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times. But my subject is rather with foods themselves, and I must 

 hasten on, having briefly outlined the reason why I deem a knowledge 

 of what we eat so important, so necessary as to warrant my impressing 

 upon you so urgently the value of its study. 



It is the food we eat that forms the tissues and developes the 

 heat and energy of our bodies. The body creates nothing, neither 

 matter or force. The physical life is dependent directly upon the 

 digested food, water, and the oxygen we breathe. The changes the 

 food undergoes in the life functions are simply and truly transforma- 

 tions. We shall therefore do well at the outset to consider briefliy those 

 elements and compounds that compose the body structure. 



The Chemical Basis of the Humam Body. 



Chemical analysis has proven that only fifteen, or at most seventeen, 

 of the elements enter into the composition of the tissues of the body. 

 In the following table, from Brubaker's Physiology, they are enumerated 

 together with the relative quantities in which they exist and the tissues 

 in which they are found. 



Chemical Composition of the Human Body. 



O. H. C. are found in all the tissues and 



fluids of the body, without exception. 

 O. H C. and N found in most of the fluids 



and all the tissues, except fat. 

 In fibrin, casein, albumen, gelatine of the 



ti>sues, in sweat and urine. 

 In brain, saliva, blood and bones. 

 In bones and teeth, in blood, saliva and 



chyle. 

 In all the fluids of the body. 

 In muscles. 



In bones, associated with calcium. 

 In the fluids and solid tissues. 

 With calcium in bones and teeth. 

 In blood corpuscles and in muscles. 

 In blood, bones and hair. 

 Probably in hair, bones and nails. 



