Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-31
Substitution of Cheaper Articles of
Diet Harmful.

From the London Lancet.
There can be no doubt that during the
past decade food has undergone steady
degradation, and this cannot be without
demoralizing influence upon the human
race. 1t will be noticed that by far the ma
jority of cases of tampering with food re-
late to the substitution of cheaper article
rather than to the addition of an injurious
substance. The common defense is that
modern conditions of life make substitution
a necessity. 1t is difficult to see the logic
of such defense-at least, in a number of
instances.
1t is urged for instance, that jam or mar
malade cannot be made without the addi-
ton of glucose, which prevents the pre-
serve from cryStallizing. Now, long before
glucose was a household word jams and
marmaade were made-and very good they
were, too, consisting entirely of sugar and
fruit. In the same way we are told that
beer must be brewed from sugar, and that
| brewing exclusively from malt presents UNI
told difficulties. Again, golden syrup, which
used formerly to be the refined syrup of
molasses, consists largely now of artificial
sugar, which is doubtless a more market
able product, but is not the same thing as
cane sugar. Yet, again, we are told that
the public demands a perfectly white loaf
of bread, the truth in reality being that
machinery has produced a roller flour which
is an inferior thing to the now, we suppose
extinct stone-miled flour. Instances of this
sort could be multiplied.
We could wish that all those keeping
house would make up their minds seriously
to return to the excellent custom of prepar-
ing many articles of food for themselves at
home. Who does not admit the charm of
homemade bread, home-brewed beer or
home made jam, and simply because they
are known to be made from an honest
| formula which has stood the test of time
and from good materials which yield pail
atabie product? Even in the country good
old-fas hioned wheaton bread with that fas-
| c1nating brown color of rich wheaton flour
containing the entire nutritious portions of
| the berry and possessing that delightful
Wheaten flavor, now seldOw, if ever, char
acteristic of bread, is difficult to obtain
The bakers loaf is, as rule a tasteless
lnsipd article which requires a considera BILE
appetite before the idea of eating Ii can he
entertained No wonder that the taste for
bread is steadily diminishing, and undoubt-
| edly less bread is consumed than used to
| be the case. AS is well known bread con-
talnS almost every element of food neceS-
! sary for existence, but we should be sorry
Tor the person who tried to subsist entirely
| upon the modern uninteresting loaf made
| from blanched roller mill -four
1t mas recently been stated that the deg
radiation of the teeth so noticeable among
us now is due to roller milling having large
~ supplanted stone milling. We should not
be surprised. The degrade ton of food. is a
| very serious matter and is bound to lead
sooner or later to the degradation Of the
eater. No movement could confer greater
blessing upon the people than that which
aimed at bringing about return to the
oder and more rational methods of prepar-
ing fOod. Let us see more Of the home
made article than now see; let us re-
TURN TO more palatable food and to food
that Will do more good than the machine
mace stuHs and the endless series of sub
stitutes. In all the schools throughout the
land we would have the children taught the
| advantages of homemade food and how
mat bread, fruit jam or even beer and
c ceuer can De mace at home. 1t would en-
courage a spirit of industry it would give
US palatable and nourishing articles to eat
or drink, and might have a very wholesome
eilect upon those who seem deliberately to
attenuate food as much as possible or who
pay no regard OF it's naturally endowed
pala liability.