128 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ous styles of the present. The old colonial 

 houses are considered as in all " the best ex- 

 amples built upon classic lines, with a classic 

 base for all their details and classic feeling 

 in all their outlines," but the author con- 

 cludes that " in the planning, designing, and 

 building of the moderate-cost suburban vil- 

 la of to-day the American architect has no 

 equal. His work (that is, his best work) is 

 well above and beyond any period of the 

 school anywhere." A chapter by Donald G. 

 Mitchell on Country Houses follows a 

 theme which was congenial to the author's 

 taste, and is treated by him as if it were, 

 and is not in disaccord with Mr. Price's 

 Suburban Houses ; for while Mr. Mitchell 

 insists the more emphatically that bis coun- 

 try house shall be a real home, Mr. Price 

 evidently regards his suburban house in the 

 same light; but Mr. Mitchell's houses are 

 all, or nearly all, old-fashioned and also old. 

 The best treatment of Small Country Places 

 is described by Samuel Parsons, Jr., and 

 the Advantages and Operations of Building 

 and Loan Associations are explained by W. 

 A. Linn. 



A Handbook of Invalid Cooking. By 

 Mary A. Boland, Instructor in Cooking 

 in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Training 

 School for Nurses. New York : The 

 Century Company. Pp. 323. 



Tnis volume has an attractive aspect, 

 more than a soup^on of science, and a flavor 

 of good sense. It is intended to fill a need 

 in the training of nurses for more exact di- 

 rection in cookery, for some knowledge of 

 the chemistry involved, and for a better com- 

 prehension of the precautions necessary to 

 secure healthful food. The first part is de- 

 voted to preliminary lessons. These deal 

 with chemical and physical changes, the 

 composition of the body, the general con- 

 stituents of food, and the important topics 

 air, water, milk, digestion, and nutrition. 



In the dissertation on milk, directions are 

 given for testing its acidity, finding its spe- 

 cific gravity, per cent of fat, and methods "of 

 sterilization are carefully explained. 



In the article on nutrition it is stated that 

 the noblest thoughts and most original ideas 

 do not come from an underfed or dyspeptic 

 individual. This certainly ought to be the 

 case, but the shades of Carlyle, Heine, and a 



host of their ilk would confront us if we 

 affirmed this to be a matter of fact. If, as 

 the author claims, material substances pro- 

 duced as exact results in the chemical physi- 

 ology of the body as they do in the labor- 

 atory, we should understand many metabolic 

 processes that are now inexplicable. Starch 

 and albumin sometimes remain starch and 

 albumin in spite of all digestive juices to the 

 contrary. When the nerves cry " Halt ! " 

 the solvents and acids obey. We recognize 

 this inhibitory action if we follow the sugges- 

 tion to " serve chocolate in dull red." By 

 pleasing the nerves of sight, we strive to 

 put the body in good nervous condition. It 

 is, however, acknowledged that " it can not 

 be said that any particular kind of food will 

 ultimately produce a poem ! " 



The second part of the book offers a col- 

 lection of recipes and menus suited to in- 

 valids, with special consideration of serving, 

 feeding of children, and district nursing. 

 The recipes are well chosen and, for the 

 most part, clearly given. In the introduc- 

 tion the author complains that the majority 

 of cook-books do not furnish intelligible aid, 

 and it is sad to see that she does not im- 

 prove upon their example. Three recipes 

 for cake are given, and two of these direct 

 the use of an ingredient whose quantity is 

 not mentioned in the formula. In addition 

 to this, it is doubtful whether unfledged 

 cooks will handle successfully unmixed soda 

 and cream of tartar ; a good baking powder 

 is much safer and simpler. 



There are many hints for gratifying 

 aesthetic tastes in the article on serving. 

 In the feeding of children the naive ques- 

 tion is asked why a child should thrive best 

 upon mother's milk, and it is answered that 

 it is, no doubt, because micro-organisms are 

 found in cow's milk. Sterilized milk may 

 reduce the chances of disease a hundred- 

 fold, yet it can not be adapted to a human 

 child as well as the fluid provided by the 

 cunning chemistry of Nature. As well in- 

 troduce artificial sap into a flower and 

 query why the tints are not true. This 

 leads us to what we deem an important omis- 

 sion in the book there is no chapter on the 

 nourishment of mothers. If mothers were 

 adequately and properly fed, the preparation 

 of artificial food for infants would need little 

 attention. 



