FoodNet

Public school household science

1905

Page 3

Presented as published in 1905. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Composition of Milk 153 Composition of Meat. ... 153 Composition of Tea 153 Mineral Matter in 1,000 lbs. of 14 Vegetable Products 154 Mineral Matter in 1,000 lbs. of 8 Animal Products. . 154 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. The Home. A history of the Home from the time when caves, or any other protection afforded by nature, served as a shelter for the family, to the modern home with all its conveniences and luxuries, is beyond the scope of an elementary text-book. Through all the ages women have been the home- makers. While the men were employed in hunting, fighting, and, in the newer countries, clearing the land, the women were occupied in the preparation, spinning, weaving, and making of flax and wool into clothing for their families; making the butter, cheese, candles, etc., gathering and preserving fruits, herbs, and other pro- ducts of nature for family use. Factory-made garments, canned goods, gas, electricity, and the numerous modern conveniences were unknown. The home, with its various occupations, was the only system of education known to the majority of girls. Few girls were employed in other than the household industries. The removal of many home industries to the shop and factory, larger and more elaborately-furnished houses, increased facilities for education and travel, and many other influences have made the work of modern houses very different from that of earlier days. The two important industries, which affect the physical welfare of humanity to a large degree, viz., cleaning and the preparation of food, are left to the home, and the success 1 2 DOMESTIC SCIENCE. of the homemaker depends largely upon her control of these industries. Nearly every woman is called upon, at some time, to direct the affairs of a household. Therefore, a systematic study of household operations will enable girls to obtain knowledge which will greatly conduce to the physical, mental and moral well-being of a people. Note. — Tlie teacher should endeavor to interest the class in the study of the home as a social institution, and the importance of following sound principles therein. She should also have the pupils draw plans of a house, with the various rooms, explain the situation, etc., and discuss the furnishing and decoration of an inexpensive house, etc. CHAPTER I. Pood. The course of study in physiology prescribed for the public schools will have given the student some information about the structure of the body and a primary knowledge of the food -stuffs and their digestion. The living body may be roughly compared to a very delicate and complicated engine which, in order to be kept efficiently at work, must be constantly undergoing repair, and must be supplied continually with fuel of the right kind and in the right amount. Certain of our food-stufFs, such as fats, starches and sugars, serve mainly as fuel: that is to say, they are burned within the body, and so enable it to do work — to move itself from place to place, for example — and to keep warm. Other foods, of which lean meat is a good example, are largely made use of to effect repairs in the complicated machinery of our bodies ; though they too may be made use of as fuel.