The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-02-06
ART OF COOKING.
yogeess of Human Race Closely Al
lied to 1t.

gogeess of Human Race Closely Al
lied to II.
It may well be said that the deVel-
lpment of the art of cooking is
loosely connected with the onward
rogress of the human race. As
ne prehistoric cave dwellers knew
iothing of the use to which fire
night be put, their gastronomic
bilities were probably on a par
18th those of the beast of prey with
hich they competed for their daily
lpply Of food. The earliest ma
ions of whom we possess historic
ecords recognized the value of
pods properly prepared, and we
nd that the science of cooking
-adually attained the height of its
sYelopment during the reign of the
eat Roman emperors of the Au-
lstinian period. We are apt to
1ok upon the banquets of the old
somans as orgies, and in some de-
rec they undoubtedly were, and yet
re have abundant evidence that the
Rans were cognizant of the fact
the proper preparation and sea-
slg Of the food contributed in a
se measure to an improved appe--
tie and a better digestion. We
Iust, therefore, credit them with a
nowledge of these physiological ne
ssities even while condemning
aem for their luxurious repasts.
ley also realized that a pleasant
fa1ne of mind had a great and i'm
ortant influence on the digestive
rocesses and therefore provided
musements of various kinds dur
lg the meal. The inroads of the
.orthern barbarians caused the
ighly developed arts and sciences
I the Romans-and culinary per-
ection must be included among
aem-to be plunged into the long
eriod of darkness which marked
ne middle ages.
Whatever knowledge we possess
their civilization we owe to the
lany monastic orders of Europe,
hose members preserved and cult
ated, among other things, the ira
itions of the culinary art until the
snaissance, In the reign of Louis
". of France and his successors.
ne influence Of France on the me
hoS of the world has continued un-
interruptedly down to the present
day. The principles of cooking,
of the latter in a general
sense, were developed by the early
Romans in a purely empirical fash
ion. Now they have been made the
subject of scientific investigation
and found to rest on a firm and
sound basis. The Russian physiol-
ogist, Pavlov, has clearly demon
sfrated in his researches on diges-
ton that the ingestion of substances
with a purely nutrient value does
not sufficiently satisfy the demands
of the body. Taste and appetite
must also be taken into considera-
ton. These are satisfied only by
Che addition to the food of spices
and salt, and it is largely due to the
influence of these condiments that
the proper amount of gastric juice
is liberated by the mucous mem
brane of the stomach. The action
upon the stomach of reflex stimuli
IS shown by the favorable effect on
the flow of the gastric secretions
made by mental impressions in
duced by the mere sight and color
Of a well prepared dish. In this
manner Eppien Reichs Medicinal
Anzeiger) leads up to the broad
claim that the proper preparation
Df all food, as demanded by the es-
sential requirements of the culinary
art. is not luxury, but physiolog-
cal necessity, and to develop and
this knowledge is an act
beneficial to the public welfare.