Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-03
need TRAIN NC.
Food Question Assumes
New Importance,
Disease and Degener aCy Is
Due to maInutriiiOn.
Domestic Science Is Solving Many
Home Problems.

diet have received Il large amount of
study during the last half century in
this country and much valuable data
has been secured through the work
of American investigators and by
means of the nutrition Investigations
OF the U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture.
How best to feed the nations has
long been a topic of deep interest to
students and educators. If We con-
slider the body as a human machine.
an engine needing both fuel and
building material that it may do it's
work properly, it then becomes i'm
portant to know of what that ma
teral should consist and in what
form it best serves the body's pur-
poses. This is a subject well worthy
of research from the standpoint of
health, gocd-citizenship and econom-
les. Examples of the disastrous re-
suits following imperfect nourishment
Of our people are not hard to find.
1t has been estimated that during
the year 1909 over eight million dol
lers was expended by the various in
teiests fighting consumption in the
United States. According to some stat
iStiCianS every seventh death is due
to some form of this disease Compe-
tent authorities also state that poor
nourishment and bad air render one
liable to become a victim of tubercu-
los!s There were twenty million
school children in this country two
years ago and of this number one and
a third million were found to be Suf-
fering from lack of nutrition. To rem
edy this to some extent lunch rooms
for schools have been much discussed
and in sohre of the large cities expert
ments have been tried along this line
with fair success.
1t stands to reason that the lily fed
child does not have the same grasp of
things mentally as the child whose
bodily needs are well cared for. 1t
is a well-known fact that a large pro-
portion of our degenerateS are due to
imperfect bodily structure. How
much harm is done by injurious COM
pounds sometimes formed from ordi-
| nary wholesome foods when ignorant
| ly used is seldom realized" saws a
recognized authority on this subject.
This writer further states that physio-
| logical chemistry is revealing the fact
that these compounds may affect even
the brain and nerves and that some
kinds of insanity are caused by prod
ucts formed by the abnormal trans
formations of food and body material
Scientists may give us useful knowl-
edge and much data but the real
working out of dietary problems and
right home making for this country,
rests with the American housekeeper.
1t is matter of regret that so many
young women enter homes of their
own with little or no preparation for
this all-important vocation. When
fitting themselves for a clerkship of
Il few years duration they devote time
and money to course of study and
quite wisely. but training to enable
them to make home is in many cases
entirely neglected. Much sympathy
is due the young wife who assumes
the care of a household under such
conditions. More sympathy should
be accorded the young husband
whose defenceless stomach and good
| nature must be imposed upon by this
ineXperience. The bridal trousseau
perhaps would be more simple if nee
essary time and expense were devoted
TO studying theSe problems. but the
well being of the home would without
doubt repay such sacrifice.
Under our present system Of com
pctitive living and prevailing high
prices of all necessities as we'll as lux
uries the saying Anyone can manage
a home" no longer applies. To cope
| with these conditions skill and knoVt-s
edge are required as much as in any,
vocation a; woman may choose.
speaker of national repute ON dones-
tic problems stated before ladies'