8,-8 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Turner, J. B., Jacksonville, 111. Differentia- 

 tion of Energy as the Basis of Philosophy and 

 Religion. Christ and Creeds. Christ and Creeds 

 contrasted. Pp. about oO. 



Grove, Sir George. A Dictionary of Music and 

 Musicians. Part XXII. London and New York : 

 Maemillan A: ( o. Pp. 130. $1. 



Geikie, Archibald. The Teaching of Geography. 

 London and New YorK : Maemillan & Co. Pp. 

 202. 60 cents. 



Quackenbos, John D., and others. Physical 

 Geographv. Prepared on a New pnd Original Plan. 

 New York : D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 14u. $1.60. 



Garlanda, Federico. The Fortunes of Words. 

 New York : Lovell & Co. Pp. 225. 



Walker, Jerome. Health Lessons. New York. : 

 D Appleton & Co. Pp. 194. 56 cents. 



Byeily, W. E. Chauvenefs Treatise on Ele- 

 mentary Geometry, revised and abridged. Phila- 

 delphia": J. B. Lippineott Company. Pp. 3.2. 

 $1.20. 



Iladdon, Alfred C. An Introduction to the 

 Study of Kmbryology. Philadelphia: P. Llakis- 

 ton, Son & Co. Pp. 330. 



Proceedings of the United States National Mu- 

 seum, Vol. IX, 1SS0. Washington . Government 

 Printing-office. Pp. 714, with Twenty-five Plates. 



Powell. J. M., Director. Sixth Annual Report 

 of the United States Geological Survey, lS^i-'ao. 

 Washington : Government Prin ting-Office I'd 

 570. 



CarrolL Lewis. The Game of Lojric. London 

 and New York : Maemillan & Co. Pp. 96. $1. 



Finck, Henry T. Romantic Love and Personal 

 Beauty. London and New York : Maemillan & Co. 

 Pp. 660. $2. 



Paz, Dr. Campos da. A Questao dos Yinhos (on 

 the Question of Wines). Rio de Janeiro. Pp. 



3S4. 



Ph. Pellin. Catalogue Special des Tn-truments 

 de Meteorologie (Special Catalogue of Meteorologi- 

 cal Instruments). Paris, France : Rue de fOdeon, 

 21. Pp. 32. 



Nelson, Dr. Wolfred, of Montreal. Apercu de 

 quelques Difficultes a vai lere dans la Construction 

 du Canal de Panama (Summary of some of the Dif- 

 ficulties to be overcome in the Construction of the 

 Panama Canal). Paris, France: T. Symonds, 90 

 Rue Rochechouart. Pp. 71. 



POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



Economy of Food. In his American 

 Association paper ou " Economy of Food," 

 Professor L. O. Atwater laid down the prin- 

 ciple that " the cheapest food is that which 

 furnishes the actually nutritive materials at 

 least cost." The nutriments of vegetable 

 food are, he said, in general much less cost- 

 ly than the animal foods. The animal foods 

 have, however, the advantages of contain- 

 ing larger proportions of protein and of 

 fats, and the protein at least in more di- 

 gestible forms. Flour, meal, and other sta- 

 ple vegetable foods, furnish the nutriments 

 at only a fraction of their cost in ordinary 

 animal foods. At market prices, current in 

 the Eastern States, the cost of the protein 

 ranges at from eight to thirty-four cents a 



pound in the staple vegetable foods, and 

 from eighteen cents to somewhat over one 

 dollar a pound in the staple animal foods. 

 In oysters it ranges at from two to three 

 dollars a pound, in salmon sometimes to 

 five dollars a pound, in beef at from ten 

 to twenty-five cents a pound from about 

 forty cents to one dollar and ten cents. In 

 many of the usual food-fishes the nutritive 

 material is dearer than in beef. The less 

 expensive kinds of meat contain as much 

 nutriment as the costlier kind ; and the dif- 

 ferent grades of flour have a much more 

 nearly equal nutritive value than is com- 

 monly supposed. Among the vegetable 

 foods, -wheat-flour, corn-meal, and other 

 cereal products are in general the cheapest 

 and most economical. Wheat -flour at six 

 dollars a barrel and potatoes at forty cents 

 a bushel would furnish nutritive material at 

 about the same cost. The prices of the 

 choicer food-materials are regulated by fla- 

 vor as well as by the amount of nutritive 

 material, which in some is hardly a fraction 

 of the price. With exceptions that are easi- 

 ly explained, the prices of foods that are 

 bought and used for their nutriment tend 

 to shape themselves proportionately accord- 

 ing to the actual values. Taking the world 

 through, the mass of people select those 

 foods which furnish the actual nutrients 

 at the lowest cost ; but there are marked 

 exceptions in the United States, where many, 

 even among those who desire to economize, 

 use needlessly expensive kinds of food. 

 " They too often endeavor to make their diet 

 attractive by paying high prices in the mar- 

 ket rather than by skillful cooking and taste- 

 ful serving at home." Wastefulness of 

 food shows itself in the purchasing of more 

 than is needed ; in using part of the excess 

 to overload the alimentary organs and throw- 

 ing the rest away ; in purchasing food that 

 seems cheap but is really dear; in using 

 costly materials where less expensive ones 

 would serve as well ; and in the false econ- 

 omy of using too little of one material and 

 too much of another. Great evils accrue 

 from these practices, in the loss of money 

 and the deterioration of health ; and " some 

 of the wisest students of physiology and hy- 

 giene are persuaded that improper eating, 

 and especially overeating, is a source of 

 more disease than any other one thing." 



