East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-02-04
Gohn E. Monk in st. Paul Pioneer
PreSs.)


Washington, D. C.-Experts of the
Department of Agriculture sit up
nights devising ways and means to
make life worth living. They have
devised new methods of farming and
for the reforestration of denuded tim
ber areas; they have suggested plans
for good road building. They have
designed handy churns for busy house
wives and have evolved a thousand
Tor more ideas that have proved help
full in this vale of tears
The latest example of the wide field
lowered by experts of "Tama Jim Will
sons" department is the publication
of cook book for the preparation of
food for the sick and convalescent
1t is the first publication of its kind
Curiously enough, hitherto all cook
books have dealt with the prepar-
alton of victuals for the healthy eat
ers. Nobody thought about those who
stood in sorest need of scientific cook
ing, the sick. 1t remained for Daniel
Sullivan of the Department of Agri-
culture. a chief of fifteen years ex-
perience in hospital kitchens, who is
now employed by Secretary Wilson, to
supply the need.
Also Teaches How to Cook.
His book, which is called Lessons
in Cooking, Theoretical and Practical
for the Sick and Convalescent," was
prepared primarily for the use of the
school of nurses in the government
hospital for the insane in Washing
ton. In this school all the nurses are
taught cooking, for the authorities
maintain ii just as essential to the
nurse to know how to prepare tempt
ing broths, outlets and desserts with
which to coax the tickle appetites of
the patients as it is to know how to
measure medicines, plump out pill
lows and ventilate the sick chamber.
But when the course was installed
no text book of scientific cooking for
invalids was at hand
In despair at the paucity of litera-
ture on the subject, Miss Allen, teach
er of the nurses cooking sclass. ap-
=. pealed to the ripened experience of
. Mr.. Sullivan and she was not disap-
0inted. He gave two months to the
lleparation of the needed work,
which now stands as the summation
of all his career-the only complete,
autholtHtiv work telling in plain
everyday English just how to cook for
those who have lost their health or
who are struggling to regain it.
Disease From Improper Food.
In his book Mr.. Sullivan points out
that we'll cooked food is partially di-
gested. Disease, he says, is often
. caused by improper feeding. In
health the appetite, he thinks, is safe
4 guide to follow, but disease may so
/ Ipervert it that 1t is unwise to consider
its cravings. In acute cases of dis
ease, Mr.. Sullivan adds, food plays a
. very important part toward recovery
In chronic cases, by careful study
. of the food supply, much can be done
i to keep up the strength of the patti
ent while endeavoring to overcome
! disease. A knowledge by the nurse
. of foods and food values suitable to
. the different cases, Mr.. Sullivan holds
will therefore enable her to be OF
great assistance to the physician in
attendance
Much attention, he points out
should be paid to the serving of foods
to the sick. Thus, dainty ways OF
serving foods have a usefulness be-
lyond their esthetic value, for every
one knows that a feeble appetite is
often tempted by a tastefully gar.
4 nished dish when the same material
carelessly served would seem unpal-
latable
In discussing the composition of
food, Mr.. Sullivan says that it can be
divided into three classes, one of
4 which furnishes heat and energy. All
of these are known as nutrients.
. There are also two other great classes
of foods, known as nonnutrients,
which are valuable becaue they aid
digestion and absorption.
Explains Tissue Builders.
Taking up the nutrients, Mr.. Sui
livan says that the tissue builders
consist Of proteids, meats, eggs, etc,
while the heat givers comprise car
bohydrates sugar and starch, as well
as fats, oils, butter, etc. The nom
nutrient class includes water, mineral
matter, salts flavors, extracts, etc.
Then Mr.. sullivan defines number
of the terms he uses, which are not
in common use. Protein, he says, is
familiar to us in the lean and gristle
of meat, the white of egg, the glut-
en- of wheat, etc. This substance
forms about 1S per cent of the body
of the average man. It's chemical
elements differ from the other food
principle, inasmuch as they contain
nitrogen, a substance essential.
Carbohydrates, according to Mr..
Sullivan, is the word used to indicate
such compounds as starches, different
kinds of sugars and the fiber of
plants. Carbohydrates are found
chiefly in the vegetable foods, like
! cereal grains. potatoes and milk.
: Starches and sugars, which Mr.. Sulli-
van finds to be very abundant in or
,dinary food materials are important