The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-10-31

the ills OF life are due to tho foods
which we eat or do not eat The the
ory OF the followers OF this new SCI
ence is that nature has furnished
somewhere within It's garden Of
plants food which will prove a cure
for any OF the diseases known to
man. II we properly mixed and used
these foods according to natures de-
mands there would be no sickness.
There Is of course sufficient basis
of truth in this theory to make 1t
seem plausible TO many. The old
fashioned kitchen gardens Of our New
England settlers contained many
plants which we're raised as much for
their medicinal virtues as for any nu-
tritive value. Medical science has
clearly established that the various
plants and herbs contain elements
which the system needs. II Is ac-
knowledged that spinach, dandelion
and grapes benefcially affect the kid
neys; that garlic, olives, onions and to-
matoes promote Digestion; that Gel
cry, pieplant and lemons tend to re-
lieve rheumatic disorders of certain
variety, and that insomnia is often
cured by the liberal use OF onions and
lettuce. In addition to these remedial
foods carrots are recommended for
asthmatic troubles, turnips, onions
and salt for scurvy, peanuts for those
suffering from corpulent diabetes,
spinach and onions for gravel, and
elderberries for dropsy.
Medicinal Value of Onion and Lemon.
Whole treatises have been written
on the medicinal values of the onion
and the lemon. The former is said
to be the best nervine known, and
tones up the system of one suffering
from nervous prostration as nothing
else can do. The lemon is not after
all such bad thing to hand friend.
1t may save Doctors bill IL properly
used. 1t promotes digestion in many
cases, purifies the blood and acts as
tonic. A lemon makes not only a
palatable drink, but when admins
tered in hot water it proves beneficial
in low fevers, liver troubles, rheuma-
tism and biliousness. In the tropics
the lemon and grapefruit are eaten
freely to ward off malarial fevers and
to tone up the system. A lemon will
often prevent cold or break up a
new one.
In a recent series of experiments
conducted by the Agricultural Depart
ment to ascertain the dietary value
of fruits and nuts 1t was demon
strated that fruits and nuts formed a
complete diet. The fruits were shown
to contain little protein, and nuts had
to be relied on in the fruitarian plan
to balance the ration. The fruits are
rich In carbohydrates and nuts in
fat. Thus pound of peanuts, which
cost seven cents, furnish one thou
sand calories Of energy at a cost of
three and one-half cents, and pro-
tein at a cost of thirty-six cents a
pound. For the same result porter
house steak, selling in the market at
twenty-five cents per pound, would
cost twenty-five and one-half cents
and $1.30. Yet the iespised peanut
has not until recently been considered
an important article of diet AS a
means for exercising the jaws while
viewing circus 1t has always stood
high, but not as an acceptable table
food. In the opinion of scientists it
ranks to-day higher than good bread,
but not quite as high as dried beans.
These latter rank higher than almost
any other common food we can place
on our table.
Characteristic Dishes OF the Nations.
The physiological effect of foods on
the human race is study involving
considerable investigation. The first
choice of foods was supposed to have
been due to our sense of taste. A
new fruit or vegetable appealed to
the palate, and therefore it was added
to the diet of nation or race. In
vestigations have shown that another
factor was potent In the original Sc
lection of foods. Many animals pos
sess a shrewd instinct in choosing
their foods when sick. A cat will
wander a long distance in search of
catnip, or horse or COW travel many
weary miles after salt. Savages and
half-civilized nations have an instinct
or have learned by experience that
certain strange foods possess medic
inal values. The physiological effect
of these foods has convinced scien-
lists that there has been less haphaz-
ard selection OF foods than many sus-
pect
Tastes differ widely in respect to
food. National dishes have always
distinguished the leading civilized
countries from one another. French,
German or English cooking differs
less In the method of preparing the
different dishes than in the ingredi-
ents employed. The French with their
snails, mushrooms and olive oil will
impart new flavor to a steak or
roast, and the Germans with their
fondness for garlic and onions will
completely transform the flavor.
When we come to the Oriental ma
tions we find entirely new dishes
which owe their peculiar taste to
popular local ingredients. Currie and
chutney mixed with rice and then
cooked with chicken transforms our
common barnyard fowl into quite a
| different article of diet. Chutney is
compound OF fruits, spices, chIliies
and lime Juice. ingredients which eli
| possess medicinal value. The Chinese
are not so crude as to broil or boil a