The herald., 1896-02-23

Ing kltCnen, similarly fQrnleueO, 1
joined class of women at work on in-
valid cookery, the teacher and pupils
all wearing trim white aprons and jaun-
ty caps, domestic science took on 30
much of the theatrical am sure man
or an old woman, looking in, would
have believed the new cook to be doing
nothing more serious than getting up
her lines for farce or opera bouffe.
On a blackboard we're written the
subjects of the afternoons lesson
clam juice, oyster juice, clam broth,
oyster stew, egg cordial, milk punch,
chocolate with whipped cream.
In preliminary talk the teacher in
structed the class in the nutritive value
of each Of the foregoing, and then, as
an instructor of mathematics might as
sign problem of Euclid to be demon
strated, she gave each pupil one OF the
subjects written OH the blackboard to
be worked out with food materials and
cooking utensils over the fire.
The teacher moved among the class
while they we're at work, overs eeing
and making suggestions concerning the
details of every taste. As each was
finished the result, in cup or bowl,
was brought to the teacher to be tasted
and criticised. and then all the pupils
took taete, comparing and criticising
the work of one another. So personal
and practical was every bit of the in
struction given.
At the conclusion of the lesson the
pupils washed their own dishes and put
tnem up. This washing and replacing
of few plates is all the training stu
dents get in the work Of keeping o
kitchen clean. They are taught how to
make a fire, and by turns they have
the care of the range. But for all the
hard, dirty work maid is provided.
Subsequently / joined a class of
housekeepers during lesson in baking
powder. This went most elaborately
into the chemistry of the subject and
was followed by practice lesson in
biscuit making. Following this l sat
with class in the normal course and
listened to a lecture on milk, which
began with the COW, treated of it's
diseases, departed thence to the stable,
defined the meteorological terrors
lurking there; then MIXED the COW,
after sterilizing the cans, and finally
with further suggestions of bacteria en-
route deposited the milk on the door
step of the kitchen. Thence it was di-
verted to the laboratory and chemi
cally analysed, its elements exhibited
in separate stone bottles. The milk
was then taken up in the kitchen again.
Pasteurized and sterilized, instruc-
tions for keeping it were forthc oming,
and next it was converted scientifically
into butter and cheese. A chemical
analysis of each of these products WAS
shown in glass bottles, possible adul-
terations we're disclosed, and the nutri-
tive value of milk. butter and cheese
figured out in accurate percentages of
proteid, carbohydrates, fats and
minerals.
The effect Of all this on the average
woman's mind would bs simply to
drive her crazy with senSe Of in
creased duties and responsibilities.
10 know that there are 800 different
kinds of microbes likely to assaii one's
vitals in milk, to know that if milk is
sterilized too high it is unhealthy, and
that if it isn't sterilized high enough
it will probably kill the baby-why,
the intellect that can calmly know 80
much and act under it amid all the
other trials that beset housekeeper
must be unholy in Its might as Luci-
fer, and certainly not feminine.
A knowledge Of chemistry and bac.
teriology applied to the home is Of
immense benefit to ahousekeeper, but
the study of these subjects for its own
sake is SO fascinating that woman 60
ing into it is apt to lose sight of do
mestic needs and allow her excellence
in the kitchen to fall short of anything
in science.
But while domestic science as she is
taught had filed me with discourage
ment, witnessing the method in chem
istry, in the presentation of nutritive
values, in the matter Of dietaries and
in the manifestation had that the new
cook is to be superior to homework
after she arrives, when went to lunch
at Drexel and ate graduate soup, post
graduate fish balls, junior celery salad
and senior coffee-ah! the real proof of
domestic science is the eating, after all.
Pauline Fry in New York Evening
Star.