The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

| teaches us that the fats have practically
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 established 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. from
| the fats themselves. Thus foods may be
| separated into two great classes, tissue
| builders and sources of heat ana energy.
| 1t is not possible. to draw a sharp line
of demarcation in any case, because the
heterogeneous 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 1t 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.
A 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. TO 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 possible distri-
| buted in accord with the needs of the
| body.
1T is evident that nature is something
| of chemist herself. because the foods
J which she has prepared are, in many in
! stances, excellent Illustrations of proper
| ly balanced rations In milk find a
| ration which practically contains all the
! foods necessary for the sustenance Of the
animal body. In many cereals such in
| stances are found, but in animal food we
| ind that there is a deficiency of carbohy-
drates. so that animal food should not be
| administered alone.
| Not only has nature pointed out some
| eXcellently balanced rations, but taste,
| winch, when cultivated, is a gOOC guide
| has led men especially, but animals of
| all kinds generally. to select those ra-
| lions which are properly balanced. 1t
! Is FOUND that the natural taste of man
| has 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 aCcentuate. to define, and to he!D
| the natural forces in such way in tn.
| 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, it is never-
the less true that idiosyncrasies pIav "A
great part in human nutrition and cspe-
claily is this true when we consider the
! Tfsf I
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 Il normal being in normal
state, and not for any abnormal crea-
ture subject to abnormal circumstances.
ADULTERATIoN OF 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-
iates to the adulteration 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
sible 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
sibe to secure the same purity in drugs
as ii has done In regard TO foods Grant
ing that medicines are beneficial il fol-
lows with irresistible force that the drug
gist must nil 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 10
that happy event when 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. a premature
death rObs society of services which it
should have, and it is positive drain
upon the resources of the community"
From what you have said, DR.. Wiley
was asked. is it 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 considerable departure from
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 belligerent 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 sayagery.
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 n meat diet was
responsible for this bellicose trend in
man in the early days. IL is sufficient to
account for his savage state. On the 9TH
er hand those nations which live on veg
ct4ble 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
and hardship. This is especially noticea-
bile in the Chinese. They are and have
been for generations relocating people
and not given to warlike pursuits. The
JaDa ncse 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
discrediting the general principle of the
influence of food on character.
CHANGES IN CHARACTER.
with regard to human nature being
changed by a proper regimen of life 1t
is safe to say that many undesirable
qualities in human character, if not Grad
icated would be kept In subsection to
such an extent as to make life much
more endurable and happier than it is
today. Man, as an individual. would b.
much more cuutcnted. Many of the fac
tors which go to make what We call dis
position are due to physical condition and
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