The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-02-12
tReported BY diver shurtIeff.)

ton, one is apt to believe that only
those who intend to cook should have
knowledge Of foods and cooking
This is absolutely false as TO reason
for though but few may cook, all
must eat, and for this reason, all
should have knowledge OF foods and
cooking.
In the early ages primitive man, in
providing for self, did 1t all, furnish
ing food. clothes and shelter, and he
was an adept at all three, but we mod
erns take the plans of others. and we
wear what they say to wear, and do
not regard comfort We live in houses
other people build and do not regard,
to great extent, sanitation. convent
ence. etc., and we eat what other peo-
pie prepare and in ignorance, disre-
gard health and strength. IN study
ing this question, above all other
points 1t is essential that we know
two things, viz, the composition and
the cost of the food. and the proper
combination of food.
Foods can roughly be classified into
six kinds, oxygen, water. salts (miner-
al matter), carbohydrates, the starch
es and sugars, hydro-carbon. the fats.
and the .proteids. the white of an egg,
the kind of milk, the gluten of bread.
etc. The four clements that enter
into the foods are oxygen. hydrogen,
nitrogen and carbon. All the foods
contain the same quantity, hydrogen.
oxygen or carbon, but it is only the
proteids that contain nitrogen, hence
this class of food Is the most import
ant and must be eaten If the nitrogen
is to be given to the body. The other
foods which contain the other ele-
ments III. C. and o. furnish the
foods which supply the energy. or
fuel to the human engine, but it is the
proteids which furnish the repairing
or building up elements.
The kind of food needed Is largely
determined by the occupation of the
Individual. To illustrate: A furnace
from which is required a lot of heat,
and which is supplied with wide.open
draft, is capable OF consuming as fuel
most any kind Of material. even green
wood: but IL the draft is not wide
open and IL not much heat is requir-
ed. only dry wood and other easily
combustible substances can be used
as fuel. The above illustrates the
point exactly. The vigorous, hard
working man who is out of doors a
great deal of his time needs a great
deal of food and one need not be so
diligent as to its selection, but the per-
son of sedentary habits must carefully
select his food, and what he needs is
the proteids. OF course in his selec-
tion he wants to avoid a lop.sided
diet, too much Of either kind would
be Incorporate.
Another reason why the proteids
are so important Is the fact that in
sedentary life most of the wearing
away is from mental stress, and the
repairs must be on hand, so that the
building up process can take place.
1t is like this: Take the furnace again
as an illustration. Let the furnace
fire die out, and the boiler becomes
cool: it does not use itself as fuel.
but when the human engine has no
more fuel which Is convertible into
heat, it begins to furnish from its own
cells that which It should get from ex-
ternal resources.
In considering the second part Of
this subject, the cost, we should take
into consideration, not only the COM
mercial estimate put upon the article.
but also its food value. Considering
these things would name as some OF
the most expensive foods, such things
as oysters, eggs. meats, ETC.. in the
order named. while on of the cheapest
foods is corn meal. Sugars as food
are good, but not too much. or else
the Sugar liver" will result. A bad
liver is also the result from a contin
ued diet of potatoes, bread and butter
Among the vegetables to use freely
might be mentioned peas, beans ant
all the legumes which are of the pro
ted class. Do not indulge very freel,
in CABBAGE, potatoes. turnIps and sucl
vegetables. The person with the sed
entary habits should use mainly con
centrated diet with much proteit
foods. At the table select from wha
is set before you that which will t.
the greatest extent meet the demand!
of your occupation. After a good Sc
lection is made. do not spoil 1t by al
improper mixing Of the foods. The
stomach is acid in reaction. while the
intestines are alkali, so avoid acids
and fats In combination.
Prof. scherf's next lecture will be
-along the line Of Bacteriology and
Germ Life as It Affects Foods.
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