The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-08-05
SCIENCE IN THE HOME.
Applications of Modern Discoveries to the
Promotion of the and Comfort to
the People.

Applications of Modern Discoveries to the
Promotion of the and Comfort to
the People.
The chief characteristic of the pres
ent century is the application of natural
science in the business of every day
life. During the hundred years past,
man has made more progress in utiliz-
ing the forces of nature to do his work
than he did in all the centuries before.
Americans haYe been the quickest to
see the practical uses of every discovery
in science and the most skillful in APP
plying these discoveries to the advance
ment of industry and the welfare of the
race.
Man used the forces of nature, first
in manufacturing, next in transporta-
tion and in providing public comforts,
like light and water, and last in agri-
culture. 1t has remained chiefly for
Americans in the last years of this CEN
fury to apply the teachings of science
in the home.
Healthy, happy and successful life
requires houses conveniently arranged,
we'll aired, and comfortably furnished;
abundant sun light and sufficient
warmth; food. not only nutritious and
suited to the work the person is to do,
but attractive and appetizing; clothing
not merely durable and warm, but also
adapted to the season and the work;
safe and convenient illumination for
the night; water, pure and soft, suited
for both drinking and for washing;
milk. pure, fresh and free from germs /;
rapid and complete drainage, prompt
and thorough removal of garbage.
Rational economy should also be prac-
ticed, so that pleasant and comfortably
family life may be within the reach of
all who work faithfully; that the home
may be perpetuated; that poverty, pau
perism and crime may be reduced, and
that the state may be strengthened and
supported by healthy and noble citi-
zens. The physical life is not all, but
it is, in an important sense, the basis
of the intellectual and the spiritual
life.
All of the above elements of the home
are to be obtained only by the intelli-
gent and economical utilization of the
forces of nature. They are the fruits
of science and of the industrial arts. 1t
is vitality important, therefore, that
every citizen should understand the
chief applications of science in the
domestic arts and hygiene.
These natural sciences and their chief
applications manufacturing, mining,
and engineering have been taught in
our better colleges for many years, but
their applications in domestic arts have
been overlooked or neglected, This is
especially true of their applications to
the art of preparing foods. Some in
vestigations carried on by the Univer-
sity of Tennessee, and which have been
noticed in this paper, showed q most
lamentable want of knowledge among
our people of the mutritive properties
of foods and of the proper methods Of
preparing them.
Impressed with the Importance Of
this subject, the University of Tennes-
see last year established a department
of instruction in the sciences and arts
of the home, for its women students.
The experiment proved great success
and will be continued during the next
session. A cooking laboratory has been
arranged and trained instructor en-.
gagged to direct the work.
The purpose is not to give mere en-
pirical instruction in cooking, but to
train students to study the applications
of the sciences in the manufacture and
preparation of food. The work is. there.
fore, arranged on educational rather
than purely technical lines. Labora-
tory methods will be followed and
students will be taught to experiment
and observe for themselves, and then
to apply the facts thus learned to prac-
tical uses. The course to be pursued
next year will cover the applications OF
science in the cookery of common food
materials. It will be free to all women
students of the University and will add
greatly to the attractions of this depart
ment in the institution.