Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-19
WOODWARD & LOTHROP
New York. WASHINGTON-P Paris
and as much wear in another kind Of
coat at less cost.
Buys in Ignorance.

But when he buys meat and -four and
potatoes he has really very little def
mite information as to how much nutri-
ment they contain. whether the nutritive
materials are of the kinds and in the
proportions that are best adapted to the
bodily wants Of himself and his wife
for their work and of his growing chill
dren for the healthy building up Of their
bodies, nor does he know exactly wheth-
err or not he might obtain just what is
needed in equally useful forms and at
much less cost. He is very apt to have
the idea that what his family wants and
must have is good. nourishing food and
enough of it This is an excellent prin-
ciple, but in practical application 1t is
apt to mean, Get the kind of food
you like; do not mind if it is expen-
sfve for the best is the cheapest, and
make sure that you eat enough" The
result is that he spends a great deal
more money for his food than he needs
to, and often fails to get what is most
nourishing and healthful. And. unfortu-
nately, the poor are the ones that prac-
tice the worst economy and suffer most
from it.
One great reason for this evil is that
our people understand so little about the
terials as compared with the prices they
pay and with their needs for nourish-
ment. And, for that matter, there is
similar difficulty in writing about the
subject. because really very little accu-
rate information has been collected in
the United States regarding the compo-
Sition of the foods consumed and the &C
tual eating habits of the people. DO
mestic science" is taught in all our
schools for women. There are cooking
classes and instruction in hygiene in
many public schools, but the education
of children in these subjects should be
given still more attention, because they
exceed in Importance geography, gram
mar and mathematics.
Too Hearty Eating.
We eat too much in this country, much
more than the people of continental Eu-
rope. although no more and perhaps not
SO much as the average Englishman; we
waste more and do not cook SO well as
the Germans, French. Swiss and other
Europeans. Difference in climate cannot
account for It, We are a little more
given to muscular exercise here, which
is very well for US, but it cannot justify
our eating SO much. In the German
army. where especial attention is given
to diet, and it has been an axiom since
the time of Frederick the Great that SOL
diers to march well and fight we'll must
be well fed, ration for time of peace
has been consummated at $500 During the
last Franco-German war, shortly before
the battle of Sedan. an order was issued
by King (afterward EMPEROR William,
which provided an extraordinary war ra-
ton, which is estimated at $685. calories.
If a man with a tremendous physical and
nervous tension required in such terrible
service as the German soldier was called
upon to render in his victorious contests
with the Erpnchman is we'll SunDIIed hN
a ration of less than 1000 calOrieS of en-
ergy, and German professional men, In
their quiet and active and successful In
tellectual work at home, are amply nour
ished with 2, 700 and less, how happens Ii
that men of mental rather than muscular
occupation here consume food with 1000
calOries and more?
Living in the midst of abundance, our
diet has not been regulated by the re-
straints which obtain with the great ma
jority of the people of the old world.
where food is dear and incomes are
small. The four quarters Of the earth are
to supply us with the things
which will most tempt our appetites. The
seasons have been transformed. The
laws of nature have been reversed. We
have spring lamb and strawberries in
January as we'll July. How much
harm is done to health by our one-sided
and excessive diet no one can say. PhySi-
clans tell us that it is very great OF the
vice of over-eating Sir Henry Thompson,
a noted English physician, says:
Il have come to the conclusion that
more than half of the disease which en-
bitters the middle and latter part of life
is due to avoidable errors ia diet {"
and that more mischief in tho form of
actual disease, of impaired vigor and of
shortened life accrues to civilized man
: in England and throughout CEN
trial Europe from erroneous habits of eat
ing than from habitual use of alcoholic
drink, considerable as I know that evil
RI he