The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
FOOD OF THE COMING RACE.
Laboratory of the Chemist May De-
strOy the farmers Usefulness.

Laboratory of the Chemist May De-
strOy the Farmers Usefulness.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Washington, d. C-The man of the fu-
ture will have his table furnished directly
from the laboratory of the chemist.
Science will manufacture food and drink,
the occupation of the farmer will be gone
and the fields no longer wave with grain
or meadows support lowing herds.
If the predictions of science are ever
realized, the world in the age of the COM
ing race will be a very different world
from that in which We live to-day. And
the food which will support the people of
that date will be derived from a totally
different source. Prof. Writ Tassin, the
chemical mineralogist of the national mu-
scum, is the authority for the statement
that the problem of food will be solved by
the expert chemist of the future
Though pursuing his studies along the
line of inorganic chemistry alone, he
thinks that the predictions made by or
ganic chemists-that food can be manu-
featured in the laboratory-will be verified
and that a great change will thus be
wrought in our life and country. The
things for which we now depend on cattle,
the field and the orchard will be made in
the crucible, and the occupation of the
farmer Will be a thing of the past. The
vast fields of waving grain will disappear,
no fiocks will dot the green hill sides, and
no trees bend beneath the weight of gold
en- fruit mellowing In the August sun. The
hungry man will be able to sit down at a
table on which the meat. bread and po-
tatoes, as we'll as the coffee, milk, sugar
and tea, are chemical products. Or he
may take his food in another chemical
form by eating the elements Of which it
is formed in their original proportions.
The gentlemen at the head of the De-
partment of agriculture hardly agree with
this view, which they say seems very good
In theory, but uncertain as to practice.
Prof Tassn, though modestly asserting
that the matter is not In his line, agrees
with the French savant who asserts that
these predictions viii be fulfilled. That
there Is ample reason for allowing such a
progress of science TO be possible Is evil
deneed by the wonderful things already
done by the chemist.
Eggs as perfect as ever came from the
nest Of a Plymouth hen have been turn
ed out Of the laboratories of French chem
lists; vanilla havoring. which was formerly
made from the extract of the tOnka bean
alone, Is now manufactured chemically
by simply combining its known elements
and 50 are the acids OF many fruits Rub
Der and turpentne are even now being
sought for In chemistry: artificial perfumes
that never saw Hover are made from
coal tars: alizarin, as made by chemists
has totally destroyed the trade I'm the
natural article, and hundreds OF other
things, among them being manufactured
butter may be mentioned where science
has done away with natures methods.
Prof Tassin thinks that chemistry will
be able TO make a perfect food resembling
the natural one In nutritious properties
and that IL will even 20 farther and do
away with the form OF food as we at
present know It. We wiz be able 10 take
the elements composing certain articles
Of diet and introduce them direct into the
human stomach without going first
through the stage OF odibles. The trouble
has been that while all food Is composed
OF such elements as hydrogen, oxygen.
carbon and nitrogen. Il was impossible 20
make the stomach assimilato these ole-
mcnts when taken as such. even In the
exact proportions contained In the food.
And even were we now TO take the exact
amount Of these elements contained in a
meal OF meat. bread. milk and potatoes.
we would not find the least beneficial ef-
feet.
A meal for tho average grown person
engaged In ordinary work is estimated 20
be about ounces Of meat. ~ ounces OF
wheat bread, 30 ounces OF potatoes ana an