Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-03
The Relation OF Horticulture to Good


| Health
The question of human nutrition
problems. 1t has long been recognize
| ed that through proper or improper
nouriShment We may change the
| character, the function and the serv-
| iceability of plants and animals. Dur
ing the war the Germans seny raid
ers out to prey upon. the commerce
OF the allies. One of these ships
| the Kronprinz Wilhelm, kept the
high seas for period of nine and a
half months. Because of her high
speed she was never overtaken or
brought to battle. She destroyed a
large number of ships for the allies,
but was finally forced to take shelter
| in an American port because of the
appearance of a peculiar malady
amongst her crew; but for this she
might have kept the high seas for a
| much longer period of time as she
was able to secure all the coal, water
and food she needed for her crew
from the ships she captured.
In spite of the fact that the crew
was abundantly supplied with what
we regard as the most varied, whole
some and desirable dietary, they grad
ually became incapacitated, and when
the vessel made port at Newport
News, one-fourth of her crew was
Frustrated and the balance in a very
debi1itated condition The affliction
from which they were suffering baf-
fled the skill of the physicians en-
ployed to treat the men. Finally, a
cletlcian suggested that the trouble
was due to. acidocis. brought about
by the. continued consumption of a
rich, abundant and presumably sat
1sfactory diet, although it did not
contain fruits or fresh Vegetables
and some other food constituents re-
garded as essential to the welfare of
human beings and which they obtain
In larger or smaller quantity when
on land. These materials could, of
course, be carried On an ocean-going
vessel but evidently were not avail
able in the stores of the captured
vessel or were overlooked. AS soon
as an abundant supply Of vitamines
ard alkal1s were provided from fruits
and vegetables an immediate i'm
provement in the health of the crew
took place, which is proof of the fact
that the trouble arose from a deficien-
cy OF these elements in a ration that
would ordinarily be presumed to be
Of the most healthfuI and desirable
character.
1t appears, therefore, that a good
many ills from which human beings
suffer are traceable to dietary de-
fectS, and hence a means of supply
ing rat1ons with plenty of vitamines
alkaline salts and mineral matter and
IL III caClSiS OCCOII6S d IIldCC6T the
utmost Importance to the human
race. 1t is only since 1910 that we
Rave known much about vitamines,
and unfortunately, we know compar-
atively little as yet. There appear to
be three classes of vitamines; the
first known as fat soluble A, and the
second and third, as water soluble B
most abundantly found in milk and
butter, in green leaves and vege-
tables.
1t is a noteworthy fact that milk
is not used as abundantly as it
should be in the average home, and
this is particularly true in the case
of young children. There is an i'm
preston abroad that milk is too cost
ly, and that other forms of food will
supply the nutrients needed in a
cheaper or more desirable form. This
is mistake. There is more nutri
ton in quart. of milk than in a
pound of beef steak which may cost
even at present prices twice as much
as quart of. milk. The consumption
of the meat tends to produce an acid
condition of the system. 1t is much
more difficult to digest and assirntlate
than the milk and it fails to supply
the individual with the all-essentiaI
vitamines. We naturally do not eat
as much butter as we might other
relative scarcity. The welfare of the
children of the nation and of the
population as whole is far more
dependent on the development of the
dairy industry than the beef indus
try. In other words, if we concen-
trate our energy more, on the pro-
duction Of milk and butter we could
supply the needs of our population
and their dietary requirements more
satisfactory and economically than