But the following table from Baron Liebig, with the commentary which follows it from Professor Gregory of Edinburgh, will show the principles which should guide us in arranging our meals : — TABLE OF THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF THE FLESH-PRODUCING TO THE HEAT-PRODUCING CONSTITUENTS IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD. Flesh- Producing. Cow's milk contains for 10 30 = -| £* ^utter- Pease 10 23 Fatmutton 10 27 = 11.25 fat Fatpork 10 30 = 12.5 •• Beef 10 17 = 7.08 n Hare 10 2 = 0.03 n Veal 10 1 Wheat-flour 10 46 Oatmeal 10 50 Rye-flour 10 57 Barley 10 57 Potatoes (white) 10 88 Potatoes (blue) 10 115 Rice 10 123 Buck-wheat 10 130 Here we see that milk and grain, the two best forms of natural food, contain, for 1 of flesh-producing, 3 to 5.7 of heat-producing matter. Fat meat has also 1 to 3 or 1 to 2.7, and agrees with pease and beans very nearly. Lean beef, hare, and veal have far too little heat-producing matter— only 1.7, 0.2, and 0.1 to 1 of flesh- producing matter. For this reason heat-producing matter should be added to lean meat, and also to pease and beans ; but flesh- producing matter should be added to potatoes and rice. " This explains the instinctive and universal use of beans and fat bacon, pork and pease-pudding (bacon containing very little flesh- XXXIV PHILOSOPHY OF COOKERY. producing matter), veal and ham, potatoes and rice with lean meat, and flour and butter with eggs. The best proportion for a working-man is about 5 of heat-producing to 1 of flesh-producing food ; and for a child, 3 or 4 of the former to 1 of the latter. These proportions, which are those of grain and milk, are easily obtained in the mixtures above named. "When the proportion of heat-producing matter is too small, then a large amount of flesh-producing matter must be used to supply heat, which is a great waste, since such matter is the worst source of heat. Thus, to obtain the same amount of heat we must Fat lOOparts. Starch 240 „ Cane-sugar 249 n Honey 263 n Spirits at 50 per cent, of alcohol 266 n Fresh lean meat 770 „ "Alcohol belongs to the heat-producing class; and, therefore, if properly diluted, and used as an addition to flesh-producing food, such as lean meat, cheese, eggs, or pease and beans, it is useful rather than hurtful. But if added to food already containing 5, 6, 10, or 15 parts of heat-producing for 1 of flesh-producing matter, it is hurtful, as reducing the proportions of the latter still further. Now, when the food contains too little flesh-producing matter, enormous quantities of it are required to supply the waste of the body. Thus, it will take 123 parts of rice to supply as much flesh as 33 parts of fat pork, or 125 of blue potatoes to yield as much flesh as 27 of lean beef."

AI-modernized reading of the original text

But the following table from Baron Liebig, with the commentary which follows it from Professor Gregory of Edinburgh, will show the principles which should guide us in arranging our meals : — TABLE OF THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF THE FLESH-PRODUCING TO THE HEAT-PRODUCING CONSTITUENTS IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD. Flesh- Producing. Cow's milk contains for 10 30 = -| £* ^utter- Pease 10 23 Fatmutton 10 27 = 11.25 fat Fatpork 10 30 = 12.5 •• Beef 10 17 = 7.08 n Hare 10 2 = 0.03 n Veal 10 1 Wheat-flour 10 46 Oatmeal 10 50 Rye-flour 10 57 Barley 10 57 Potatoes (white) 10 88 Potatoes (blue) 10 115 Rice 10 123 Buck-wheat 10 130 Here we see that milk and grain, the two best forms of natural food, contain, for 1 of flesh-producing, 3 to 5.7 of heat-producing matter. Fat meat has also 1 to 3 or 1 to 2.7, and agrees with pease and beans very nearly. Lean beef, hare, and veal have far too little heat-producing matter— only 1.7, 0.2, and 0.1 to 1 of fleshproducing matter. For this reason heat-producing matter should be added to lean meat, and also to pease and beans ; but fleshproducing matter should be added to potatoes and rice. " This explains the instinctive and universal use of beans and fat bacon, pork and pease-pudding (bacon containing very little flesh- XXXIV PHILOSOPHY OF COOKERY. producing matter), veal and ham, potatoes and rice with lean meat, and flour and butter with eggs. The best proportion for a working-man is about 5 of heat-producing to 1 of flesh-producing food ; and for a child, 3 or 4 of the former to 1 of the latter. These proportions, which are those of grain and milk, are easily obtained in the mixtures above named. "When the proportion of heat-producing matter is too small, then a large amount of flesh-producing matter must be used to supply heat, which is a great waste, since such matter is the worst source of heat. Thus, to obtain the same amount of heat we must Fat lOOparts. Starch 240 „ Cane-sugar 249 n Honey 263 n Spirits at 50 per cent, of alcohol 266 n Fresh lean meat 770 „ "Alcohol belongs to the heat-producing class; and, therefore, if properly diluted, and used as an addition to flesh-producing food, such as lean meat, cheese, eggs, or pease and beans, it is useful rather than hurtful. But if added to food already containing 5, 6, 10, or 15 parts of heat-producing for 1 of flesh-producing matter, it is hurtful, as reducing the proportions of the latter still further. Now, when the food contains too little flesh-producing matter, enormous quantities of it are required to supply the waste of the body. Thus, it will take 123 parts of rice to supply as much flesh as 33 parts of fat pork, or 125 of blue potatoes to yield as much flesh as 27 of lean beef."

Handbook of practical cookery