad, fol
lowed by corresponding dessert, there
just much of "goneness" in me ~
there would be in another, perhaps, VIII
had missed an entire meal Nor have ], il
myself, in my experience, any means o
determining just how much of this gone
/ ness Is really ir, my stomach and how
much in my mind. Now, in this EXTERN
ity, I learn from one of Professor At
waters reports that scientific inquiry ha
established that a mans rationS is 5ufli
j.. Gent when it contains about $500 caloric
per day-a caloric being the unit of hea
estimated necessary to raise the tempera
ture Of pound of water degrees F.. an
, the unit of energy adopted in estimating tn
fuel value of food. My physiology ha
: taught me that the potential energy of foo
is heat developed in the process OF diges
ton, and the physiological chemist tell
.. me different food materials develop hea
, in different degrees. Professor Atwate
.. has figured out the heat-producing power
? that is, the nutritive value of a large
, varied assortment of food materials, a
the same time showing what percentage
they contain of the several clements tina
respectively sustain the several necessitie
, of my body-part of the food l eat going t
, repair my machinery, while the rest keep
it in motion. In particular, that Is, tn
? protein (albuminous substance) in my food
2 of which meat contains the greatest per
centage, makes the tissue of my body, an
the starch and sugar Carbohydrates. an
the fats l consume supply the heat neces
sary to life and activity.
8 Making n Dietary.
: Now I am ready to construct my dietary
= I first make out list Of the provisions
$ have purchased during a week. This 1
s only beginning, understand, and dietar
I calculated thus will be only a rough esti
> mate on which to base a first saving. T
q practice perfect economy of health an
r money would require the establishment Of
n dietary for each individual and each meal
v a much too complicated matter for the be
| ginner to even think about without tn