The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-24
THE LORE OF GREEN THINGS
GROWING.

Green vegetable foods, with the notable
exception of the pea and bean-are not
10 be valued chiefly for the amount Of
tanned from them, for these are small.
They are more digestiDle when eaten ten
der and green than are the older vege-
tables in which the ceIlulose becomes in
crusted and interviewer with substance
of a mineral nature-hard and woody
which resists the action OF the digestive
juices and make it impossible for US 10
separate and appropriate TO our needs,
the proteids, sugars and starches. The
well-informed cook will treat this sub
stance in such manner that it is soft
ened. broken up and, if necessary, COM
pleteIy separated from the useful ele-
ments.
Green vegetables, generally speaking,
are composed of large per cent of wa
ter and the chief value thy posses as
food depends on the amount of mineral
matter they contain-which is relatively
large. In cooking green vegetables.
however, they loose much of their min
eral substance as well as the greater
part OF their already poor stock of nu-
triments. On the other hand they gain
water. They require the most careful
treatment therefore. in order to retain
the small amount of valuable constit-
uents they hold. Vegetable leaves
shoots, stalks, even cabbage, are too Of
ten cooked without much thought in re-
gard to why the new vegetables cook
tender so much sooner than the older
nd Of L-nn IaFc iS
due the loss of very large per cent of
the whole amount of nutritive value.
Green vegetables whether served raw or
cooked may be made the means OF con-
veying fat into the body in form Of but
ter, oil or cream; and with many cook
ed green vegetables can be served a
sauce that will greatly enrich and in
crease their food worth.
From reliable authority We learn the
amount of fat that may be added to
some vegetables without an over balance.
one hundred parts potato PURGE will take
up fifty parts fat; same amount of boil
ed and baked potaties from forty to fifty
red cabbage forty parts; savoy cabbage
thirty-two; cabbage lettuce twenty
four: potato souffle twenty and fried
potatoes fifteen parts fat With this ia
bic enc can readily adjust the proportion
to other vegetables.
The bulk eaten and the cellulose con-
tained-especially if the vegetables are
well grown and right-makes them
difficult for the Intestine to work
with. Fiatulence and fermentation viii
arise from the gases produced by the ac-
ton of organisms on the cellulose, and
when the vegetables are not as fresh as
possible State vegetables do not lie in
their usefulness as available foods so
much as in their use in regulating the
digestive process and correcting some
disorders of the system. They supply
ballast to the intestine, while the indigcs-
tible residue stimulates the intestinal
movements. making their use most bene-
fetal in constipation. They are also
valuable source from which TO obtain min
eral constituents which are numerous and
important; of these. potash is more album
dtnt than soda From this fact has been
deducted the reason why herbivorous ami
mails show such craving and fondness for
common salt-sodium chloride.
Vegetable feeders are less apt to suf-
fer urinary disorders than meat eaters,
as the mineral ingredients forming
large proportion of the basis of vege-
table foods are united with organic acids
and these, when burnt up. whether out
side or inside the body yield alkaline
salts and the effect of these does not
cause serious results. which fact is taken
into consideration in the reatment Of all
diseases traceable to the action of uric
acid in the system.
The presence of green vegetables in our
diet is necessity Of life; the amount
and kind to be eaten must be determined
by the individual. Generally their free
use is to be recommended. especially In
some diseases Of the skin. minor forms q
scurvy and for patients suffering from
gravel Rhubarb containing a consider
able amount of oxolic acid should. how
ever. be avoided by those so afflicted as
oxalic acid in food may cause the pro-
duction OF oxalic calculus This acid
may also produce acid dyspepsia. The
sour taste Of the tomato is supposed TO
be due TO the presence. in large amount,
of oxalic acid. While IT is existent IN
the tomato. the sour taste is said to be
due 10 citric acid.
Green vegetables do not contain much