The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-10
PORK AND BEANS IN. G."
As A Cure For tuberculosis, New
York City Physicians Say 1t Is
Unfit,

Shltbs
Pork and beans" as a cure for
consumption, recommended so high
ly by Sir Hiram Maxim in the Daily
Express, of London, does not COM
mend itself to the medical fraternity
of New York City. Physicians are
sure that the eminent authority on
explosives does not know pork nor
beans either singly or in combina-
ton.
One we'll known practitioner says
the New York Herald, who has for
years been interested in the dietary
of public institutions declared that
he had no doubt that scientist was
fond of beans and therefore consid-
cred them panacea. Also he called
attention to the high mortality from
tuberculosis in the bean belt, for in
former years consumption swept
whole districts of New England de-
spite the eating of many and many
crock of Boston's finest.
An outspoken opponent of Sir Hi
rams theory that pork and beans is
better remedy for tuberculosis
than cod liver oil is Dr. Elmer Lee,
New York City, who has for years
conducted experiments to determine
the relative value of foods. He
said
Unfit For Weak Stomachs.
"The use of pork and beans, food
of high flavor, aromatic odor, pleas
ant to the sight and agreeable to the
taste, which is largely employed in
certain places as a part of the daily
diet, might be useful in consumption
cases if the consumptive had energy
! enough to digest and assimilate it.
Consumptives suffer primarily from
loss of strength. Laymen are inclin-
ed to the belief that oils and fats
! convey greater nutrition to the
weakened consumptive than lean
meats or vegetable substances.
I'm practice it is found that fats
| and oils are not digested, but alb
sorbed and not assimilated, but, on
the other hand, become injurious to
the circulation and act as waste
which it is most difficult for the sys-
tenn to eXpel. A strong person may
derive benefit from oils, fats, pork
and beans, but to weakened sys-
| tenn they are harmful"
rs Sir Hiram Maxim justified in
his theory that pork and beans may
be compared with cod liver oil in the
treatment of consumption" was ask
ed.
"If oils and fats" replied DR.. Lee,
''or pork and beans-Boston or New
| York style, the Boston variety being
more greasy-were substances of
easy digestion and assimilation they
would be useful in consumption, but
as the foods are indigestible for
weak persons and remain in the in
testlnes as foreign substances, it fol-
lows that they are of little or no
benefit to the consumptive."
mo one who has felt the respon-
sibility of treating consumptive
would think of placing pork and
beans before his patient. Neither
would he think of using fats and oils.
Mechanical means have been devised
! for breaking up fat or oil into min
ute globules for the purpose of over
coming the difficulty of digestion.
These process made oils are sold in
the market as emulsions. Even this
clever device fails to satisfy nature,
as the stomach and the intestines in
sist on doing their own digesting and
assimilating."
"Is the humble bean," was the
last question, with or without pork,
of value as an article of diet either
Tor the consumptiVe or for the norm
al healthy person?"
''The beam" was the reply,
ranks high as human food. 1t is
easily dried, keeps well and by light
boiling and mild seasoning becomes
readily digestible and completely SOL
uble, conditions necessary for nu-
triton and assimilation. Fats or
oils added to boiled or baked beans
improve the odor, the taste and pos
sibly the appearance, but detract
from the ease of digestion, thus rem
dering the harmless bean an unfavor-
able article of food for weak stom-
achs. The safer and better way to
prepare foods for their best effects
is to cook each article of food separ-
ately, so that the mixing or combin-
ing may be done by the individual
consumer.
In Park Row, where pork and
and its first cousin, ham and"
are regarded as substances of high
dietetic value, proprietors of all es-
tablished beaneries were preparing
to add collections of wall notices
Expert opinion, along the Row is
that three plates of beans-New