Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-15
CONDIMENTS ARE OF VALUE.
Add Relish to Foods, Helping to Draw
Out Hidden EIavors.

Out Hidden Flavors.
While it cannot be said that the use
OF condiments in the daily dietary mas
found complete chemical phys'oiog
lcal explanation, yet it is known that
In many cases they are essential con-
stituents, for they improve the flavor
OF more or less tasteless foods ana,
indeed, promote digestion by exciting
the flow of the various digestive secre-
tons.
Flavor is undoubtedly a great pro-
mOter of digestive success. 1t is not
quite clear, however, why, for ex-
ample, a person takes mustard for
nam, pork or beef and not with NUT
ton; vinegar with salad or lobster,
and not with ilam or other foods. In
generalizing, however, it would ap-
pear that condiments are chosen to
accompany those foods which are less
digestible or which are richer than
others.
Mutton, for example, is more digest
IDLE than beef, pork or duck, and it
Is to these three mustard is generally
added. Vinegar, again, is known to
soften the hard fiber of both meat
and vegetables, hence it probably rem
ders such food as crab, lobster, sal
mon, salads, red cabbage and wal
nuts less tough and more digestible.
vinegar In dresses and sauces prob.
ably has similar action.
AS rule the increased amount of
soluble or extractive matters in a food
Is In direct relation to its digestibility
and nourishing value, not that the ex.
tractive principles are in themselves
nourishing and promote the flow of Ill.
gestive juices. To the man with 70.
bust appetite the presence of tasty ex.
tractives or the use of condiments is
probably superfluous. Bread and
cheese and beer form a most enjoy.
able meal after brisk exercise in the
open country air, but during sedentary
occupation very little relish is exper.
fenced for such simple repast.
Hunger is the best sauce, but fail.
ing hunger the appetite must be coax
cded, and herein lies the true uses OF
sauces, condiments and the other aids
The abuse of condiments has its
attendant evils. The excessive use
OF vinegar is calculated to lead to an
anaemic condition, while it mas an un.
favorable influence on govt. Some
silly women take vinegar to produce
pale complexion. Similarly, a free
indulgence in pepper or mustard
which are both irritants, is likely to
have an Irritating effect upon the or
gans Of secretion. On the other hand
their moderate indulgence promotes
digestion, for they act as carmina
tlves.
Highly savory dishes are incom
WITT
prevailing preference for literally gar
nished "messes" instead of plain, sim
pie food is to be deplored.
Salt is perhaps the commonest con
diment of all, and yet man practical
ly stands alone among animals as q
regular customer of it in the more OF
less pure state and as a definite ad
junct to his food. Salt is present ir
most foods, but the amount in thu
majority of cases would not appear
to satisfy mans needs or he woult
not instinctively add more. Morrow
er. salt may not necessarily exist il
the free state of foods of natural orig
in. but may be loosely combined will
organic constituents.
There can be little doubt that sal
plays a greater part than that of {
mere condiment in the body, for i
possesses solvent powers which, be
sides drawing out" the flavor of tn,
food. facilitate the absorption NOR,
particularly of proteids and thus in
crease tissue metabolism The pleas
ures of feeding would be decided,
diminished If salt and condiment
would be banished from the tables. 1
is noteworthy, moreover, that anon:
condiments, most of them, while fla
voring the digestive processes, are an
tiseptic, so that their action tends t,
counteract any disposition to unde
sirable fermentation.