The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-14
INVESTIGATION
OF FOOD HABITS
Results of Dietary Studies Made in New
York City.
SUGGESTIONS BY DR.. DELANY
observations Made on the East Side
Show That the Food Used Is Not
Selected with Any idea OF It's Value
and Nourishiug Qualities.

Washington, Feb. 13.-The result of
Investigations into the food habits of
a number of families in the congested
districts of New York city in 1895 and
1896 have been made public by the
agricultural department in a report en-
titled Dietary Studies in New York
City" by Professors w. o. Atwater
and C. d. Woods. The general plan of
the inquiry consisted in visiting num-
Der of typical families in the worst
congested portion of the city, observ-
ing the kinds and amounts of food
which they bought and the prices which
they paid, noting whether they OBJ
tained good weight and measure and
subjecting specimens of the food ma
terals to analysis for the purpose of
learning their nutritive values.
The work in New York was done
mostly by Dr. Isabelle Delany. The
provision consisted mainly of the stu
dies Of detaries of families of the
poorer classes, the majority of whom
were on the East Side" near the
junction of Cherry and Catherine
streets. The people in whose families
the studies were made represented
a large number of occupations. In some
shiftless and took little interest in the
appearance of their homes and tables.
Other families, though ignorant. were
willing and anxious to learn how they
might improve their habits of living.
The main results of each study are
given with a brief discussion of the
chief features.
Following this are some valuable
of the food habits of city poor 1t is
impossible, the report says, to lay down
any hard and fast rules which shall
govern the purchase of food by a fam
lily, as these must to very great ex-
tent be determined by the different
local conditions.
NO EFFORT AT ALL.
In many of the families there was nc
attempt made to spread an attractive
table. One of the common observa.
tions among those who are familiar
with the habits of the poorer class
of wage workers, the report contin.
ues, is to the effect that q not incon.
siderable amount of prevalence of in.
temperance can be traced to poor
food and unattractive home tables
Throughout all these districts there
was shown very little apprehension oI
the nutritive value OF the food pur.
chased, and the selection apparently
being made according to some whim OF
taste, the presence of certain food ma.
| terials in the market, or because the
hOusekeeper had become accustomed tC
| purchasing certain kinds of foods. The
| larger number of families spent more
| than they really could afford for food
| and yet frequently received insufficient
| nourishment. The question how these
| people could have obtained more nutri.
ment for the money expenditure /:
answered only in the most genera
| terms. 1t is suggested that one of the
| best and surest ways to improve the
| condition of the poor is to give then
| practical instructions and object les
| sons in the preparation Of attractive
| yet simple and cheap foods. The sub
/ jects upon which the women should bt
| instructed include lessons upon the
| best and most nutritious food materials
and those best adapted in point of cos
| and ease of preparation to the needs anC
| circumstances of the family and in
| structions such as shall enable the
| housekeepers to prepare simple, whole
some and palatable dishes from sucl
food.