The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-01-19
THINGS THAT TASTE GOOD.
The Tongue Is Nearly Always tho
Best Guide to Food Needed
by the Body.

The function of the taste doubtless
sustains a much more important rela-
ton to the digestion than has been gen.
orally accorded to it, says DR.. Kellogg.
Food, to be digested, must be appetite
ing. Food which nauseates does not
stimulate the secretion of the fluid nee
essary to digest it either in the mouth
or the stomach. The sense of taste may
be regarded as sort of regulator of di-
gestion, and perhaps also of nutrition.
Hence it is an important property Of
food that the sense of taste may be
stimulated, and that it may have an OPP
controlling functions.
With one has eaten a sufficient
amount of simple, wholesome food, the
sense of taste informs him of tie fact
by declining to receive more. A perfect
rule for mastication would be to chew
each morsel of food until there is left
only tasteless remnant. 1t is useless
to swallow such residue, as it can have
no nutritive value. When food is taken
in this way the sense of taste has an op-
portunity to say enough" before too
much has been swallowed, and thus af-
fords perfect means of adapting the
amount of food taken to the needs of
the body.
A careful study of this suggestion
will also show that the sense of taste, if
allowed to act in normal way, will Sc
lect those substances of which the body
is in great need; for example, if the
blood is impoverished and needs an ex-
ira supply of heterogeneous food there
will be craving for such foods as
nuts, legumes and possibly eggs and
milk, or some other substances con-
tanning nitrogen.
A curious analogy to this function is
found in some insectivorous plants,
which, as has been shown by recent ex-
periments, refuse to capture insects or
pay attention to fragments of meat
placed within their grasp, except when
the soil upon which they grow is lack
ing in heterogeneous elements. By sup
plying fertilizer rich in nitrogen
these so-called carnivorous plants
wholly like other plants. The same
principle applies to the use of fat-mak-
ing substances, such as starchy and
oleaginous foods, such as nuts and GER
eais. The writer has frequently OBJ
served in thin patients craving for fats,
which disappeared entirely after the
patient made gain of 20 or 80 pounds.
The taste was no doubt intended by
the Creator to be perfect guide to the
quantity and quality of food to be
taken, and not simply means of gus
tatory pleasure. Unfortunately it has
been terribly debauched. Men and
women treat the palate as the pianist
treats his instrument, touching it in
various ways simply for the purpose of
provoking pleasurable sensations, with
no regard whatever to the possible
needs of the body, or the possible dam
age which may be caused. The sense of
taste, thus wrongly educated, becomes
perverted and its indications become
confused. Abnormal cravings are de-
veioped, which demand satisfaction in
the use of tea, coffee, wine. and other in
toxicants, mustard, pepper and other
condiments, large quantities of salt,
pickles and rich and savory dishes of
various sorts, together with sweets,
ices and tidbits of all kinds. The sense
of taste has been dethroned from it's
high position as governor of nutrition,
and has come to be merely the servant
of capricious and Unsuitable desire for
an illegitimate sensation, purely self
ish animal pleasure. This is gluttony,
c., Sc 4,,t
and hale companion of alcoholic intern
perance.
The free use of common salt must
likewise be placed among serious diet
etc errors. Prof. Bunge, of Basel, the
leading physiological chemist of the
world, with many others, has shown
that the so-called necessity for the ali
uncertain and equivocal, if not errone
Gus, basis, and that, at most, salt can be
used without injury only in very mi
mute quantities. The quantity desig
mated by Prof. Bunge as within the
limits of possible harmlessness is about
Is grains day, or probably less than
one-fourth of the amount usually con-
sumed. The free use of salt leads to
thirst and copious drinking in con-
nection with meals.
Gum chewing, tobacco chewing, the
use of tobacco in any form, must be
condemned as harmful to the digestion
through exhausting the function of the
salivary glands, SO that when required
to maintain constant activity, the saliva
Secreted by the glands has very lift He
value as digestive agent. The glands,
as well as the muscles and other parts
of the body, require rest in which to
store up the elements necessary for
their proper function.-Good Health.
Mnrgkerita Fond of Mountains.
Queen Margherita of Italy is an en-
terprising mountaineer. There are
timse when her majesty, dressed in
tweed suit, with CATERS and a small
cap, will leave her hotel at three o'clock
in the morning and not return until