Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-07
COOKING AND HEALTH
By H. Addington Bruce
ECENTLY a. health writer vol,

| ~ ECENTLY a health writer voiced his
X belief that eff the nation were sup
piled with plenty of trained and intel
| ligent cooks, they would cure nine-tenths Of
all dyspepsia cas- without the aid of the
doctors" Which recalls similar opinion
once expressed to NE by medical man, with
special reference to nervous disorders
inferior cooking" he declared, sis re-
sponsible for much, if not most, of the nerv-
BUSINESS am called upon to treat. Again and
again the evil effects of culinary inefficiency
are plainly discernible
Ear too many girls are allowed to grow
up unframed either to cook or to supervise
cooking by domestic workers. The conse-
quence is that when these girls marry they
are poor home-maAers.
"Their own digestions suffer and their hus-
bands digestions also. This soon or late
means a state of chronic nervous irritability.
lit may further mean martial dissension, with
resort perhaps to the divorce court.
"And even if trouble between husband and
wife does not result, nervousness in husband
or wife, is pretty sure to follow from poor
cooking in the home. For many nervous
woman the best possible prescription would
be, Study good cookbook.
Undeniably, incompetency in the kitchen
lis conspicuous cause of ailments of various
kinds Yet it should likewise be stressed
that of ill-health thus caused is to be avoided,
ability to cook we'll must be accompanied by
dietary knowledge.
Lacking such knowledge the culinary ex-
pert may be as great menace to health as
the worst kitchen bungler.
For with culinary experiences the natural
inclination is to make fancy" dishes, rich
sauces and gravies, highly favored soups,
etc. These are not merely overlapping to
the appetite, but are harmful alike to the
lstomach and the nerves because Of the great
quantities of salt, sugar, or spices they con-
tain.
Eaten to excess, + as such foods are likely
to be eaten, they eventually impair even the
strongest of digestions. All who indulge IN
them risk suffering in some degree from va
rious maladies, ranging from mild nervous
weakness to serious disease Of the stomach
kidneys, o. blood 'essels.
AS one who has given much thought to
health problems S lemnly AYERS:
''The volume Of suffering, direct or indi-
rect, and the toll of human illness and death
growing out of errors in eating are too monu-
mental for comprehension.
"Slowly, all too slowly, the knowledge is
growing that shamefully large proportion
of human ailments is the result of ignorance,
indifference, or indulgence in eating.
By all means, then, let us have our young
women, in every walk of life, trained to be
good cooks Their happiness no less than
their health and the health Of those for whom
they cook or for whom they have food cooked
may depend on their proves as cooks and as
supervisors Of cooking.
But make sure, too, that they have a clear
understanding of what the human organism
can and cannot tolerate in the way of food
stuffs. That is even more necessary than
mastery of the many problems that confront
all cooks.
Copyright, 1922, by the Associated News
papers)