The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-07-16
yst-s4s- - -
AMERICAS FOOD :
SUPPLY IS BEST
Finest In The World, Says Gov
eminent Investigator.
This Country's Success Is the Result,
Declares c. r. Laneworthy, Chief OF
ply Of Prehistoric Man and Nations.

Nutrition investiga tions--Fo God Sup !
ply Of Prehistoric Man and Nations.
That America has the finest food |
supply of any country in the word !
and that The plentiful and well bal
anced ration is responsible for mut |
of the success of the United States us
nation is the conclusion drawn ~
G. +. Langworthy, chief Of the nutri- |
ton investigations, In pamphlet is
sued by the department OF agriculture.
Mr. Langworthy goes into the food
supply of prehistoric man and of ma
tons of which we know but little ex'
cept through popular writings and
states that many of the impressions
that these writers give are erroneous.
He says, for instance, that the idea
that the Chinese and japanese are na-
tons of rice eaters is false. 1t is true
that both these people eat large guam
titles of rice compared with western
nations, but that it Is merely their
chief starchy food and that it would
United States as nation OF whelt
eaters or to say that beans and brown
bread were the exclusive diet in New
England He says it Is surprising 10
see what a wen balanced ration Is
common among all nations, though
some take their food in one form aud
some in another.
The writer says that prehistoric man
probably took his food from any
source it could be obtained. just MS
the modern family is governed largely
by circumstances and convenience In
the makeup of its dietary. The early
people who lived close to the wafer
ate largely of shelfish and other sea
foods, and those farther inland lived
on game animals, birds and their eggs
and such grains and fruits rs grew
wild
Australian Bushmen Examples.
In the cave dwellings of ancient Flu.
rome there have been found charred
and cracked marrow bones, and in The
prehistoric lake dwellings of Europe
have been found the grains from which
were made the bread of that remot'
period. If the primitive people OF Z
present day are taken to show how
the earlier races lived, the Australian
bushmen are an example OF how seeds
fruits. insects and animals and roots
are readily used,
OF the food used by the American
| Indians before they were modified bi
contact with the whites much infor
| nation is available. 1t Is kRown rha'
they extensively cultivated grain
pumpkins. beans, maize and sunfow
ers, besides hunting and ishing AM
] mails and fish were extensively eaten
and large quantities of these were
dried and smoked for the winter. Spe
| cial arrangements were made TO securi
| fat, according to the early chronleers
| and bear fat and other animal fat
were collected, as we'll ms oil from sun
| flower seed
| The diet of the Indians seems to have
been extensive and well balanced Thu
remoter Indian tribes Of Mexico sbeN
the same conditions today. modified
somewhat by surroundings and cir
cumstances.
l Racial custom does not persist amont
human beings. IT has been fonhc
among immigrants to the United state
that while old people. as a rule, cling e
food customs they brought with them
the second generation usually takes t.
the more varied diet of the modern
community in which II lives.
Diets Suited to Climates.
Turning to the Eskimos, they are tax
en- as the nearest representatives 0
glacial man on the earth today, ant
their diet, consisting largely of meat
fat and heat producing food, is suiteu
to their environment, as Is the easil,
obtained vegetable diet to the inhabit
ants Of the tropics.
In speaking Of the peasants OF Eu
rope and ireland, Mr.. Langworth!
says that popular writer's who speal
of their almost exclusive potato diet
fail, as a rule. to observe the skim
milk and bacon that go with the ra
ton. In the same way, while rio
takes the place Of wheat In the diet o
the japanese and Chinese, they do no
perform severe manual labor OF
handful Of rice, as has been frequent
ly alleged. They always use q larg
variety of vegetables. fresh and pre-
served fruits, fish and beans and othe
legumes. Both races use as larg
amounts of pork and poultry az thei
means will allow.
Attention IL called also to the fnc
that the amount Of energy and hea
forming food depends largely on tn
size Of the person nourished In thi
way studies of the dietary of twent
. American professional men and sin
0 liar number Of japanese show that th
b Japanese get along with much fewt
+ "calories" of energy making materia
n The fact was, however that the Anne
e leans averaged $50 pounds In weigh
and the Japanese 103 pounds. Who
this difference In size was considere
Q Il brought the food figures much Gloss
q together
1 The popular idea Of the natives
e india never eating meat is also sal
0 to be erroneous, as little account
n | tal,an ~ tfha arra quantities of mil