Evening star., 1925-11-13
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WINIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.
An Intelligence Test.

We hear much about intelligence
tests. Industrial executives some
times use them as a measuring stick
when selecting employees; educators
when deciding on the intellectual
status Of their students, and so on.
Like most helps to scientific develop
ment. intelligence tests are of value
in proportion to the intelligence OF
those who ues them!
1t is time, however. for students Of
food and diet to rise to a point of or
der as regards certain children who
are catalogued as mentally SLOW.
Before concurring in such a judgment.
food specialists are apt to ask: Are
they well nourished?" Many a child
who in the old days would have Ia
bored under the handicap of being
called stupid" may literally be fed
into intelligence.
One example of such sweeping mis-
statements is that Of youngsters who
live in the country. 1t was for time
the fashion to speak slightingly OF the
"slow rural mind" Ten chances TO
one, IL a farm dweller had dlncuity
with his Studies it was because he
began the day with a breakfast totally
unsuited to a morning OF application.
Not that he was "scrimped," far from
It, Ones memory goes back to the
bountifully spread farm table Whereon
rested slabs of ham surrounded by
fried eggs, Of which every one was eH'
pected to eat two, hash-broWned~ po-
tatoes generously soaked in fat, even
when well cooked, 'buckWheats with
sirup. a literal pyramid Of them on
each plate. and ones genial hostess
serving as dispenser of all good things
and pressing two cups of this good
coffee" on every one. 8 a matter OF
course.
The children Of that bountifully fed,
yet undernourished household, bun
died into a speedy car and drove home
for a midday dinner consisting of pork,
with occasional beef boiled potatoes
with canned vegetables, dessert OF
pie and strong coffee.
Supper, after long afternoon or
study, was apt to present cold pork,
more fried potatoes, rich preserves
and tea
Frequently those children were
catching cold" even more often did
they wrestle tearfully with the agonies
of long division. and not infrequently
did both teacher and mother sigh over
the slowness of the poor little brains
that were struggling to overcome the
effect of a diet suitable only for
strong man who was planning to
spend most of his time chopping down
trees
Truly the intelligence test of diet is
two-edged. acting first as a measuring
rod for the intelligence Of the one who
selects the food. second. as an indica-
tion of the powers Of those who eat It.
Nor does all this apply only to the
youngsters. Those OF us who have
reached years OF so.called discretion
might write a new chapter in our au-
tobiographies If we cared to share
with others our experiences in the ac-
quiring of health by means OF right
diet That such a chapter might easily
be developed to show that morning
and afternoons of clear headed grasp
OF our problems most often followed
sensible breakfasts and luncheons who
will gainsay?
'By.products of indigestion or even
slow digestion are apt to result in ac-
tive poisons, poisons that clog the
brain and benumb the nerves. Scarcely
any one but wishes to be and to be
considered If not an intellectual giant,
at least an all-round intelligent citizen
and one way to achieve this is to eat
the food that will produce these quail
ties