The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-03-16
THE WATER WE BUY.
MUCH OF THE FOOD CONSUMED
PRINCIPALLY MOISTURE.
Animal or Vegetable the Various
Articles of Our Diet Contain
Large Per Cert. Of
liquid.


What we buy as solid food is not
solid. It is partly water; some of the
commonest foods are almost entirely
composed of water.
Bought as food, water is a tolerably
expensive luxury. In several instances
it costs something like $3.50 glass
says Pearson's Magazine.
Let us begin with breakfast.
Look at that loaf Of bread. To all
appearances 1t is solid enough. But 1t
Is not When it came into the hands
Of the baker as wheat flour it contained
water only to the extent of II per cent.
In working up the materials into
dough, by kneading and other manipA
ulation, and in baking, a great change
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
percentage Of water in the crust is
about half that in the soft inside.
Cured" pork does not contain a
large proportion of water: 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
comparatively regal percentage OF wa
ter. Out of 1.500 samples Of butter ex-
amined by well-known authorities,
small number contained over 1G per
cent. OF water; the larger number con-
tained between II and 13 per cent.
Carelessly manufactured or adulter-
ated butter often contains much more
water than is permissible by law, and
the breakfast table may include sup
ply Of butter containing as much as 20
per cent of water
1t is only to be expected that milk,
owing to its origin, should vary con-
siderably in its composition. Much de-
pends on the health and surroundings
Of the animal yielding It.
It is interesting to know that MORN
Ing milk, as Il comes from the COW, is
by no means as nourishing as the even
Ing su0ply; there is more water in the
former. The daily quart OF milk even
in its purest state contains an average
OF SIG per cent OF water.
The choicest fish contain the largest
percentage Of water. Thus. turbot and
sole are credited with rs per cent;
salmon rs per cent; while the COM
moner inhabitants of the deep blue
sea are content with from 40 to 60
per cent, as in the case Of the homely
herring
"As cool as a cucumber" is a house.
hold term. The coolness is easily ex-
planned. Cucumbers are almost entire
ly composed OF water-that is. 95 per
cont. or over IA per cent. more than is
contained in milk, which is itself a
LIQUID. Lettuce must not be forgotten.
Here is a further instance Of how little
substance may be in an apparent solid,
for the cabbage lettuce holds 80 per cent.
Of water.
1t will be seen that most OF the good
things OF life are largely composed Of
water; but It is better for us that this
lis so. Nature knows more about our
digestive powers than we know our
selves. and she has designed her prod
ucts-fsh, flesh. fowl and fruit-with so
cunning hand that the water contained
in each is essential.
Food containing very little water in
It's composition is not, as a rule. good
to eat until a suitable process of cook
ing has rendered it safe by adding fur
ther supply Of water to 1t. and boiling,
as is well known, is the process that rem
ders our food most wholesome and easy
Of digestion.