Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1914-11-26
WHAT THE VITAmINEs TEACH US

rector of the New York health depart
ment's bureau of public health. And
attention is called to the fact that
overindulgence in proteins meats,
eggs, fish and the like) is a big factor
In this increase in the death rate OF
persons over forty years of age.
Such statements are frequently
seized with svidity by persons of more
than average intelligence and passed
from individual to individual, slightly
embellished with each repetition. until
they may become strong indorse-
ments of one or more Of the many So
called diet systems that every 80 often
sweep over the country leaving trail
OF invalids In their wake. 1t must be
remembered that any marked change
in diet or In cooking Is certain to pro
duce some result, and change itseE
is often q benefit; but diet which ad-
mirably suits one person who lives In
a certain location and does certain
kind OF work may not be adapted to
another individual living under differ.
ent conditions and doing a different
kind Of work. The truth of the mat
ter is that mans chances of health are
best when he eats with moderation a
diet made up OF clean. wholesome,
ordinary foods. well prepared in the
usual ways Such diet should In
clude some articles to be cooked and
others to be eaten raw, such as bread,
cereals, fruits. vegetables, meat, fish,
milk, butter, cheese and eggs. All
these articles should be OF good quail
ity and free from all dirt. either visi'
BILE or invisible, should contain no
authorizations nor be deprived of any
constituent part in the course Of prep
aration for eating.
Apart from overeating Of proteins
probably the greater part OF our
troubles comes from the loss Of i'm
portant elements from our foods In
preparing or preserving them. These
losses have been due to the fact that
either we do not know the elements
are present or We assume the very
minute quantities to be Of no conse-
quence. We are only just beginning
to grasp the real truth through study
OF the engines, the catalyzers, the Wit
amines, the hormones and the action
of the ductless glands In the body
And possibly We get the most signini-
cant hints as to what these actions
are through an understanding of the
reactions in the simpler forms of life.
II we pass beam of light through
a prism the white light lie split into
the six prominent hues Of the spec
trum, supplemented by multitude OF
subordinate ones Each OF these hues
corresponds with one definite wave
length Of light and each produces
some definite molecular reaction In
everything II strikes.
This world is adjusted to operate I'M
der the driving power of full sunlight.
| We have noted that Indian corn, for
example, grew within certain period
to Is inches under white glass and in
the same period OF time only Is inches
under red glass, eight inches under
green glass and six inches under blue
| glass. The several glasses used in
| these experiments checked and held
back part OF the sun energy. as can
easily be demonstrated by holding a
sheet of white and Of colored glass In
| the hand out in sunlight-the coloreo
glass will become sensibly warmer
than the white glass. 1t is very evi
dent that abstracting from white light
a part OF the waves produces material
changes in plant life. We know that
plants cannot thrive and grow without
light, and that ii is only In the light
with supply of the atmospheric gases
and of water, and with the green
chlorophyl bodies in healthy condi
ton, that the manufacture of food car
go on We also know as the result
of simple experiments that certain
solutions Of mineral matter must be
present to enable the plant to manu-
facture food Seedlings can be grown
in glass jars, some in distilled water
which is devoid of any minerals, 9th
ers In distilled water with one or two
or all of the necessary salts In solu
ton. in order to prove the general
facts OF nutrition and draw very close
analogies between life in that plane
and life on our own plane.
Let US consider what is perhaps the
most fatal disease that can overtake a
plant-ehlorosis, or the lack Of color.
| ing matter. This disease In all its es.
sentials is very similar in anemia in
the human being. Chlorosis is an OBJ.
scure disease. but in most cases it ap-
| pears to be caused by lack Of iron.
Without iron the human blood is not
red nor are plant grsnules green. Gen.
1 orally the seedlings attacked by the
| disease die out very early, but some.
times sickly whitish leaved specimens
| struggle along for little while. The
| disease is often local and In compound
! leaves one leafiet here and there may
| be entirely colorless. 1t is this type
that gives us the gardeners 'varie-
gated" varieties where the leaves are
notified or striped with cream colored
patches and bands. The green parts