BREAD. 113 
besides starch, which only fattens, but does not restore nerve, 
muscle, or bone. When “ milled” the outermost coat of wheat 
yields bran, fine pollards, sharps, and middlings, the white flour 
within being derived solely from the endosperm. Ordinary Bread 
is usually made from a mixture of “ whites,’ and ‘‘ households.” 
“Seconds” flour yields a Bread which is richer in proteid 
than the “ whites,” but the loaf is apt to be rather dark in colour. 
“ Hovis” flour, prepared by using superheated steam, becomes 
richer in proteid, and fat, than ordinary flour. 
The making of Bread from wheaten flour is only possible because 
this contains gluten, a proteid, or mixture of proteids, which has 
the peculiar property of becoming viscid when moistened with 
water. Ifthe viscid mass composed thus is blown out with inter- 
spersed gas, it has sufficient coherence to remain in the form of a 
sponge, or honeycomb, instead of collapsing again, and allowing 
the gas to escape. Most other cereals, such as barley, rice, and 
oatmeal, do not contain gluten, but possess other forms of proteid 
which fail to become viscid when wetted, and consequently 
Bread cannot be made out of these. When Bread is kept it 
becomes dry from loss of its water, also it becomes stale by the 
shrinking, and coming together of the wall fibres. In the cooking 
of Bread a little caramel (or burnt sugar) is produced. New 
Bread, unless thoroughly chewed, and separated by mastication, 
offers greater resistance to action upon it by the stomach juices 
than stale Bread, owing to the tendency of the new, moist dough 
to clog in close masses. ‘‘ He that will have a cake out of the 
wheat must needs tarry the grinding” (Troilus and Cressida). 
Wheat grain may be used whole as a food, being soaked in 
water until it swells up, and bursts, and then boiled in milk, 
with sugar, and other ingredients, thus making the old, and very 
nourishing mess, formerly called jrumenty, which is seldom seen 
nowadays on the farmhouse table as of yore. A quaint 
quondam nursery rhyme, which has an occult significance, 
runs to this effect :— 
“Hark! Hark! the dogs do bark, 
The beggars are come to town ; 
Some in jags, and some in rags, 
And one in a velvet gown. 
Some give them white bread, 
Some give them brown ; 
Some take a lon le, 
And drive secs oer ol ni icigs 
