New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-15
THE DIgTETIC VALUE or PLUM PUDDu
WHAT AN ENGLISH PHYSICIAN SAYS ABorr /,
OF THE NATIONAL DISHES

WHAT AN ENGLISH PHYSICIAN SAYS ABorr
OF THE NATIONAL DISHES
From The st. James's Gazette.
What is the nutritive value Of that dish y,
finds place upon the dinner tables OF all c,srX
OF British people on Christmas Day-the ~
pudding? That Is the question which Wa ~
the other day in one OF our medical con',,L
poraries, and go far as that authority Itself q
concerned II answered emphatically that ~
for weight plum pudding must be every "
sustaining as beefsteak. But Is this really :
Does so sweeping an assertion accord With =
entihc investigation? With a view OF soy,y
this problem representative OF The 81 J4n>s
Gazette" called upon the distinguished rrp,Y
who is the author OF Food and Feednr i
new and enlarged edition Of which he mas N.I
published At much personal inconvenisne, !
himself-for he was extremely unwell-hs 10, j
lily consented TO discuss the matter.
you want to know" he said. what h "A
dietetic value OF the plum pudding. But We nd
ask. first Of all. what is "A plum puddns'
what il II composed, Plum porridge Is spt{
OF In the Spectator No. 269 az a dish 10
eaten on Christmas Day II Is referred to u
in The Taller as eaten In the first part " Z
dinner There Is no doubt that this wu q
origin Of the modern plum pudding. Well ID
what are the ingredients OF such pudding
Is made nowsdays? And then The fsn<|
Gietist read out a recipe OF his own fof . a
pound pudding as follows;
I Id. rasins stoned.
10. currants-washed and dried
q o. candied peel tmixed) cut In small p~<
Id. suet-choppcd as fine as possible.
Y III. breadcrumbs-nne.
n 10. sugar.
A pinch Of salt.
Six or eight eggs (about nine eggs NAH
pound.
A full wneglass 81 brandy.
A little grated nutmeg.
A little milk.
To he tied up tightly In cloth or basin q,
boiled for six hours. IL may be long kept IA 4
ing in a dry place and Is by some regafce
improved thereby.
That" continued the surgeon IS. ! ~
think. an average pudding. Now Jet us ana, !
H. First We must consider its nuiritiFe ~
ties. tested 10y the chemical estimate. A.
first ask What proteds are there hefeI ~
teids furnish the heterogeneous part, whcnt
solutey essential for the building uP \
framework and the tissues ~ the body WI
them almost entirely In the eggs uns
best forms ~ animal protelds that We ts1
Next We have protcids In the breadcfun@
not many Now we have come 10 the ~
that element. Then ask. What are the NJ
carbons-or fatty substances In the pudt
Well you have whole pound NJ suet-a ~
quantity but that Is not food In the sens
the protcid sit does not help % rcplso
/ worn out tissues OF the body. Next Their
the raisins and the candied peel those sr
vegetable products. not so valuable a. me y
ceding- carbo- hydrates. And finally their 4
various salts-these are always Co be four'
the proteids and the vegetable ingrcdlcnu
Now" our representative asked. hsn'
analysed plum pudding, would you say n1
weight for weight. II IL equal 10 beefs'eAs
our authority responded with dlstlnfs
What sort OF a beefsteak~' he asked. Is "
fat OF lean oncy Because everything del<s'
upon that III " be lean you get all prot~1
and you get more than the pudding gives )
II II be fatty you get something more hss
equivalent You really cannot draw panr.
That's why II Is necessary 10 say that TIER :
four distinct elements In a pudding INV
a six pound pudding you md two ara one =
pounds that is tn say. nearly hah ma"
fruit. Fruit is nearly all water. ana
weigh that against any kind OF STEAK. the W.
must carry the day
But could man dine Of plum pudding 90
for IL has been suggested that he coua "
the next question. -
"He could II ne were vigorous. hut sedenn,
man would be well advised not to sttemt
You see the next great thing 10 considef =
the plum pudding is whether " Is easy " ,
gestion. The stomachs the thing. 'Ansu
the law OF nature and therefore when . w
wants to be dieted you examine him wen Y,
find out what his pursuits are. what recrs.,
ne takes, and you ask him for hts own is
ence-and then you can make dietary TO- ~
But there are no universal laws on diet
often said. ana repeat IL. i uph = -.
wholesome dish and I don't know any UNIV
some dish There Is nothing OF which yvu =
say that II suits everybody. and hence sn -,
| proverb. What Is one mans meat Is an''''
1 mans poison. III, n.
What is the origin Of the popular eed y
plum budding liz productive " indigestion.
"Ah" he exclaimed. plum pudding w ",
on Christmas Day might be 'soui-ssuna y,
nutriment: but no one ever eats II wi.n,'
gocdly layer OF preliminary beef or tuIAv
this be so-and we know that II ;s,ycu :.
not eat worse thing than plum puddns
subsequent dish. But, as have SAID oe.~m
| this Is relative TO the condition OF the S onS
The workingman might thrive on plum pe' -
| but not the man who only takes carrisss w.
else for recreation" -. 4
| And with a further reiteration that tus =
! pability OF the stomach Is the impofss~ :.
ment" the interview-an exceedingly -
and an intensely interesting one for v
/ vewer-ended.