The times., 1901-03-24

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| the same function in the animal economy
/ as is exercised by the carbohydrates.
| They serve as sources of heat and en-
ergy.
| Further. it is well esta ablished by chem
! ical physiological researches that the fat
| which is stored in the body may be de-
| rived as much from the carbohydrates,
| which are consumed as food. as from
| the fats themselves. Thus foods may be
separated into two great classes, tissue
! builders aud sources of heat ana energy.
| 1t is not possible to draw sharp line
| of demarcation in any case, because the
! nitrogenous foods, which are essentially
/ tissue builders. are also sources of energy
/ AMI furnish heat and vitality On the
| other hand the carbohydrates and fats,
! which are essentially sources of heat and
/ energy, also serve to large extent as It's
/ sue builders. The mineral foods and con-
| diments should not be neglected. because
/ among the mineral foods. phosphates es-
/ pecially and lime are of the utmost i'm
/ portance; for it is from these substances
! that tho bone tissues are largely built
! They. however. do not serve as sources
| of heat and energy, but are deposited IN
the tissues and become part of them
| 4 BALANCED RATION.
| Experience has shown, guided by
| chemical and physiological studies that
| the organism demands a certain relation
between various components of food. 1t
| is not possible to nourish an animal for
any great length of time on any one
class of food alone. The animal would
| eventually die 1t becomes of the highest
| Importance, therefore. 20 health and
| longevity that the correct proportions in
which the various foods should be min
| gled should be found in the food in order
! to secure the best digestive results. AS
a result of this principle the chemist has
developed balanced ration; that is one
| in which the carbohydrates, the nitro
genuous foods, the fats, and the mineral
matters are as nearly as possible distri-
| buted in accord with the needs of the
| body.
1T IS evident that nature is something
| of q chemist herself, because the foods
which she has prepared are in many in
stances excellent Illustrations of proper
! ly balanced rations. In milk we find a
ration which practically contains ali the
foods necessary for the sustenance Of the
animal body In many cereals such in
| stances are found. but in animal food we
| find that there is a deficiency Of carbohy-
| dTateS so that animal food should not be
| administered alone.
Not only has nature pointed out some
| eXcelently balanced rations, but taste.
which, when cultivated. is a good guide.
| has led men especially, but animals of
all kinds generally. to select those rd-
| tlons which are properly balanced 1t
Is found that the natural taste of man
/ mas by experience shown that meat, for
instance, should be eaten with potatoes
! or some other food OF a highly carbOna-
ceous nature. Chemistry has thus been
able to acceutuate, TO define and 10 help
the natural forces in such a way in the
selection of food as to preserve best the
health and thus the longevity Of the
individual.
1t is difficult to define just what a
properly balanced ration is. In fact much
| must be left to the individual. 1t has
sometimes been said that what is one
| man meat IS another mans poison.
| While this Is an eXaggeratiOn. IL is never
the less true that idiosyncrasies play a
great part in human nutrition. and Cspe-
cially is this true when we consider the
mental attitude which may be preseute
to the food upon the table. We know how
severe mental strain, great passion, fear
grief and anger interfere with the prCc-
esses Of digestion, totally stopping or at
least checking them. So we cannot alto
gCther eliminate the individual factor The
principles which chemistry lays down are
those for q normal being in a normal
state, and not for any abnormal cTea-
ture subject to abnormal circumstances.
ADULTERATIoN or FOODS
Another way in which chemistry has
| done most valuable service to longevity is
| IN the matter of pure food. Perhaps no 9TH
| er one evil existing in this country is SO
much TO be regretted as that which re-
| lates to the aduteratOn OF food prod
| ucts. There is scarcely an object which
| is used as human food which has not at
some time been the subject Of adultera-
! ton Bread has been mixed with white
! earth and chalk Butter has been sold
| which contained none of the fat of the
cow, and so on. indefinitely. 1t is not pos
| sibe to admit adulteration with sub
! stances which are inert and not injurious
and at the same time expect TO prevent
| adulteratiOn with those substances which
| do positive injury to health. Chemistry
! has done so much toward making foods
! pure that at the present day the large
majority Of foods which are offered for
| sale as pure are all they claim to be
Another thing which must be considered
| is that chemistry is doing all that is pos
| sible to secure the same purity in drugs
| as 1t has done In regard to foods Grant
I ing that medicines are beneficial IL fol-
| lows with irresistible force that the drug
| glst must MI the prescription asked for
| Here chemistry comes to the aid not only
| of the physician but the patient also in
securing from an apOthecary an assur-
ance Of the genuineness of his articles.
Chemistry proposes to cooperate with
! the other sciences to secure economy of
! human endeavOr and to help forward TO
| that happy event when a young man or
! woman who has devoted a quarter of a
! century to preparation shall be reason
| ably assured that he or she will have a
| half century of active life. 4 premature
death rObs society of services which it
! should have, and 1t Is positive drain
| upon the resources of the community
| From what you have said. DR.. Wiley
was asked. is II not fair to assume that
! after a time human nature and human
! character would undergo a decided
/ change for the better; if not revolution
! airy in character at least the change
/ might be 4 considerable departure from
/ its present form?'
| Il do not hope for radical change in
/ human nature under any conditions
/ which are now known, was the reply
/ 1t is nevertheless true that food does
/ affect the character of people Animal
/ flesh tends to make men belhgerenJ and
! combative. In the early days of human
society almost the sole article of food
/ was animal flesh secured in the chase.
| Men were hunters and fishermen then and
! We find them. in a state of savagery.
They were fierce and warlike and quar-
relsome. Small communities or tribes
! We're forever at war one with the other.
| There is no doubt that meat diet was
responsible for this bellicOSe trend in
man IN the early days II is sufficient to
/ account for his savage state. On the 9TH
/ er hand those nations which live on veg
! ct4blc foods are inclined to be peaceable
and do not make good fighters or war
/ riorS. but are conspicuous for their abil-
/ ity to Withstand severe physical strain
I and hardship. This is especially nOticea-
/ been for generations a relocating people
! and not given to Warike pursuits. The
! Japanese seem to be a notable exception
| to what / have just said. They have
| proved themselves splendid fighters. The
| apparent exception could. however be
/ accounted for, | have no doubt, without
| dfscrediting the general principle of the
| influence of food on character.
CHANGES IN CHARACTER.
with regard to human nature being
| changed by proper regimen of life, 1t
! is safe to say that many undesirable
qualities in human character. if not Grad
| icated, would be kept in subjectiou To
| such an extent as to make life much
! more endurable and happier than ii is
| today. Man as an individual. would b.
much more cGnteuted. Many of the fac
! tors which 90 to make what We call dis
! position are due to physical condition aIi
! that physical condition is traccablc TO
| the influence of food either due to the in
! dividual himself for which he alone is
! responsible. or it may have been trans