Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-17
4 NEW PROFESSION.
women Diet Experts and Directors
 in Large Institutions.
yuggest Ways in Which Food May Be improved and Cost Lessened
 An Important Func- tionary.


 new and congenial occupation in fife has opened up for women which will be suitable to their domestic tastes as we'll as fairly remunerative. The project is to learn the business of diet control and secure employ ment as experts in that line at col leges, large boarding schools and in stitutions of various kinds, such as hospitals and asylums. Here, accord ing to the opinion of Prof W. O. At water, of Wesleyan university, is a profession especially adapted to women and in which many clever persons of the gentler sex are destined to find employment within the next few years. Household economics is study that naturally attracts women and they are much better fitted than men to manage the business of feeding large num- bers of people,. Schools for the study of such subjects are already open to both sexes ana women have evinced marked inclination to acquire knowledge of this kind.
 It will be the duty of the woman who governs the diet of large ln- stitution to suggest ways in which the food may be improved and the cost of it lessened. Not only will she arrange the bill of fare so that there shall be the proper propor- tion of fuel food (such as bread and potatoesl and fesh-making foods (such as meat and beans), but she will know how to furnish attractive
 
 Incidentally she will watch the waste in the kitchen and on the table and will see that it does not become excessive.
 The importance of such func- tionary in hospital or orphan asy- lum and the control she would exer- else, influencing the comfort of all the inmates, is sufficiently obvious, while at a great boarding school, or in charge of the commons" at a college, she would exert a most weighty authority. But it ought to be realized that scientific diet con trol does not imply the weighing out of "protein" and "carbonhydra in castiron quantities, to the discom- fort of those whose only desire is to satisfy healthy appetites. 1t is sim ply method of supplying the best and most appetizing things to eat at least cost, with due regard to the health of the consumers.
 The woman dietary expert willesee that the food is first rate in point of quality and freshness; that 1t is appetizingly served. She will make a special study of the food market in order to get the best things at the least prices in diffeffrent seasona She will introduce variety into the diet in such way as to make it more attractive than what would be fur nished by one of less skill from much more costly material. In short, she will be thoroughly scientific and therefore an absolutely capable housewife.
 Most housewives have ideas on such subjects which are more or less elementary; the woman who makes such work her business will have positive and exact knowledge instead of going by guesswork. In the kitchen she will bring into play inn proved machinery; for improvements in culinary apparatus are quite as well worth employing as improved machinery in the factory. They save in the cost of preparation, which means saving in the cost of food. She will have made a study of wash ing machines and of ranges, and the use of the oven thermometer will be familiar to her. For different foods are best when cooked at different | temperatures, and knowledge of this branch of the subject not only makes the dishes served more ap- petizing but saves fuel.
 There is about to be established in Washington "diet kitchen" un- der the direction of young woman. Its patrons will be largely physicians, for meals to be supplied, just as they i furnish prescriptions for medicines to be filled by the apothecary. Doc tors nowadays realize that proper ! food is as important for sick people l as suitable medicines, but it is diff | cult for them to control the former satisfactorily, inasmuch as the ordi- nary cook is not intelligent enough l to prepare it exactly as it is wanted. I The diet kitchen, however, says the 1 Cleveland Plain Dealer, will furnish meals precisely according to pre- scription, preparing them in a scien- tific manner, adjusting with accuracy the proportions of protein and Carbohydrates" and delivering the food three or more times day at the residence of the patient Inci- dentally, of course, all dishes used will be thoroughly sterilized, being carried back in the wagon to the culinary establishment for bath of live steam, to supplement the ordinary process of washing.
 The Wrong Place.
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