The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-02
DETERIORATION OF FOOD.
Substitution of Cheaper Articles Of
 Diet Harmful.

London Lancet.
 There can be no doubt that during the past decade food has undergone steady degradation and this cannot be without a demoralIzing influence upon the human race. It will be noticed that by far the majority of cases of tampering wttn food relate to the substitution Of q cheaper ar ticle rather than to the addition Of an injurious substance. The common defence is that modern conditions of life make substitution a necessity. It is dimcult to see the logic of such defence-at ieast'
 It is urged, for instance, that jam or marmalade cannot be made without the addition of glucose. which prevents the before glucose was a household word jams and marmalade were made-and very good they were. too, consisting en-
 tirely of sugar and fruit. In the same way we are told that beer must be brew cd from sugar and that brewing exclu- sively from malt presents untold dimcul. | ties. Again, golden syrup, which used formerly to be the refined syrup of mo; lasses. consists largely now of artincial sugar, which Is doubtless more market able product, but Is not the same thing as cane sugar. Yet, again, we are tolo Ioaf L of fe bPssd' p the truth in reality being that machinery has produced roller flour which Is an inferior thing to the now, we suppose. extinct stone -milleo flour. Instances of this sort could be null
 We could wish that all those keeping house would make up their minds seri- pres prepsaring % % many a articles of food for them selves at home. Who does not admit the charm of homemade bread. home-brewed beer or homemade jam. and simply be- cause they are known to be made from an honest formula which has stood the test of time and from good materials which yield a pdlatable product? Even in the country good. old-fashioned wheat zyJf that fascinating brown color of rich wheaton flour. containing the entire nutritious portions or the berry and possessing that delightful wheaton flavor, now seldom. If ever, characteristic of bread. Is difficult to obtain. The ba- ker's loaf is, as a rule, a tasteless. in- sipid article. which requires consider able appetite before the idea or eaung gg the taste for bread Is steadily diminish ing, and undoubtedly less bread is con- stunned than used to be the case. As Is element Of food necessary for existence, but we should be sorry for the person who tried to subsist entirely upon the modern uninteresting loaf made from blanched roller-mill flour.
 It has recently been stated that the degradation of the teeth, so noticeable among us now, is due to roller milling having largely supplanted stone milling We should not be surprised. The degra- dation of food is very serious matter and is bound to lead sooner or later. to the degradation of the eater. No move ment could confer greater blessing upon the people than that which aimed at bringing about return to the older and more rational methods of preparing food. Let us see more of the homemade article than we now see: let us return to more palatable food and to food that will do more good than the machine-made stuffs and the endless series of substitutes. In all the schools throughout the land we would have the childron taught the ad- VantageS of homemade food, and how that bread. fruit. jam. or even beer and cider. can be made at home. It would encourage a spirit of industry. it would give us palatable and nourishing articles to eat and drink. and might have very wholesome effect upon those who seem deliberately to attenuate food as much as possible or who pay no regard to it's naturally endowed palatability.