Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-11-06
(Copyrisht. 1914. By A. S. Gray)
FOOD SELECTION.

FOOD SELECTION.
1t Is frequently noted in the daily
press that the average length Of life
is increasing, and this leads many OF
us to go very complacently about our
business, feeling that in some way Q
paternal power will watch over. care
for and guard US. This dangerous de-
lueion IL entertained by q very large
majority Of our people, and the result
is shown in the steadily climbing NOR
taiity percentage for ages above forty
years.
Because the infants are 30 helpless.
the heart of humanity has been
stirred by the slaughter among the
little ones, and q vast amount OF or
ganixed work has resulted. producing
an enormous reduction In mortality az
the infantile end of the scale, and this
has had a material effect In showing
an average life extension; but a. yet
society has not reached the point OF
development where 1t guards the ma
turing individual against the results
of errors In diet.
II We were living q life that even
Appropriated the normal there would
be little danger to be apprehended
from our food supplies. But under
the highly artificial conditions Of mod
ern urban life 80 many Of our foods
are now distributed In original sterile
packages. "predigested" and otherwise
processed in order to preserve them.
and We are 20 far removed from the
point Of origin Of our food matter
that Increasing numbers are losing
al idea of tho normal appearance Of
natural foods. and the ability to meas
ure and Judge intelligently the value
Of the claims made by manufacturer
According to Bunge. the census
taken December 1. 1900. showed that
of the 1850 children born alive In
Berlin 1858. more than 2S per cent.
died before the end Of their flrst year.
and this mortality was distributed In
the proportion Of only one in every
Is among the breasted children, ~
compared to one out Of every two
among the handled children. Ger
many undoubtedly leads the world In
painstaking Investigation Of food Ques-
lions and for military reasons the gov
eminent exercises quite . strong pa-
ternalistic supervision over public
food supplies. Undoubtedly this will
account for the fact that statistics
seem to prove that Germany. among
al the great nations, II the only one
whose army recruits appear to show
an average increase In stature and
weight.
II we observe carefully how nature
has adapted the composition Of milk
to the needs Of every species Of mann
NAL, and then consider how ignorant
we are concerning the, nature Of food
stufPs and Of the process Of digestion
in general, It 10 not Q matter Of won.
der that in spite Of the greatest Of.
forts of our experts the natural diet
Of infants has not 20 far been sue
cessfully replaced BY artificial food.
On the other hand. In view Of al the
data available We should not be sur.
prised to md that wherever. through
physical necessity or ~ the result Of
indifference on the part Of mothers.
children are reared artificially, they
tend to show evidence Of racial degen-
Grafton and disease and crime" OBJ
viously. the same principles apply to
youth and maturity ~ they do to I'm
fancy. and therefore 1t becomes the
personal duty Of each individual to
know what to eat, how to eat It and
Why he eats Il.
Bulletin No. %. United States de-
partment Of agriculture. being The
Chemical Competition Of American
Food Materials" should hang in the
kitchen Of every home in the United
States. The bulletin can be bought
from the superintendent Of documents,
government printing ONCE, washing-
ton. D. c.. postage prepaid. for ten
cents.
The document gives Q brief history
Of the Investigation of the chemistry
Of foods since the FIRST steps made By
Liebig some nifty years ago: It shows
the various cuts Of beef, veal. lsmb.
mutton and pork. and then gives t.,
bles showing the composition in
water. refuse. protein. fat carbohy.
drate and ash of various meats, CO.
reals. vegetables. fruits. dairy prod.
ucts and nuts, and the food value Of
all ~ measured BY the calories per
pound. From these data 1t 10 very
easy to figure out and arrange . varied
and balanced ration that win 20 far
toward solving both the high cost Of
living and the problem Of good health
and happiness.
Much of the puhlished data m n.