NATURE AND DESTINATION OF FOOD. 107 



And the following as representing the composition of the principal Vege- 

 table foods : 



Legumes 



In 1000 parts. Corn Hour, (dried peas). Potatoes. Beetroot. 



"Water, 15000 700 82-2.50 



Albuminous compounds,. . 132. 50 280 10 20.40 



Sim-el 606.80 573 180 



Siiirar, Dextrin, . . 54 80 122.60 



(Vllulose, .... 'J6 60 76 40 25.60 



Fat, 16 80 



Sails, 12.50 38 10 8.90 



According to Dr. Lankester, 1 21 oz. of wheat are required to make 1 lb. 

 of flour; and in the 1 lb. of flour there are contained of water 2g- oz., 

 gluten 2 oz., albumen } oz., starch 9| oz., sugar 1 oz., gum i oz., fat oz., 

 fibre ^ oz., ashes J oz. The carbon contained in 1 lb. of flour amounts to 

 7 oz. Payen 2 gives the composition of ox heart as follows: 



Water, 74.674 



]S ilrogenous compounds, ........ 17911 



Fats 6.155 



Mineral substances, ......... 1.260 



And he states that grilled beefsteak contains : 



Water 69 89 



Nitrogenous compounds, ........ 22.93 



Fats, . . 5.19 



Mineral substances, ......... 1.05 



Non-nitrogenous compounds, sulphur, and loss, . . . 1 04 



10000 



Oysters, which are very digestible and highly nutritious, contain 80.4 parts 

 of water, 14 parts of nitrogenous compounds, 1.5 parts of fat, salts 2.7, non- 

 nitrogenous compounds and loss 1.4. According to M. Chevreul, the com- 

 position of good beef tea per litre (1.76 English pint) is: 



Water, 985.600 



Solid organic substances, dried in vacuo at 68 F., ... 16 917 

 Salts, 11.263 



Liebig has given a receipt for making beef tea without the aid of heat, which 

 is stated to be highly nutritious: 250 grammes (3862 grains) of fresh beef 

 or chicken are finely minced and macerated for an hour in 560 grammes 

 (8652 grains) of water, to which 4 or 5 drops of hydrochloric acid and about 

 15 grains of salt have been added. At the end of this time the fluid is fil- 

 tered through a hair sieve without pressure. The residue is washed with 

 250 grammes more water. About 500 grammes (a pint) of a reddish, agree- 

 ably smelling and tasting fluid is thus obtained, which must be taken cold. 

 It readily decomposes. Dr. Marcet 3 has suggested that in cases where the 

 digestive powers are feeble the process of digestion should be carried on to 

 some extent prior to its introduction into the stomach, and for this purpose 

 recommends that to 1 lb. of roast meat finely minced, 10 oz. of a weak so- 

 lution of hydrochloric acid (containing 232 grains of the pure acid, sp. gr. 

 1.1496, to one pint of water), 10 oz. of water and 15 grains of pepsin should 

 be added ; the whole being kept for three hours in a stone jar immersed in 

 boiling water. The meat is thus reduced to a pulp, which will keep for a 

 day or two. When required for use 51 grains of dry Sodium Carbonate, or 

 81 grains of crystallized Sodium bicarbonate must be added. Of late years 



1 Guide to the Food Collection in the South Kensington Museum, p. 39. 



2 Jules Cyr, Traite de 1'Alimentation, p. 47. 



3 A New Process for Preparing Meat for Weak Stomachs, 1867. 



