The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-23
Unusual Value of Things We Eat


 'Win you be so good. doctor, as to tell us, why we use salt on our meat and other foods? Is it merely a matter of taste?"
 The question was asked by one of a party of gentlemen seated in the cafe of a well-known locai hotel.
 The person addressed was one of the city's most prominent physicians. After studying the question for moment, he replied:
 Well. 10 begin with. there are two prin- ctpal salts in our flesh and blood. and the supply has to be kept up. These are potassium salts and sodium salts. There Is sufficient of the former in the food we consume, but of the latter there is not full supply. It is, therefore, necessary that we should add to the sodium salts a quantity of ordinary table salt, or chloride of sodium.
 nary table salt Is that the stoIaach re- quires certain quantity of hydrochloric acid in order that the digestion may be aided, and also in order that many of the microbes we swallow may be killed.
 "The acid is manufactured in the stom- ach by the combination of the chlorine of the salt and the hydrogen"
 'Very good" responded his companion. "We learned something beneficial at any rate. Now pray inform us why we use pepper, mustard, and other apices'
 we use those condiments because they have a tendency to arouse the glands or the SIOmaCn 10 LneIT WOTks III LulS way they are made to produce an abun- dant supply of digestive juices. Pepper, mustard, and other like spices stir up the liver, which is very necessary func- tion for people who. of necessity or other wise, lead sedentery lives. The less crav- ing one has for spices the stronger are the digestive organs. WheS person ad- vances in years however it is always vel Ito cali in the aid of spices in the food eaten, whether or not they are craVad hV the stomach.
 Many persons use milk in their tea, but few of them know that 1t preserves the stomach, and prevents that organ from being converted into leather. Of course. it Is an exeaggeration to sup pose that the stomach could by any means actually be transformed into leather.
 ,"Whenever tannic acid and aIbumen meet they fall desperately in love with each other, are welded without bans. and live together forever after as tannate of albumen, or leather. Now there is any quantity of tannic acid in tea, and the albumen. The tannic acid absorbs as much of this as is allowed by the laws of chemistry. But 1t kills it In the pro- cess. and to this extent inJures the stom- ach But milk also contains albumen. Therefore, when milk is taken into the stomach. the molecules of tannic acid select their albumen partners from it, and the albumen of the stomach remains sim gle, and so the lining is uninjured. l, "Is there anything more you can tell us regarding condiments?" asked the other gentleman at the table. Suppose you tell us about the effects of vinegar" Raw vegetables are easil yenough di- gested by cows and horses" resumed the doctor, ''but the human stomach finds great difficulty in digesting them, be cause they contain a hard 1brous sub- | stance, cellulose. Cabbage contains such | a quantity of this matter that even when boiled it is almost indigestible. You probably have never met cab. bage eater who did not complain of in. | digestion But acids dissolve cellulose- l and vinegar is an acid. That is why wt l take it with cabbage and salads, anC l perhaps. too, that is why it tastes SC
 the palae of wha Is good for the stom ach. oil or cream is frequently added | because it protects the stomach from the l biting acid.
 ''Som epeople take butter with DOT | ridge: some sugar, some milk, other. | butterrnilk The two latter are best fol
 Our bodies need a certain quantity O nitroeenous and carbonaceous foods. I'm | norr,dQe does not contain sufficient O ! inc former, and this is admirably supplied 1 hv the use of skimmed milk or butter | milk Sugar and butter are useless fo | the purpose. But the butter is wantet | also to a small extent, for neither tn norridge nor the skinmed milk has suf | ficient fat The best way to take DOT | ridge. and by far the most palatabl | when YOU get used to 1t, is to boil tn | oatmeal in buttermilk and eat 1t wit | cream"