Evening star., 1929-06-28
RY SALLY MONROE.

An aspiring young author once wrote
to Mark Twain asking whether it was
true that fish was brain food. The
famous humorist had no fault to find
with the theory; and the conclusion OF
his letter has since become classic.
IF the specimen composition you
send" he wrote, lis your fair usual
average. 1 should judge that perhaps
couple of whales would be all you
would want for the present Not the
largest kind, but simply good, middllng-
sized whales"
Some people still speak of fish as
brain food'-and the general belief
used to be that by eating an abundance
of fish one could actually increase one S
mental faculties. The idea was that
fish contains a great deal of phosphor-
us and that phosphorus is essential to
the brain In as much as this theory
recognized the fact that phosphorus
was an important element in the diet
and that mental activity is affected by
the sort of food we eat 1t was good
theory.
There are several flaws in the argu-
ment, however. There are other foods
that contain a relatively abundant
amount of phosphorus. The visible
phosphorescence of decayed fish on the
seashore had led people to suppose
ingredient.
Mustard contains so per cent more
phosphorus than fish-no one ever
recommended a mustard diet for aspir-
ing students. Egg yolk contains prac-
tically the same proportion of phos-
phoruS as fish. Dried beans, chocolate,
almonds and other nuts compare favor
ably with fish in this respect.
This element is of course necessary
for brain development, but no more so
| than for the development of other parts
of the body-and finally there is no
reason to believe that phosphorus con-
tained in food would be sent to the
brain in any greater abundance than
to the other organs.
Interesting as it is to consider this
question of phosphorus in the diet
| there is no reason whatever to concern
ourselves about phosphorus. Experts
assure lis that there is practically no
danger that Americans won't get
enough OF it. They are much more
likely to skimp themselves on calcium,
Phosphorus Is important, scientists
| tell us, in the formation of new cells
| cells in the stomach just as much as In
the brain. Tt is contained abundantly
in bran, cheese, peas, beans. oatmeal,
nuts, cocoa, chocolate, the outer coating
of all grains and whole wheat, and in
adequate amounts in meat and milk.
A child who has a quart of milk day
can never lack his proper amount OF
phosphorus-and the fact that milk has
both phosphorus and calcium in the
right proportions makes it better than
meat as a phosphorus source because
meat-of the cuts we usually eat
hasn't enough calcium.
Among this weeks interesting queries
are:
please give me formula for making
baking powder at home. M. S. S.
One pound baking soda, two pounds
cream of tartar, scant pound of corn
starch. Ingredients must all be perfectly
dry and utensils used as dry as possible.
| First mix starch and soda and then
the cream of tartar, mixing thoroughly.
ISIS whole wheat bread as nourishing
| as white bread? Where Strictest econ
omy is necessary wouldn't it be better
to use white bread?"-Mrs. Titus.
The number of calories per pound of
whole wheat bread is slightly less than
| the number per pound of white bread
and usually whole wheat bread is little
more expensive per pound than white
| bread. Even so the various other con-
stituentS in whole wheat bread should
be taken into consideration. Actually
then there is little economy to be prac-
ticed by using white bread instead of
whole wheat sort.
What proportion of sugar should be
used to fruit in making jam?"-Alice
r. M, Richmond
! From quarters of a pound to a
pound for each pound Of fruit weighed