The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-11-08


This immense sum is used to pur-
chase a food of whose nature and
dietetic value very little is known.
Every one thinks he knows from ex-
perience what suits him best, or at
any rate. as one woman expressed it.,
''likes to eat what he likes, and not
what is nourishing."
1t has proved financially profitable
to study the food of plants, to an
alyze the soil where they are to be
grown, discover what food element
is lacking, and by supplying this
produce a more perfect and plenti-
full crop. Extensive experiments are
carried out to determine by what
system of feeding the most market
able steer yielding the largest profit
can be raised. Even the question of
whether the corn should be ground
into a meal or fed to the animal on
the cob is thought worthy of con-
sideration and experiment. This, be-
cause the value of such care and ex-
pertinent can be demonstrated in the
returns in dollars and cents. A mans
health, strength and efficiency depend
upon the food he eats, but 1t is less
easy to show the eresults of experiments
with human beings than with plants
and the lower animals. In matters
of food more than in anything else
the human race has been content to
follow its instincts. Now, however,
the time has come when it does not
seem sufficient to appreciate the abil-
ity of science to 6vst interpret the
leadings of instinct, and then dis
cover means of improving upon them.
Through the domestic science move
ment many of the more intelligent
housekeepers have come to realize
the need for more accurate informa-
tion regarding the nutritive and
economic value of different foods, of
methods of cooking, and related sub
jects. To supply this need the Gov
ernment, through the Office of Ex-
pertinent Stations of the Departm
of Agriculture, has established sys-
tenn of Nutrition Investigations
These include studies of the food
consumed by typical individuals
families, and groups in colleges, hos
pitfalls, and other institutions, to de-
termine representative food habits
to discover the principles underlying
the natural selection of food, and to
establish rational basis for such Sc
lection.
While very few people in civilized
countries actually starve, many have
less food than they need, and multi
tudes have less than they would buy
If they could. On the other hand
many people have more food than
they should have. Careful prepare.
tion and skillful cooking fits much
food for use which would otherwise
be thrown away, and makes what is
already edible more easily available
and therefore more valuable to the
body. We do not, however, know O
great deal about the effect of cooking
gestability. Moreover, whenever
money is scarce and the most should
be made of food, there the ignorance
carelessness, and incompetence of the
cook are proverbial. Therefore the
nutrition Investigations have in
cluded researches upon the prepara-
tion of some of the most important
articles of diet, particularly bread
and meat. 1t seems especially suit
able that the Investigations upon the
chemistry of meat should be carried
on in Illinois, which contains the
greatest distributing centre for this
food in the world.
At the University of Illinois several
laboratories of the Department OF
Chemistry are devoted TO this study
Not only are different cuts and kinds
of raw meat analyzed to discover
differences in composition and there
fore in nutritive value, but they are
also cooked in various ways to deter
mine the comparative value of diff
ferent methods of cooking, the losses
and changes In composition which
occur, and the influence of these upon
the digestibility of meat.
A standing rib beef roast, for in
stance, is shown by analysis to con-
sist of forty-two per cent. refuse or
inedible material, bone and gristle
twenty-four per cent. water, twenty
six per cent. fat, seven per cent. pro
teid (muscle-building substance), or
per cent. organic eXtractives. There
fore, If one pays seventy-fve cents
for a five-pound roast of this char
acter, thirty-one cents goes to pay fol
waste material and 43.5 cents for ed.
| ible meat divided as follows: eighteen
cents for water and 25.5 cents foI
the actually nutritive material.
The same roast, boned and rolled
ready for cooking, would weigh
about three pounds, forty-four pei
cent. of which would j. water, twelve
per cent. proteid, IA per cent. or
ganic e.tractives, forty-one per cent
Fat, and 0.6 per cent ash. Aftel
! cooking It would weigh two all =
half pounds if cooked very rare, ans
| contain forty per cent water, four
teen per cent proteid, forty-three pei
cent fat, is per cent extractiyes
and OF per cent. ash. Having lost
more of water than of the other con
stituents during cooking, it has be
come more concentrated, and pound
of the cooked meat contains as mucf
nutrltive material as eighteen ounce:
of the raw meat.
1t is difficult for the uninitiated t
appreciate the extent of the work in
yolved in such Investigations, bu