112 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
baking purposes. The products of such combination in the 
dough are carbonic acid gas (which lightens the Bread,) and 
some tartrate of soda (which is slightly laxative). 
Bread laws date back in England certainly to the time of 
King John, from whose reign until that of Edward I. 
(1280) a seal had to be affixed to every loaf in order that none 
save those of the prescribed size should be sold. Each baker 
had his own trade-mark, which he was called on to duly register, 
so that in any case of dispute it was quite easy to trace a loaf 
to its maker. There were several qualities of loaves always 
made, the pure white, or Simnel Bread, being then, as now, 
that of the “ Quality-folk”” ; a Bread somewhat less luxurious 
was Wastel; next came “ Puffe,” and “ Croquet ” ; then Trete 
(or brown Bread); and finally the black Bread of rye called 
‘all sorts.” In olden days Bread was never sold on the baker’s 
premises: it had to be taken to the regular Bread market in 
vaniers ; and the usual way of obtaining it was through the 
regatresses, who purchased thirteen loaves at the market for 
the price of twelve, and then hawked them from door to door, 
their profit being the sale of the odd loaf in each “ baker s dozen.”” 
Brown Bread is wheaten Bread made from unbolten flour, so 
that the bran remains included. In the United States it is 
commonly called Graham Bread. Four or five hundred years 
ago this kind of Bread, which was then the staple food of the 
poorer classes, was known as “ trete, or “ bis, being made of 
meal which was only once bolted: and to this day bran is 
called “ trete”’ in the ‘‘ North Countree.” 
“The farmer has brown Bread as fresh as day, 
And butter fragrant as the dew of May. 
A widow has cold pye. Nurse gives you cake. 
From gen’rous merchants ham, or sturgeon take.” 
The origin of wheat is hidden in obscurity ; no other cereal 
will grow in so many climates as wheat, and none of the other 
cereals are so suitable for making Bread. Wheat grain contains 
everything necessary for supporting life. All the thirteen 
minerals, besides flesh-formers, body-warmers, and fatteners, . 
are packed up in each little grain of the wheat; but, unfor- 
tunately. most of these nourishment factors are abstracted when 
the grain is ground by the miller ; he leaves only the fine wheaten 
flour for making white Bread ; nearly all the minerals are sifted 
out; and, in fact, little remains for the purpose of bread-making 
