New-York tribune., 1900-09-04
ECONOMY OF FOOD.
IMPORTANCE OF OBTAINING MOST NU-
TRIMENT AT LEAST COST-EXTRAV-
AGANCE OF THE POOR.

The coming fad is domestic science says w O.
Atwater. Indeed. that fad is not coming but is
already here, The danger IS that 1t may go as
fad, and leave permanently useful impression.
But IL may be made instead Of a fad q most
salutary educational movement. There is good
ground 10 hope that It viii prove So but only on
one condition namely, that If be based upon thor
ough scientific knowledge.
a common remark made by those who have
studied the conditions Of living of people of mod
crate incomes and the poor IN the different parts
OF country is that Of the things needed
for the Improvement OF the home life of people of
these classes is Improvement in their cooking.
To replace dear food badly cooked by economical
food well cooked IS important for purse and health.
To make the table more attractive will be eff
Gent means for making home life more enjoyable
and keeping the father and sons from the saloon.
Those who have had experience in cooking
schools have to realize the need of better
understanding Of the principles which under1ie the
right preparation Of food The ordinary kitchen
stove and the recipe book do not meet the demand,
and nothing short OF accurate research meet #
- ART OF COOKING.
''Uncivilzed man takes his nourshment like ami
rnas-as It is offered by nature. Civilized pre-
pares his food before eating. and In ways which
are Ia general, the perfect the higher his
culture The art OF cooking, when not allied with
q degenerate taste or with gluttony, is of the
criterfa OF a peoples civilization.
THE chief advantage Of the preparation of food
eating is facilitate digestion This accom-
panied by % adding condiments and giving It an
agreeable appearance, as to make it appe-
tizing. and thus increase the secretion Of the
gesttve juices Cd by Ioosening its texture and ex-
posing # more fully solvent action which Is
the essential part 0f digestion.
''Flavoring materials and agreeable appear
Go not increase digestion directly but act
rather upon the nervous system, which, IN turn.
transmits the stimulus the digestive organs
incites them to greater activity. While this may
be helpful, It does not necessarily increase the
amount actually digested from the food
AIDS TO DIGESTION
The principal condiments that influence diges-
tive secretions salt sugar, alcohol and spices
salt increases the flow Of saliva and OF gastric
juice. hence value OF its at meals in side
dishes like caviare. olives and pickles. The salt
ing OF food is 50 Indispensable that salt is In some
regions considered necessity. and the lack Of It
has been a cause of war
Sugar is very agreeable to the palate. and the
mere thought of II often makes the mouth water;
IN other words It the secretion of saliva
Doubtless the a=nr is the chief of the great
demand for sugar. fer although it is a valuable
aliment. 4 hardly surpasses starch, dextrin and
other carbohydrates IN nutritive value.
Food constitutes the chief item Of the living
penses Of the people. Of agricultural produc-
tioa and OF our exports Half the earnings OF
wage workers in this country and ia Europe is
spent for food The health and strength Of all
are Intimately dependent upon their diet. Yet
most people understand very ABOUT WLaL
food contains. how II nourfshes them whether they
are economical or wasteful in buying and prepar-
ing it for use. and whether not the food they
rightly fitted TO the demands Of their bodies.
ne result Of this ignorance is great waste in the
purchase and Of food loss Of money and injury
health
Underneath all this Is still another evil Our
food products whole not such as are best
fitted for healthful and economic nutrition for
the most profitable export. Our agricultural pro-
duction is out OF balance Here, again, the facts
not clearly understood, they must be 10
make the needed reform possible.
The reason for this ignorance is simple enough.
Fifty years ago knew what bodies and
foods composed Of; how the different nutri-
ingredients Of the food served their purposes in
nutrition; how much of each OF the ingredients was
needed TO supply the demands Of people OF differ
ent age, sex and occupation, and how best 10 ad-
5ust the diet 10 the wants OF the user. We DO
not to-day know much about these things as
we ought For that matter. we never shall be
able lay down hard fast rules to apply TO all
cases. because Of the differences between indiVid-
uals in respect TO their demands for nutriment and
the ways in which their bodies make use Of
different kinds o1 foods. But the research OF the
last twenty-five years has brought great deal
Of definite information. Nearly all Of the exact