Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-08-09
Health and Right Living
By ROYAL s. COPELAND, M. ID.
Former Commissioner OF Health

There are few things Of greater
Importance to health than proper
preservation Of the food stuffs. Bac-
terial or germ growths are SO rapid
that within a few hours q valuable
food may be changed into O vto-
lent poison.
There are many factors involved
In the proper preservation OF food.
OF course, the first n Is tempera-
ture.
Unfortunately. not all foods are
well preserved at one stated tenn
perature. For example, fruits that
contain a high percentage Of sugar
require a lower temperature for
their preservation than soure or
acid fruits. Likewise, sweet cher
ries require q lower temperature
than sour cherries.
But this rule appears not TO pre-
vail when it comes TO vegetables.
For instance, II sweet potatoes are
kept in a temperature below 45
degrees serious damage results. On
the other hand, Irish potatoes a
be brought down to @ temperature
OF 80 degrees without harm.
1t Is interesting TO find what tenn
perature does to bananas. The high
er the temperature the more quick
ly they ripen. There must be am
pie ventilation, however, in order
that discoloration Of the skin may
be prevented.
The citrus fruits require a very
dry place. particularly when the re-
frigeration Is first started. 1t seems
important for the skin to be dried
out thoroughly. After this, mois-
ture is needed to prevent shrink
age.
1t is difficult to store grapes for
long periods Of time. In order TO
maintain the delicious grape flavor
the temperature must be kept above
80 degrees. II held In storage for
a long time at q lower temperature
the grapes will be tasteless.
Since such a high temperature
Is necessary for their proper pres
ervation, IL is important 10 select
the grapes with great care. III
they are bruised or otherwise dam
aged, high temperature will cause
rapid spoilage.
1t Is difficult to preserve pears
and they will not keep long in
storage. If they are overripe, they
will stay good for a few days only.
The important thing Is to store
them before they have ripened.
Cherries can be kept for a good
while. At SO degrees, sour cher
ries will keep for two or three
weeks. Sweet cherries can be kept
much longer, but. as I have said be-
fore, the temperature must be low
er. certainly not more than 38 de-
grees, and betSer If less.
Freshly picked strawberries,
b~lackberries and raspberries can be
kept for a couple Of weeks. But 1t
Is necessary that the berries be dry
and solid to begin with, and a tenn
perature Of 80 degrees must be
maintained.
1t is possible to keep peaches in
storage for some time at a tenn
perature Of from 35 to 40 degrees.
They will keep from three to six
weeks, provided they are free from
the brown rot"
Cantaloupes are best kept in a
temperature Of IS to 40 degrees;
cranberries from 80 to 80 degrees;
and plumS from 80 to SO degrees.
AT these temperatures they keep
very well.
/ hope these suggestions will help
you to have wholesome food. Moth
ig is more essential to the avoid
ance Of hot weather illness than
proper preservation Of fruits.
HOT WEATHER ADVICE TO
MOTHERS OF BABIES
Little babies suffer from heat
just as grown persons do. Indeed
they suffer more than grown-ups
do.
The first thing to bear in mind
in hot weather is that too much
clothing will cause the baby TO
sweat. This produces irritation az
the skin and great discomfort.
The clothes for a baby should pe
simple things. They should be
made Of smooth and unstarched
materials The delicate skin Of a
baby is easily scratched or other
wise irritated.
Don't think about how the baby
looks in its garments. Have them
loose enough to permit free move
ment Of the arms and legs. Think
Of the comfort of the child and not
what the neighbors viii say about
its garments.
Don't have the diapers so big
and heavy and clumsy that they
crowd the child, and interfere with
its free movements. Many an infant
Is made miserable by the wrong
sort of diapers.
Rubber diapers should not be