The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-04-26
THE WATER WE EAT.
Sought as Food. NJ Is Tolerahly Ex-
pensiVc Luxury,

Woa& 0NNs ~ ~ q lnAefHnlN III
pensivc Luxury.
Bought as food, water Is a tolerahl
, expensive luxury. In several instance
1t costs something like $3.50 a glass. a,
; cording to the estimates ct III.
Holmes in pearson's.
Let us begin with breakfast.
J Look at that loaf OF bread. To al
appearance 1t Is solid enough. But 1
Is not. When II came into the hands o
the baker as wheat Hour 1t containe,
water only to the extent Of II per cent
In working up the materials int
dough, by kneading and other manipu
iation and in baking great chang,
takes place, and the quantity Of water
has more than doubled. The wheat
flour loaf contains nearly 40 per cent OF
water, Curiously enough. Its value as
a food is increased thereby. The per,
centage of water In the crust is about
half that In the soft inside,
'Cured" pork does not contain a
large proportion OF VI Ter. In fact,
wherever there is a good deal OF fatty
matter there Is also a scarcity Of mois.
ture. So the man who enjoys his slice
of breakfast bacon may comfort him.
self with the reflection that he Is get
ting fairly solid value for his money,
because bacon contains only % per
cent of water.
Fresh eggs, on the other hand, are
composed OF no less than 65 per cent
OF water.
The best dairy made butter, no mat
ter how carefully prepared, contains a
comparatively large percentage of wa.
ter, Out Of 1900 samples OF butter ex-
amined by well known authorities
small number contained over 10 per
cent Of water. The larger number con.
tanned between II and IS per cent
CarelesSly manufactured or adulter.
ated butter often contains much more
water than is permissible by law, and
the breakfast table may include a sup
ply OF butter containing as much as 70 |
per cent Of water
1t is only to be expected that milk.
owing to Its origin, should vary consid |
erably In its composition. Much de.
pends on the health and surroundings
Of the animal yielding it.
1t is interesting to know that morn
ing milk as 1t comes from the COW is
by no means as nourishing as the even
ng supply. There Is more water in the
former The daily quart of milk, even
n its purest state, contains an average
If SIS per cent Of water,
The choicest fish contains the largest
OF water Thus turbot and
iole are credited with IS per cent,
almon IS per cent, while the common
r inhabitants of the deep blue sea are
ontent with from 40 to GO per cent, as
u the case OF the homely herring.
"As cool as cucumber" is a house
old term. The coolness Is easily ex-
lained. Cucumbers are almost entire
: composed Of water-that Is, 95 per
ent, or over IA per cent more than Is
ontained in milk, which Is itself lIq-
i'd. Lettuce must not be forgotten.
Iere is further instance of how little
nbstance may be in an apparent solid,
Or the cabbage lettuce holds 90 per
ent of water.
1t will be seen that most Of the good
lings Of life are largely composed Of
'ater, but it is better for US that this
so. Nature knows more about our Iii.
estiye powers than we know our
lives. and she has designed her prod
flesh, fowl and frult-wiih
, cunning n hand that the water con
ined in each is essential.
Food containing very little water IN
composition is not, as a rule, good to
1 until a suitable process Of cooking
IS rendered 1t safe by adding a fur
er supply of water to it, and boiling
Is well known, Is the process that
nders our food most wholesome ant
sy OF digestion.