Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1914-11-19
WHILE FLOUR FOOD.

spring.
There shallow drafts intoxicate the brain.
And drinking Largely sobers us again
A recent magazine article written by
Al expert" on food matters misquotes
the first line Of the above and then
gives particular point to the truth OF
the quotation BY grossly misinterpret-
ing a clean cut, scientific demonstra-
ton of disease resulting from the use
OF sophisticated food matter.
The article in question reads as fol-
lows: We are told about biochemical
properties Of wheat otfals and as proof
We are referred TO the ravages Of ber-
beri from eating hulled rice. This Is
.iugglery,' something on the order OF
the magician Kellar To be specific,
beri-beri liz q disease that has no con-
nectlon with the whole wheat and
white -four question. II is as remote
as II can be Beri-beri is form OF
nervous disease that has affected the
natives OF Asia. who live mainly on
rice, and OF late years the introduction
OF hulled rice has increased the dis
ease. 1t has been found that when rice
polish was used as food along with
the rice the disease was lessened in in
tsnsity.
From this 1t has been argued that
the nee bulls contained nourishing
substances which had been removed
from the rice in polishing. This looked
very plausible From these facts it was
argued that wheat bran must also con-
tain n0urishing substances and they
should not be removed from the wheat
in the manufacture of -four. For
tunately. however, the subject of beri-
beri has been worked out scientifically,
and Funk, Of the Lister institute, has
shown that the disease is caused by
some toxic action OF rice protein.
This should show the danger Of be-
ing influenced by the exaggerated &C
counts OF white bread and hulled rice
starvation. statements which have no
foundation in proved facts. White
bread is safe food Polished rice 10
safe food, as scientific investigation
has proved"
The discerning reader will note that
the matter in the body Of the article
controverts the finding stated In the
closing paragraph quoted. The whole
truth Is as follows
Casimir Funk Of the biochemical de-
partmenL Lister Institute OF Prevent
i've Medicine. discovered that a sub
stance could be recovered from the
matter ground from the surface of rice
in polishing Il which would in a few
hours cure s disease known as poly
neuritis, or beri-beri In the Journal
Of Physiology. August 1912, page Is,
under the title, The Preparation from
Yeast and Certain Foodstuis OF the
Substance the Deficiency Of Which in
Diet Occasions Polyneuritis In Birds"
viii be found his last report known to
the present writer. In this article
Funk shows that he obtained a sub
stance from rice polishings which in
doses OF o-02 gram (0-s grain rapidly
cured polyneuritts In q large number
Of pigeons
Underlying every happening in this
universe is q Law Or principle, and the
same principle viii be found producing
many widely separated results. The
statement that beri-ben has no con-
aection with <hole wheat and white
foar is lot strictly true. because the
same principle s7plies- Beri-beri is
caused By a mineral starvation, and
Ge know many diseases are caused by
the mineral starvation resulting from
the too free use Of demineraliIed foods.
including -four The writer personally
knows Of large focks Of chickens be-
ing killed By feeding them on denim.
eraliEed grain. and OF dogs killed by
fseding them on demineralired meat
and white bread Every physiolosist
OF note states that the vitality OF the
Individual cell depends on a free SUP
ply OF mineral matter consisting of at
least three elements II would be rea-
solable then to expect some definite
deleserious result from 9 diet com.
posed largely OF mineral-tree matter.
and the fact that all white bread eat.
ing peoples are greatly troubled with
constipation may be considered eyh
dence to this belief Further evidence
that white bread is not healthful is
given BY Sherman, who states that
washed bran fed to COWS was found to
be eonstipating. Indicating that the
laxative property Of ordinary bran and
whole wheat products is dependent not
simply upon mechanical irritation.
II would be Is logical to state that
While you might break your neck fan.
ing Of thirty foot brick house, fall
ing Of . thirty foot frame house over
In the next block il safe because II has
no connection with the brick house.
1T L. as remote as II can be" That
may be. but nevertheless, the chances
Of breaking your neck are equal be-
czuse the principles are identical
Tue too free use OF white -four, or Of
any other demineraliEed foodstur. no
matter whether II be demineraliYed nv
being uroceEsAd or Az sruriH nook.r.