The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-15

those in the book l am reviewing
today. II is entitled-Mdn's Food,
It's Rhyme Or Reason, by Mark
Graubard, Of the Department of
Biology at Clark University pub
lished by The Macmillan Com
pany, New York;.
The emphasis is upon the social
conscience of the food expert, not
his convictions about physiology.
Food plays too great a part in the
general health of mankind to have
its choice left to crop conditions,
the whims Of the agrar;an pro-
ducers, to economic depressi ms or
TO the prejudices and religious
taboos of different groups.
No man should be allowed to go
or in an enlightened community
eating just what he likes or what
his whims or prejudices dictate.
That is the thesis of DR.. Graubard's
treatise. 1t is a large order so far
as its practical enforcement is
concerned, but | would be the last
to say it should not be tried.
W. are very far, in this land of
plenty, from any real familiarity
with the spectacle Of the social
consequences, of the effect on the
morale of a population Of not
getting the right kind of food.
But it is probably happening every
minute in some part Of the globe.
Experiences With Beriberi
Think of the experience given
In the graphic words of r. R. Will
liams, the Bell Telephone chemist
who discovered the chemical ma
ture of Vitamin B. "On several oc-
casions in the absence of a medi-
cal associate, | went at the call Of
a health inspector to the Tond
slum district Of Manila to attend
without benefit of medical certif-
cate reported cases Of beriberi.
Often | dosed the baby myself to
be SUR to get as much Of my
precious preparation inside and as
little outside as possible, and
sometimes sat down beside the
anxious mother on the split bam-
boo floor Of the little nipa shack
TO await results. Within as little
as three hours / have seen the
cessation of the weird, almost
soundless crying which, due prob
ably to paralysis of the larynx, is
characteristic of the last stage of
the malady. Easing of the gasping
breathing soon followed, and then
occurred the smoothing Of the
wild pulse, the fading of blue lips,
a hungry nursing, and peaceful
sleep"
Such spectacles as that must
never happen in a world governed
by an enlightened social conscious
ness. The knowledge Of food today
is not any longer a a of hap
hazard guesses or tradition. 1t is
as exact a science as can be found
in the realm of physiology and
what men are TO eat is not to be
controlled by the screams Of some
long-haired nut-chewer from the
backwoods.
Use OF Meat
A graphic illustration Of the diff
fculties is found in the use Of
meat. Scientific dietetics states
that provided it is hygienically
prepared meat is one of the best
of foods. 1t is a better source of
protein than vegetables. We have
no scientific evidence that the pro-
tein in beef is any better or worse
than that Of pork, mutton Or horse
meat. Yet the religion Of the Hindu
prevents him from eating beef, the
religion of the orthodox Hebrew
prevents him from eating pork.
the religion of the Brahma pre-
verts him from eating meat Of
any kind, and the prejudices Of
tie Anglo Saxon prevents him
from eating horse meat and he
would view the dinner table of the
Frenchman on horse meat day
with disgust amounting to revul-
sion.
Is this rhyme or ~reason7
DR.. Grsubard thinks it is mere
ly rhyme. | agree, but l can see
practical difficulties in imposing
pure reason on the world in the
matter of food habits.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Fl. Chow would you explain
q continuous rectal temperature Of
100 and at the same time q normal
temperature by mouth?
Answer: This is normal for
everyone.