South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-19

Finally. the human auto requires
q regular and unfailing supply Of
lubricant IN It's food--things
which do not give off much energy
for the driving Of the machine. but
are absolutely necessary TO make II
run smoothly. such are the fruits
and their salts and acids; the vege-
ables with their salts and alkalies:
the beverages. tea, coffee and cocoa.
tie sweets preserves and desserts
OF all sorts and tn condiments. No
human auto will run. however full
its gasoline tank, for more than
very limited period unless well Tub
ricated with these fruits, vegetables
and sweets.
/ In fact, il is possible to produce
at will a perfectly definite type Of
disease simply by cutting off any
/ one OF these important lubricants.
Stop the fruit acids and you get
scurvy: stop the proteins and the
fresh vegetables and YOU get beri-
bcri: stop the proteins and the fats
and YOU get pellagra and tuber-
culosis. If any further proof were
needed this connection has been
freshly furnished by the early eX-
poriences of the British forces in
Mesopotamia The Indian troops
living for religious reasons on Ger
tain types Of food and running short
of one element develops beri-beri
while the English troops, living
upon another ration Of good fuel
value. but running short Of another
lubricant. developed scurvy.
The situation was a troublesome
ore. The bulk of the foods supplied
10 the armies had to be good keep
ers" or preserved by canning or dry
ing. on account of the long distance
they had 70 be transported and the
hot climate. This was why they
were lacking in these particular
lubricant" elements which are
found chiefly in fresh fruits. green
vegetables and milk.
II was almost impossible TO get
any local supply of these latter. on
account of the way i'm which the
country had been harried and de
vas.ated by the Turkish troops.
Nevertheless. the problem was
Sc. cd. triumphantly and promptly,
,ir a way that furnishes an interest
in. illustration. both of the eX-
tremeiy small quantities of these
'.vitarins" needed and also Of the
way in which modern science can
solve almost any problem at which
IL is given a fair chance.
Gardens were planted at once, OF
course. but while they were growing
another and much more rapid crop
and culture was decided upon. These
yitamins are 70 be found in plenty
in the growing shoots or sprouts OF
lplants. Now, the bacteria are also
plants although they don't look
much like it. and it had been found
that one Of them. the yeast germ
or yeast plant. was extremely rich
in these vitamins.
Here was the clue: Quantities oi
yeast cakes. which had been sent
out for bread making, were hurried
up 10 the front and fed to the
troops. while new cultures or crop:
of yeast were started growing upoI
sugar and starch solutions, just as
in the process of brewing. The
scheme worked beautifully. The
troops were not exactly enchanted
with the taste of yeast but il wa:
not Objectionable, not hall as bad
as the average dose of medicine
and il was actually found that bl
the addition Of little cake of yeast
about the size OF an ordinary dice
. the spread of the scurvy could b
. stopped and the disease held II
check until the garden crops wer'
: big enough 20 eat.
. But a difficulty arose with tn
, Indian troops. who. being eithe
Hindoos or Mohammedans. are ex
tremely particular about their foo'
on religious grounds. And Will
, their ritual law said nothing speci
fcally against yeast yet it came IN
, ! der the general head OF "strang
foods and they refused 10 take an