Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-03-17
THE SENSE OF TASTE.
IT SHOULD BE THE BEST GUIDE 70
THE FOOD WE NEED.


| u Not Perverted, II VIII select Those
Substances For Which the Body 1,
SUFFERING - We Use Entirely Too
Much Salt.
The function OF the taste doubtless
sustains u much more important rela
ton TO digestion than has been gen
orally accorded to 1t, says DR.. Kellogg
Food to be dlgested must be appetiz
Ing. Food which nauseates does moi
stimulate the secretion Of the tiuid nee
essary to digest 1t either in the mouth
or the stomach. The sense of taste
may be regarded as a sort Of regula.
ton. Hence 1t Is an important proper.
! ty Of food that the sense Of taste may
be stimulated and that it may have
an opportunity to exercise its selective
aud controlling functions.
When one has eaten sufficient
amount of simple, wholesome food, the
sense Of taste informs him of the fact
by declining to receive more. A per.
feet rule for mastication would be ia
chew each morsel Of food until there
IL left only a tasteless remnant. 1t is
useless to swallow such residue, as II
can have no nutrltive value. When
food is taken In this way, the sense of
taste has an opportunity to say
enough" before too much has been
swallowed and thus affords 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,
II allowed to act In normal way, will
select those substances Of which the
body Is in great need. For example, II
the blood is impoverished and needs
! an extra supply Of heterogeneous food
there will be a craving for such foods
as nuts, legumes and possibly eggs
and milk or some other substance con-
tanning nitrogen.
A curious analogy to this function is
found In some insectivOrous plants.
which, as has been shown by recent
experiments, 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 a fertilizer rich In nitrogen
these SO called carnivorous plants
cease to be carnivorous and behave
wholly like other plants. The same
principle applies to the use Of fat
making substances, such as starchy
and oleaglnous foods, such as nuts and
cereals. The writer has frequently OBJ
served In thin patients a craving for
fats, which disappeared entirely after
the patient had made a gain Of 20 or
30 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 1t has
been terribly debauched and pervert-
ell from It's normal function. Men and
women treat the palate as the pianist
treats his instrument, touching 1t In
various ways simply for the purpose Of
provoking pleasurable sensations. with
no regard whatever for the possible
needs OF the body or the possible dam
age which may be caused. The sense
Of taste. thus wrongly educated. be-
comes perverted. and its Indications
become confused. Abnormal cravings
are developed. which demand satlsfac.
ton In the tisp OF tea. coffee. wine and
other intOXicants. mustard. pepper and
other condiments. large quantities Of
salt. pickles and rich and savOry dish
es OF various sorts, together with
sweets. ices and tidbits Of all kinds.
The sense Of taste has been dethrOned
from Its high position as governor Of
nutrition and has come to be merely
the servant Of caprlciOus and insa tia
bic desire for an illagitimaie sensa-
ton. n purely selfish animal pleasure.
This Is gluttOny. pure and simple. and
ia the apt tutor and hail companion Of
alcoholic inicmperanre.
The free use Of common salt must
likewise he placed among scriOut
dietetic errors. Professor HunSe OF
Basel. the leading physiological chem
list of the world. with many others. has
shown that the SD called necessity for
Tic hllIhchtdLy OSC VI uPoh
q very uncertain and equivOcal. II not
erroneous, basis and that ut most salt
can be used without injury only in
very minute quantities. The quantity
designated by Professor Bunge as
within the limits of possible harmless
ness Is about Is grains day. or prob
ably less than one-fourth Of the
amount usually consumed. The free
use of salt leads to thirst and copious
drinking In connection with meals.
Gum chewing. tobacco chewing. the
use Of tobacco In any form. must he
condemned as harmful to the digestion
through exhausting the function OF the
salivary glands. 80 that when requir-
ed to maintain constant activity the
saliva secreted by the glands has very
little value as a digestive agent. The
glands. rs we'll as the muscles and
other parts Of the body. require rest
In which to store up the elements nee
essary for their proper function.-G
Health.