Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-26
CHAPTER 81.


| Largely through accident, the chill
dren of the well-to-do consume many
ofsetting foods, the bases of which
serve them as the orange served En-
gineer Ashmead in preventing exag-
gerated forms of acidosis. The chill
/ dren of the poorer classes do not OBJ
tain these offsetting elements, which,
nevertheless, lie neglected and disre-
garded within the reach of all.
1t is the modified but none the less
serious manner in which our Ameri-
can school children, particularly the
children of the poorer classes. are rob-
! bed of the se-forming elements of
! their diet through such demineraliZed
food refinements- as some breakfast
food, white breadstuffs, crackers. bis
cults, doughnuts, cakes, pies, griddle
cakes, waffles, table syrups, glucose,
candies, and ignorant methods of
home cooking, which was so eloquent
ly but tragically emphasized by the
building of the Madeira Mamore rail-
way.
Before continuing this record of
proof that America is to-day destroy
ing the unborn, the young and the
mlddle-aged by her commercial food
follies, 1t is necessary to draw a con-
trast between the Madeira Mamore
poison squad and the diet of the aver
age American child.
In the limited selection of foods
which are popular in the average AM
erican home all the following refined,
demlneraliZed, and acidosis- producing
products are consumed in large guam
tities-sausages, beef. steaks, chops,
pork, liver, ham, white bread, soda
crackers, waters, biscuits, doughnuts,
buns rolls, crullers, pie crust, lard
compounds, store cake, corn flakes.
cornmeal, farina, tapioca, polished
rice corn starch. mashed potatoes,
fried potatoes, refined sugar, glucose
syrups, candies, the pie and cake fill
ers used by bakers, etc.
More through accident than design
and largely attributable to the greater
variety of foodstuffs at their disposal,
the children of the well-to-do consume
many offsetting foods the bases of
which prevent exaggerated forms of
acidosis, but which are supplied in
insufficient quantities to make up for
the many deficiencies of other refined
foods or adequately to prevent the
milder forms of acidosis.
Among these milder forms defective
teeth constitute the most conspicuous
external symptoms. Defective teeth
are always accompanied by other sys-
temic raVages more or less commen-
surate with the extent to which the
base-forming elements are deficient.
The greatest harm is accomplished.
preceding motherhood, during the en-
tire period of lactation. in childhood,
and in middle age.
Not only by bolting. sitting, screen
ing, discriminating, denuding and re-
fining cereal foods are these base
forming elements lost to the human
family, but by boiling vegetables and
throwing down the waste pipe the wa
ter in which they are boiled the house
nj
The chief base-forming foods are
oranges, lemons, and ripe fruits of all
kinds; green's of all kinds such as let
tuce, celery, spinach, onions, leeks.
caulihower, Brussels sprouts. and
string beans; the roots of tubers and
legumes when not boiled, such as
baked potatoes, carrots. parsnips, tur-
nips, beets, beans. peas, lentils; nuts
of every kind and dried fruits, such
as prunes, raisinS and currants
Egg white is acid-forming; egg yolk
is -formin. Milk is physiologi-
cally balanced, containing natural
proportions of base-forming and acid
forming elements.
In accordance with their customs or
ability to obtain and consume eggs,
milk, fruits and vegetables properly
cooked, the children of the poor are
saved from the extreme acidosis which
kills quickly as in the Madeira-Ma-
more poison squad.
Be 1t remembered that mild acid
osis, which does not kill quickly, is
nevertheless responsible for mal-nu-
triton, anaemia, feeble vitality, lowered
resistance to other diseases, and seri-
GUS departure from normal physical
development that end in misery, i'm
paired efficiency, and untimely death.
If this be true, and the proofs of
its truth are at hand. is it not time in
deed that the public should under
stand the relationship between base
forming and acid-forming foods? In
all our alarm over the question of pre-
paredness no man is giving n thought
to the bodies of our children of to-day,
the soldiers of tomorrow.
Grasses and the seeds of grasses as
described in the Book of Genesis, are