The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-03-11

The ideal dietary is one that in
cludes a correct proportion of the
different food elements required
to supply bodily needs without any
of them being supplied in excess,
or in insufficient amounts.
Danger in Omitting One Essential
To illustrate how important it is
that not one of the necessary food
substances be omitted, let me tell
you how an eminent bio-chemist
proved in his experimental lab
oratory, in one of our leading uni
versities, that the difference be-
tween stupidity and genius de-
pended upon the presence or alb
sence of one vitamin.
He placed a pregnant animal
upon a diet adequate in every re-
spect, except that it lacked one
of the six vitamins. AS soon as
her young we're born and weaned,
they were fed a completely ade-
quate diet.
Then the scientist tested the
mentality of the young animals.
He wanted to find out whether or
not their mental power had been
injured in any way by the fact
that their mother-during preg-
nancy-had been deprived of one
vital food element. So he put them
in a runway. To get out of this
and reach a tasty morsel at the
other end-they had to make their
way through a series of passages.
He had already made this same
test on the same type of animals
born of properly fed mothers. He
knew that it never took them
more than Is trials to learn their
way out of the maze. Most of
them had gotten out after Is to
IS attempts.
But what lack of skill was
shown by the animals whose
mother had been deprived of
proper food! The stupidity of
these pathetic little creatures was
unbelievable. Some of them never
learned to thread the maze and
reach their goal, even after as
many as $50 trials. They were
being given-at the time-every-
thing that was necessary to their
diet. But they had entered life
with minds totally unequipped to
cope with the world-because
their mother had not been prop
erly fed before they were born.
Nor is this power of food to af-
feet mental activity confined to
prenatal life. Even if a child en-
tiers this world with strong body
and a clear mind-the wrong food
during childhood has the power
to wreck health.
Investigation after investiga-
ton, by leading specialists
throughout the country, has prov
en- that surprising percentage of
retarded children-those who can
not keep up with their school
grades-do not really have infe-
rior minds. They only seem stu
pid because the action Of their
minds is clogged and slowed down
by sluggish, under-fed bodies.
Their brains are like machines
which cannot attempt the speed of
which they are capable-because
the proper fuel had not been pro-
vided. :
Physical fitness is a far greater asset
than material possessions. For in times
of stress and trouble, those oho can
stand up under the physical strain sOin
the battle. For those suho collapse, all
is lost.
The Homemaker's Responsibility.
Every wife and mother is there
fore faced with the tremendous
responsibility of keeping her fam
lily mentally and physically fit.
Her husband must have the right
kind of food in order to earn a
living. Her own diet must be
adequate and well-balanced If
she is to have the energy, wis
dom, and patience required of a
mother at all hours of the day.