FoodNetArchive

Vegetarian cookery

1891

Page 5

Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
It is only within the last fifteen years that correct impres- sions as to what constitutes the true nutritive qualities of food have been arrived at. In organic chemistry, however, as origin- ating in the researches of Baron Lie bio, many practical conclu- sions are now ascertained, in relation not merely to the actual composition of food as determined by a series of analyses, but also as to the actual application of the principles of food to tho wants of the human body. It has been determined that every thought of the mind, as well as every act of tlio body, produces changes in the human system, progressively converting the living and healthful matter of which the body is composed, to dead and waste particles, which have to be reneived and restored to the living fiibric in tho elements of tho blood, the various parts of which must, in the first instance, be derived from the food con- sumed. It thus becomes of very great interest to be fully aware of the composition of the various articles of food, and their respective value for forming blood in the body. Besides this leading requirement in the composition of food however, another series of particles have to bo provided, which, in combination with the oxygen of the atmosphere, produce the animal heat of the body ; and, lastly, certain mineral particles are required, which are said to produce most important results in the con- version of the elements of food into the living tissue of the body. The former of these principles of food may bo popularly desig- nated as the Jlesh^J arming principle, whilst the latter is the heat -forming principle, the mineral elements being usually denominated the ashes of food. In the above conclusions, we have accepted the theory most generally acknowledged as correct, in relation to the formation of the blood and the animal heat of the body, preferring this, for the sake of our argument, as the least favourable of two theories presented on the subject. 8 INTUODUCTION. We now call attention to the following statistics, presenting the composition of various articles of food, the results of the analyses made by distinguished chemists, principally of the Liebig school of chemistry, including those of Dn. Lyon Play- FAin, Boussingault, and others, in which the composition of food is presented under the three great heads of requirement already mentioned, premising merely, that in addition to mat- ter to foim the animal heat and the blood of the body, as well as ashes, a certain amount of innutritions matter accompanies most articles of food, and that this has been declared by certain physiologists to be of considerable importance ; bulk, as well as nutrition, being considered essential to the healthy action of food in the process of digestion. CoDtain : Supplying to the Body : Weight Articles of Diet SoUd mntter. Water. Flesh-forming Heat-forming principle. principle. Ashes. lb. lb. lb. Ib. lb. lb. 100 Turnips ... 11-0 . . 89-0 ... 10 .. 9-0 ... 10 I) Eed Beet Root ... 11-0 . .. 89-0 ... 1-5 .. 8-5 ... 10 Carrots ... 13-0 . . 87-0 ... 2-0 .. 10-0 ... 1-0 Potatoes ... 28-0 . . 72-0 ... 2-0 .. 25-0 ... 10 Butcher’s Meat ... 36-6 . .. 63-4 ... 21-5 .. 14-3 ... •8 » Bread (stale) ... 76-0 . . 24-0 ... 10-7 .. 64-3 ... 10 it Peas ... 84-0 . . 16-0 ... 29-0 .. 51-5 ... 3-5 fi Lentils ... 84-0 . . 16-0 ... 83-0