The record-union., 1899-06-19


discuss the matter.
you want to know" he said, what
is the dietetic value of the plum pud-
ding. But we must ask, first of all,
what is a plum pudding? of what it is
composed? Plum porridge is spoken
of in the Spectator No. 269, as dish
to be eaten on Christmas Day. 1t is
referred to also in The Tatler' as eaten
in the first part of the dinner There
is no doubt that this was the origin
of the modern plum pudding. Well,
then, what are the ingredients of such
pudding as is made nowadays?" And
| then the famous dietist read out a
recipe of his own for six-pound pud-
ding as follows:
/ 10. raisins-stoned.
l fb. currants-washed and dried.
6 OF. candied peel (mixed) cut in
small pieces.
l ID. suet-chopped as fine as possi-
ble
y ID. breadcrumbs-fine.
~ ID. sugar.
A pinch Of salt.
Six or eight eggs (about nine eggs
make a pound)
A full wineglass of brandy.
A little grated nutmeg.
A little milk
To be tied up tightly in cloth or
basin and boiled for six hours. 1t may
be long kept hanging in a dry place.
and is by some regarded as improved
thereby.
That" continued the surgeon. sis, I
should think, an average pudding. Now
let US analyZe it. First we must con-
slider its nutritive qualities, tested by
the chemical estimate And I first ask,
What proteids are there here? Pro-
teids furnish the nitrogenous part,
which is absolutely essential for the
building up Of the framework and the
tissues Of the body. We find them al
most entirely in the eggs+one of the
best forms of animal proteids that We
have. Next we have proteids in the
breadcrumbs, but not many. Now we
have come to the end of that element.
Then I ask: What are the hydro-car-
bons-or fatty substances-in the pud-
ding? Well, you have a whole pound
of suet-a large quantity. But that is
not food in the sense that the proteid
is-it does not help to replace the Worn
out tissues of the body. Next there
are the raisins and the candied peel
those are all vegetable products, not so
valuable as the apreceding-carbo-h -hy-
drates. And finally there are various
salts-these are always to be found in
the proteids and the vegetable ingredi-
ents"
Now" our representative asked
having analyzed a plum pudding,
would you say that, weight for
weight, it is equal to a beefsteak?"
Our authority responded with dis
tinguo. What sort of a beefsteak?"
he asked; lis it a fat or a lean one?
Because everything depends upon that
If it be lean you get all proteids, and
you get more than the pudding gives.
But if it be fatty you get something
more like an equivalent. You really
cannot draw parallels That's why it
is necessary to say that there are four
distinct elements in a pudding. Thus,
in six-pound pudding you find two
and one-half pounds-that is to say.
nearly half-nade Of fruit Fruit Is
nearly all water. and if you weigh that
against any kind of steak, the steak
must carry the day"
But could man dine on plum
pudding alone-for it has been sug
gested that he could?' was the next
question.
He could If he were vigorous, but
sedentary man would be well advised
not to attempt it. You see the next
great thing to consider about the plum
pudding is whether it is easy of di
gestion The stomachs the thing. Va
sfotyv is- he
fore when a man wants to be dieted,
you examine him well, you find out
what his pursuits are, what recreation
he takes and you ask him for his own
experience-and then you can make
dietary for him. But there are no uni
versal laws Of diet. I have often said,
and repeat it: L don't know a whole
some dish, and l don't know any un-
wholesome dish There is nothing of
which you can say that it suits every
body, and hence the old proverb, What
is one mans meat is another mans
poison
What is the origin of the popular
belief that plum pudding is produc-
tive of INDIGESTION"
All" he exclaimed, "pIum pudding
by itself on Christmas Day might be
soul atisfying nutriment'; but no one
ever eats it without goodly layer Of
preliminary beef or turkey. If this be
so-and we know that it is-you could
not eat a worse thing than plum pud-
ding as subsequent dish. But, as I
have said before, all this is relative to
the condition of the stomach The
workingman might thrive on plum
pudding, but not the man who only
takes carriage exercise for recreation
And with a further reiteratio that
"the capability of the stomach is the
important element the interview-an
exceedingly pleasant and an intensely
interesting one for the interviewer
ended.
His idea Of Luxury.
A cforv i~ told NJ M rI1 ~ -