The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-12-31


est in what may be styled remedial
foods through the agitation of a new
society which proclaims that most OF
the Ills OF life are due to the foods
which we eat or do not eat The the
DRY of the followers of this new sci
ence is that nature has furnished
somewhere within its 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 it
seem plausible to many. The old
fashioned kitchen gardens of our New
England settlers contained many
plants which were 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 clements
which the system needs. 1t is ac-
knowledged that spinach, dandelion
and grapes beneficially affect the kid
neys; that garlic, olives, onions and to-
matoes promote digestion; that cell
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 a friend.
1t may save doctors bill If 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 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 a porter
house steak, selling in the market at
twenty-five cents per pound, would
cost twenty-five and one-half cents
and Sl.30. Yet the despised peanut
has not until recently been considered
an important article OF diet. AS a
means for exercising the jaws while
viewing a circus it 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
J 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
I 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 hese 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 o. English cooking differs
less I'm the method of preparing the
/ different dishes than I'm the ingredi-
| ents employed. The French with their
| suails, mushrooms and olive oil will
I impart new flavor to steak OF
/ 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 tc
popular local ingredients. Currie and
| chu'ney mixed with rice and Their
! cooked with chicken transforms ouI
common barnyard fowl into quite a
! different article of diet. Chutney i,
compound OF fruits. spices. chillie.
| and lime juice. ingredients which al
| possess medicinal value. The Chimes,
| are not SO crude as TO brof or boil ,
rat without havoring it TO concea
JUS identity. Tons OF these animali