The Washington times., 1914-03-20
:SAYS MANKIND MAY
YET LIVE ON GRASS
Medical Writer Asserts Plants
Are More Nutritious Than
Meat If Properly Cooked.

The Journal of the American Medical
Association. commenting on the availa-
bilty of nutrients from plant sources.
says il has long been believed that II
may be possible 20 utilize yrcen vcEe-
tables So as TO make them more avail
able for digestion and assimilation by
man. Some experiments in this drec-
ton have been carried on III Germany.
The outcome has been decidedly graft
Tying and may pave the way for useful
innovations in the use of vegetable
foods
II has heen found that bean powder
fed to man In the form Of puree con-
tains far more nourishment than string
beans served in the usual form.
Spinach. carrots and cabbage. similar
ly prepared. were enjoyed with s.ngu-
lar freedom from the troublesome IN
testinal symptoms which SO often fol-
low their use The usefulness OF these
plant products appears to have been
augmented BY their preliminary treat
ment.
May Use Grasser, Too.
The efficiency here recorded says
the writer, lis rendered the more strik
ing by the report from The Altoona clinic
that ten ounces n day ot vegetable
powder equivalent to six pounds o.
fresh plant, may easily be assimilated-
an amount which in TIE natural state
could not be tolerated. Possibly by
suitable preparation. such plant I'rod-
nets as grasses. which have hitEervo
been excluded from the dietary OF man.
hn
energy in human nutrition.
without discussing the advantages
and disadvantages OF the use of fccds
of animal and vegetable origin. re-
spectively. we are bound to admit that
man and animal alike are dependent on
plants for nutrition. \ recent writer
has said that man is parasite living
on the plant kingdom. The final source
OF human energy is found in plants.
In SO far as mankind obtains energy
by consuming the fesh of the domestic
animals. only a fraction OF the Supply
taken by the latter in the plant prod
ucts can ever reach the sphere OF use
fulnesS tC man.
"The animals which furnish food to
man are expensive converters OF the
energy of plants into form dlrectI'
small residue OF the energy-int8kc OF
small residue of the energy Intake OF
such animals is left in the tiss.:es which
they furnish as food to man: the great
bulk of what has been consumed has
become lost in the processes Il animal
life during the long periods OF growth
and maintenance before In. animal
food Iroducts can be marketed.
Ii More Direct Way.
1T is evident that il wculd he al ad-
vantage II man could utilize .nore Ill
rectly the energy which he now secures 5
only after It has been converted by
animals into tho forms tina: suit i'S
prefer ences. our vegetarian friends
will ut once remind us that !, has ~c-
peatedly been found quite corrpatIblc
with health and happiness to provide
Cor human nutritive needs diC-.tly aud
entirely from the plint kinguorn.
Hitherto the contributions OF the
plant world to the human di.ta-y haV.
consisted of the parts of plants which
serve as storage depots-as reserve
supplies for subsequent growth. Seeds.
roots. tubers, and fruits represent the
chief types of plant products which
find their way into the ration of man
kind. These are by no means all well
adapted for food: but the progress OF
science and the Industries and the in
renuity Of the domestic arts have little
by little so improved the form in which
such materials as cereals. nuts, etc.
arc presented for human consumption.
that their utilization has become great
ly enhanced.
Processes for grinding cooking and
baking are not natural operations; they
have been evolved by the genius OF man
so that he might readily take direct
advantage of the energy which nature
has stored up. The indigcstibility of
raw starch. as the potato, is overcome
by cooking: the resistance of grains
to digestion is minim!zed by grinding
and cooking. The struggle to wrest
energy from plant products has been a
long one.