wisdom of submitting all starchy foods to thorough mouth treat- ment before they are mixed with acids of any kind. Starches are dependent upon the action of saliva for their proper digestion. There are three sets of glands which secrete saliva, — the sub- lingual, the submaxillary, and the parotid. The first two sets are under the tongue, at the sides and in front, and they serve to keep the mouth moist, but are said to be of little aid in the digestion of starches. The third, or parotid gland is just below and in front of the ears, and contains the serous secretion in which we find the ptyalin that acts upon starches. When starchy food is chewed, this secretion flows freely, unless acid is mixed with it, in which case this part of the digestion is interfered with. A strong acid reaction retards or prevents the action of ptyalin on starches. Hence it would seem best not to mix them with acid, or with acid fruits, before mastication. The following is from a well-known authoritative text on physiology : "The most marked influence [in retarding starch digestion] is exerted by acids. Free hydrochloric acid to the extent of only 0.003% (Chittenden) is sufficient to stop the amylolytic action of the enzyme (the converting of starch into sugar), and a slight fur- ther increase in acidity not only stops the action, but also destroys the enzyme." — "Howell's Physiology," sixth edition, page 767. It should be remembered in this connection, however, that "free hydrochloric acid" is an inorganic acid, and consequently much stronger than the organic acids found in fruits. Nevertheless, when fruit juices are mixed with soluble starches (cereals cooked in water or steam) in the same manner as milk is used with them, they tend to interfere with the ptyalin, and fermentation quite naturally results. A question often arises in regard to the cooking of certain starchy foods and acids together, as in Spanish rice, fruit toast, macaroni in tomato, lemon pie, etc. But this procedure is justi- fiable when these dishes are properly compounded. The rice for this entree is to be cooked to a light brown over a dry heat before it is added to the tomato sauce, and this partially changes the 74 SCIENCE of FOOD ancC COOKERY starch of the rice to dextrin before it is brought into contact with the acid. Likewise in the making of fruit toast, zwieback, or bread twice baked, is used, and thus the starch is partially predigested before it is mixed with acid. As to the use of macaroni in tomato, and of starch in the making of lemon pie, it will be .recognized that these dishes, to be palatable, require a moderate proportion of fat; and the rich sauce on the macaroni, and the free fat added to the lemon pie, serve to neutralize the acid effect, in the same manner as cream neutralizes the action of the acid of tomato in cream of tomato soup. Fats, moreover, tend to lessen the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach ; and for this reason,' persons who cannot tol- erate the acid of fresh or stewed tomato, often experience no trouble whatever in taking it in the form of cream soup.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

wisdom of submitting all starchy foods to thorough mouth treatment before they are mixed with acids of any kind. Starches are dependent upon the action of saliva for their proper digestion. There are three sets of glands which secrete saliva, — the sublingual, the submaxillary, and the parotid. The first two sets are under the tongue, at the sides and in front, and they serve to keep the mouth moist, but are said to be of little aid in the digestion of starches. The third, or parotid gland is just below and in front of the ears, and contains the serous secretion in which we find the ptyalin that acts upon starches. When starchy food is chewed, this secretion flows freely, unless acid is mixed with it, in which case this part of the digestion is interfered with. A strong acid reaction retards or prevents the action of ptyalin on starches. Hence it would seem best not to mix them with acid, or with acid fruits, before mastication. The following is from a well-known authoritative text on physiology : "The most marked influence [in retarding starch digestion] is exerted by acids. Free hydrochloric acid to the extent of only 0.003% (Chittenden) is sufficient to stop the amylolytic action of the enzyme (the converting of starch into sugar), and a slight further increase in acidity not only stops the action, but also destroys the enzyme." — "Howell's Physiology," sixth edition, page 767. It should be remembered in this connection, however, that "free hydrochloric acid" is an inorganic acid, and consequently much stronger than the organic acids found in fruits. Nevertheless, when fruit juices are mixed with soluble starches (cereals cooked in water or steam) in the same manner as milk is used with them, they tend to interfere with the ptyalin, and fermentation quite naturally results. A question often arises in regard to the cooking of certain starchy foods and acids together, as in Spanish rice, fruit toast, macaroni in tomato, lemon pie, etc. But this procedure is justifiable when these dishes are properly compounded. The rice for this entree is to be cooked to a light brown over a dry heat before it is added to the tomato sauce, and this partially changes the starch of the rice to dextrin before it is brought into contact with the acid. Likewise in the making of fruit toast, zwieback, or bread twice baked, is used, and thus the starch is partially predigested before it is mixed with acid. As to the use of macaroni in tomato, and of starch in the making of lemon pie, it will be .recognized that these dishes, to be palatable, require a moderate proportion of fat; and the rich sauce on the macaroni, and the free fat added to the lemon pie, serve to neutralize the acid effect, in the same manner as cream neutralizes the action of the acid of tomato in cream of tomato soup. Fats, moreover, tend to lessen the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach ; and for this reason,' persons who cannot tolerate the acid of fresh or stewed tomato, often experience no trouble whatever in taking it in the form of cream soup.

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