Fruits, Their Food Value and Use in Disease. 211 



which they contain such as citrates, malates. tarti'ates, pliosphates, sulphates, 

 sodium, potassium, magnesia and organic iron. 



First and foremost among fruits is the strawberry. A popular estimation 

 of this toothsome fruit is reflected in tlie saying, "Doubtless God could have 

 made a better berry than the strawberry, but doubtless he never did." An 

 English writer has said this of tlie strawberry : "Its virtues are legion, and it 

 has not a single defect. The blackberry, like the rose, must be plucked from 

 among tliorns ; the raspberry soon brings a sense of satiety, you may crush your 

 teeth upon a grape-stone or cherry-pit, and the biggest and sweetest apple lias 

 a core. But the strawberry is one unalloyed and unimpaired mouthful of de- 

 liciousness, it has neither rind nor stone to mar the perfect pleasure of the palate 

 — and it is so healthful that you can eat it until you are tired."' The ratio of 

 sugar to acid in tlie strawberry is from 2 to 1 to 7 to 3. The strawberry is 

 richer than most of the fruits in potassium, sodium and magnesium, salts and 

 iron. For tliis reason the strawberry is especially wholesome in rheumatism 

 and gout. The strawberry crop annually liarvested in the United States amounts 

 to nearly .$100,000,000. 



The apple is rich in sugar and malic acid, tlie latter giving the apple its 

 laxative properties. Apple juice made from washed and sorted apples is a 

 most wholesome drink, and it possesses marked germicidal properties. Being 

 .1 firm fruit the apple may be easily kept on into the following summer. The 

 npple harvest in this country is annually more than 210,000,000 barrels. 



Excepting dates, grapes exceed all other fruits in the amount of sugar 

 present. The ratio of sugar to acid is 29 to 1. The tartaric acid of grapes is 

 combined freely with potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesia. 



Recent experiments have demonstrated tliat grape juice posseses high germ- 

 icidal powers. Experiments made by the Cliicago Board of Health show that 

 the typhoid and the colon bacillus are effectually destroyed by 1 per cent to 

 .^> per cent of grape juice. Grape juice is highly nourishing and sustaining, and 

 supplies us with one of the most delicious drinks in fevers. 



Oranges, lemons and grape fruit have an abundance of free citric acid. 

 Lemons contain from 35 to 40 grains of citric acid to the ounce, and in addition 

 there is malic acid, sugar and organic salts. It is for this reason that the 

 juice of the lemon is so eagerly sought to allay thirst, and as a drink in hot 

 weather and in fevers. 



AS A DISINFECTANT. 



Dr. Ferguson, of London, in 1902. reported that lemon juice in the propor- 

 tion of one teaspoonful to half a glass of typhoid infected water, in sufficient 

 to destroy the vitality of the germs. These results have been many times con- 

 firmed by other bacteriologists. Kitasato, the eminent .Tapanese bacteriologist, 

 and Von Ermengen, liave shown that the citric acid of the lemon is less than 

 one-half per cent or 1-200, is capable of killing cholera germs in one-half 

 hour. Acid of the same strength will kill the typhoid fever germ, but several 

 hours exposure is required. Pure lemon juice, however, is absolutely destructive 

 to all germs. These facts are also confirmed by Sternberg. Boiled fru.c juice, 

 while less active than tlie fresh juice, is still an efficient germicide. 



As to the digestibility of fruit and fruit juices, it may be said that they 

 are much more easily digested than starch or sugar. In fact, the juice is all 

 ready to be absorbed, being predigested. and practically little effort is required 

 on the part of the digestive organs. Furthermore, experiment has shown tliat 

 citric, malic and tartaric acids are entirely consumed within the body. 



It is very common to hear people say that fruits do not agree witli them. 

 Considering the combinations usually made and the manner in which the fruit 

 is served and eaten, tliis may be true. But I feel prepared to say that if care 

 is exercised, tnere are but few people who cannot eat most fruits and be the 

 better for it. There are very few cond'"^ions in which fruits are contra- 

 indicted, namely, gastric ulcer, hyperchloridia, gastric catarrh with excessive mu- 

 cous formation and acute gastritis. 



