.. 480 ...
30
a
Barley-meal
... 84-5 .
. 15-5
... 14-0
.. 68-6 ...
2-0
it
Wheat-meal
... 85-5 .
. 14-5
... 21-0
.. 62-0 ...
2-5
it
Beans
... 86-0 .
. 14-0
... 310
.. 61-5 ...
8-5
n
Sago
... 88-0 .
. 12-0
... 8-4
.. 84 0 ...
•6
a
M'aize-meal...
... 90-0 .
. 10-0
... 11-0
.. 77-0 ...
2-0
>9
Oat-meal ...
... 91-0 .
. 9-0
... 12-0
.. 77-0 ...
20
Bieo
... 92-4 .
. 7-(>
... 8-4
.. 82-0 ...
20
The composition of ordinary butcher’s meat in the above table
is from Baron Liebig, and in the form in which we have pre-
sented it, is only erroneous as conveying too favourable an im-
pression of the degi'ee of nutrition to bo derived from it, the
whole weight being here considered as devoid of bone, tendon,
and cartilage, such as usually form a considerable portion of
waste in the purchase of the flesh of animals. We see, however,
notwithstanding this allowance, how erroneous is the impression
which has been entertained as to the high nutritive value of
INTRODUCTION.
9
tho flesh of animals, and the little waste consequent uj^on its
use. Bread has ever been, and will ever continue to be, the
“staff of life,” notwithstanding the popular estimation which
would if possible, in times past at least, have adopted flesh as
this standard, and on a comparison of the composition of various
articles of vegetable food with beef, it cannot but excite surprise
to see that whilst the solid matter of peas, beans, lentils, and
oatmeal should range between 84 and 91 per cent, of solid mat-
ter, and from 16 to 9 only of water, the lean and fat together of
flesh contain 36 § lb. of solid matter, whilst all the rest, amount-
ing to 63 *5 lb. , is merely water.
In relation to the leading principles, however, already enun-
ciated as the flesh-forming and heat-forming principles of food,
we see, on reference to the above table, that whilst 100 lb. of
the flesh of animals can supply at most 21^ lb. of flesh principle,
and 14^ lb. of heat principle to the body ; peas, beans, and
lentils, respectively, supply 29 lb., 31 lb., and 33 lb. of flesh
principle, and 51^, 51^, and 48 lb., respectively, of the elements
supplying animal heat.
We would not advocate the general use of the most nutritive
food as the best for the health of the system, knowing that the
common error of diet with tho.se in easy circumstances, is to
take food too nutritive for the wants of the system ; but we still
regard the above chemical facts as highly important, in uproot-
ing the popular impression hitherto maintained in favotir of the
importance of “butcher’s meat”; and especially so, when we
see that in the most nutritive articles of vegetable food an
abundant supply of carbonaceous or heat-forming principle is
combined with them, presenting an approximation in most cases
to the composition of milk, which has generally been accepted
by chemists as the fittest type for the composition of food.
The next argument we beg to adduce in support of the
Vegetarian system, is one of groat importance, and such as
cannot fail to have its duo weight with the candid inquirer.
We rejoice that here also we are enabled to remove a prejudice,
which, perhaps more than any other, tends to maintain tho
meat-eating practice. The common supposition has hitherto
been, that the nutritive particles in the vegetable kingdom, if
10
INTRODUCTION.
Page 6
Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
.. 480 ...
30
a
Barley-meal
... 84-5 .
. 15-5
... 14-0
.. 68-6 ...
2-0
it
Wheat-meal
... 85-5 .
. 14-5
... 21-0
.. 62-0 ...
2-5
it
Beans
... 86-0 .
. 14-0
... 310
.. 61-5 ...
8-5
n
Sago
... 88-0 .
. 12-0
... 8-4
.. 84 0 ...
•6
a
M'aize-meal...
... 90-0 .
. 10-0
... 11-0
.. 77-0 ...
2-0
>9
Oat-meal ...
... 91-0 .
. 9-0
... 12-0
.. 77-0 ...
20
Bieo
... 92-4 .
. 7-(>
... 8-4
.. 82-0 ...
20
The composition of ordinary butcher’s meat in the above table
is from Baron Liebig, and in the form in which we have pre-
sented it, is only erroneous as conveying too favourable an im-
pression of the degi'ee of nutrition to bo derived from it, the
whole weight being here considered as devoid of bone, tendon,
and cartilage, such as usually form a considerable portion of
waste in the purchase of the flesh of animals. We see, however,
notwithstanding this allowance, how erroneous is the impression
which has been entertained as to the high nutritive value of
INTRODUCTION.
9
tho flesh of animals, and the little waste consequent uj^on its
use. Bread has ever been, and will ever continue to be, the
“staff of life,” notwithstanding the popular estimation which
would if possible, in times past at least, have adopted flesh as
this standard, and on a comparison of the composition of various
articles of vegetable food with beef, it cannot but excite surprise
to see that whilst the solid matter of peas, beans, lentils, and
oatmeal should range between 84 and 91 per cent, of solid mat-
ter, and from 16 to 9 only of water, the lean and fat together of
flesh contain 36 § lb. of solid matter, whilst all the rest, amount-
ing to 63 *5 lb. , is merely water.
In relation to the leading principles, however, already enun-
ciated as the flesh-forming and heat-forming principles of food,
we see, on reference to the above table, that whilst 100 lb. of
the flesh of animals can supply at most 21^ lb. of flesh principle,
and 14^ lb. of heat principle to the body ; peas, beans, and
lentils, respectively, supply 29 lb., 31 lb., and 33 lb. of flesh
principle, and 51^, 51^, and 48 lb., respectively, of the elements
supplying animal heat.
We would not advocate the general use of the most nutritive
food as the best for the health of the system, knowing that the
common error of diet with tho.se in easy circumstances, is to
take food too nutritive for the wants of the system ; but we still
regard the above chemical facts as highly important, in uproot-
ing the popular impression hitherto maintained in favotir of the
importance of “butcher’s meat”; and especially so, when we
see that in the most nutritive articles of vegetable food an
abundant supply of carbonaceous or heat-forming principle is
combined with them, presenting an approximation in most cases
to the composition of milk, which has generally been accepted
by chemists as the fittest type for the composition of food.
The next argument we beg to adduce in support of the
Vegetarian system, is one of groat importance, and such as
cannot fail to have its duo weight with the candid inquirer.
We rejoice that here also we are enabled to remove a prejudice,
which, perhaps more than any other, tends to maintain tho
meat-eating practice. The common supposition has hitherto
been, that the nutritive particles in the vegetable kingdom, if
10
INTRODUCTION.