S3 



wheat has about the same amount of crude fibre as the prepared oatmeals, 

 but the farinas have a part of this removed. Many persons consider that, 

 since the bran layers of the wheat contain so much protein and ash ma- 

 terial, they should be retained, even if the presence of the associated 

 crude fibre does decrease the digestibility of the food. There would prob- 

 ably be some reason for this contention, especially when fed to young 

 people, if these farinas formed the whole of the diet, but the ordinary 

 mixed diet probably furnishes all the mineral matter which a healthy per- 

 son requires. Moreover, the presence of crude fibre may injuriously 

 increase peristaltic action, although, for this reason, it may be useful in 

 cases of constipation. The breakfast foods prepared from oats are rich 

 in protein and fat, and those of corn are rich in carbohydrates and poor 

 in protein and fat. Rice is poor in protein and ash and rich in carbo- 

 hydrates, containing very little crude fibre ; while barley contains a fair 

 proportion of all the nutrients, without an undue proportion of crude fibre. 



The proportion of the various constituents of the different forms of 

 breakfast foods digested does not differ very widely. Even the so-called 

 "predigested" foods are not more completely digested than the others. 

 What difference there is would go to show that they are not so fully 

 absorbed as the oat and wheat meals when properly cooked. 



Thorough cooking is an important factor with starchy foods, and, 

 consequently, with all the foods under discussion. It not only makes the 

 foods more palatable, but it also breaks down the walls of indigestible 

 fibre which surround the starch granules and the other nutrients, and in 

 general produces changes which render the food more susceptible to the 

 action of the digestive juices, thus probably increasing the ease and 

 rapidity of digestion. From the results obtained in our work, it would 

 appear that the farinas do not require so long cooking as the rolled 

 oats or cornmeal. Further, judging by the solubility of the organic mat- 

 ter, some of the much advertised prepared foods are not so well cooked 

 as might be desired; for, while twenty minutes' cooking is not considered 

 sufficient to properly prepare oatmeal porridge, it is found at the end ol 

 that time to contain more soluble matter than some of the prepared cooked 

 foods, and nearly as much as some of the cooked and malted preparations. 

 Farinas cooked for the same length of time were, with one exception, 

 about as soluble as all of the so-called "predigested" foods examined. 

 The percentage amount of soluble matter in a food may not form an 

 absolutely correct basis for judging the efficiency of the cooking or malt- 

 ing process ; but, as these processes tend to render certain parts of the 

 food soluble, it certainly gives us a good basis of comparison. If this be 

 true, we are right in concluding that some of the prepared foods should 

 be further cooked before serving. 



As regards palatability, one food does not seem to have much advan- 

 tage over another. The mere fact that all are bought and used is sufficient 

 evidence that they are palatable. Certain foods may "agree" with some 

 people better than others. That is, after all, a matter of individuality and 



3 Bull. 162 



