The Virginia enterprise., 1909-01-29

lighter and more laxative. !
Bread should be cut into slices and
allowed to dry to some extent At
least before being eaten. The less
soft, cereal food is eaten the. better,
especially for children. The tendency
is to swallow soft food with little
mastication. The teeth, however; can
be- properly developed and maintained
only by eating hard food.
The objections urged against fresh
white bread do not apply equal
ly to toast. The starch of which
toast, zwieback, or rusk, chiefly con-
sists has been largely converted into
sugar by dry heat. This is easily
digested, being open to the action of
the digestive fluids. Hence for per-
sons Of weak digestion it is much su-
pertor to fresh bread-so far as the
supply of heat and muscular force is
concerned only. Crackers are inferior
to toast, especially If soaked in soup
or other liquid.
Entire wheat bread is not adapted
to toasting, it's albumen being already
too much coagulated for the best nu-
triton. Evidently cheese should not
be toasted. Boiled potatoes are the
better for toasting so far as the starch
element is concerned, providing no fat
be used. Fried potatoes are a pro.
life source of dietetic troubles.
One may be eating sufficient albu-
men, starch, fat and sugar, which con.
stitute IS per cent. or more of all
solid nutriment the body needs, and
yet may become weak, sickly, inefi-
cient and finally die for lack of proper
nourishment. For perfect nutrition
we must have in the blood, in addi-
ton: Potash, sodium, phosphorus,
calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur,
chlorine and fluorine.
Potash is essential in every part
of the body, but especially in the
brain and nerve centers. In all nerve
disorders it is found to be deficient in
the blood. Perhaps the quick wit
of the Irish is due, partly, to the
abundant supply of potash and phos.
phorus they have got for centuries
from potatoes and wheat, which form
so large part of their diet. The best
sources of potash are: Beans, pota-
toes, peanuts, wheat, lettuce, prunes,
cucumbers, meat, walnuts.
Sodium is found in every tissue Of
the body. Without it the processes of
nutrition could not be carried on.
Sodium is one of the elements of COM
mon salt, but it is not necessary to
eat salt to get chlorine. Many careful
investigators, including a physician
of my acquaintance who has studied
the subject assiduously for many
years, say that common salt is in
furious. Certainly the average per-
son eats far too much of it, weakening
the kidneys and exciting the delicate
organism. l have demonstrated that
there is enough sodium and chlorine
in peanuts and wheat.
The best sources of sodium are:
Milk, spinach, wheat, lentils, barley,
carrots, potatoes, cabbage, figs, ap-
pies, eggs. nuts.
Sulphur seems to be very important
in nutrition, for the average body con-
tains about three ounces of it. Mrs.
Squeers discovered that when given
in crude mineral form it has an effect
opposite to that which it is probably
designed to serve. It's best sources
of natural supply are: Potatoes, beans,
horseradish, peanuts, figs, lettuce.
olives, barley, milk, meat, eggs, oats.
wheat. White -four contains none.
Iron is a very necessary element in
the blood. White bread contains
none of it, milk small percentage.
The foods richest in iron are: Len.
tils, lettuce, peas, figs, nuts, rye, wheat,
apples, grapes, prunes, oats, onions.
Calcium is very necessary for the
formation of bone, especially in chill
dren. Its best sources are: Milk,
figs, eggs, cocoanut, beechnuts, onions,
wheat, rye, meat, potatoes, corn.
Chlorine is necessary for the forma.
ton of gastric fluid, used in digestion.
1t also has an important influence in
the oxygenation of the blood. It's
best sources are: Milk, cocoanut, let.
tuce, nuts, cabbage, potatoes, eggs,
corn, beans, meat, fish, wheat. Fine
white flour contains no chlorine.
Silicon gives hardness to the bones,
hair, nails, etc. Its best sources OF
supply are: Lettuce, cabbage, figs,
oats, barley, wheat, nuts.
Fluorine seems to give elasticity to
the veins and muscles. 1t is best sup
piled by lettuce, potatoes, figs, onions,
nuts, milk, wheat, rye, olives, apples,
grapes.
Magnesium is always found in the
blood, though there is some doubt as
to it's Office. It's best sources are:
Nuts, beans, wheat, milk, oats, corn
lettuce, rye, potatoes.
Phosphorus is essential to the
growth of the cells. Brain and nerve
energy seem to depend largely upon
the supply of phosphorus. 1t is very
important to supply ample phosphorus
in the food of growing children and
brain workers. One-twelfth of the solid
matter of the brain is phosphorus.
The old theory that fish supply an ex.
traordinary amount of phosphorus
seems not to be well founded. The
foods that best supply phosphorus are:
Beans, peas, milk, wheat, rye, corn
eggs, nuts, potatoes, meats, fish, figs,
carrots, cabbage.
It is now clear that all the elements
of nutrition are supplied by bread
nuts, fruits, milk and meat. II one is
satisfied that meat is injurious he
oor gradually eliminate <ho+ fro,~, 1T,