HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 187 



which at times is quite painful. I am afraid that coffee disa- 

 grees with me; and I am beginning to fear that I have cancer of 

 the stomach or some such disease." I told him I thought he was 

 starving himself The coffee furnished no nutriment, the cream 

 and butter were carbonaceous, the bran in the bread indigesti- 

 ble, the flour in bread contained carbonaceous, nitrogenous and 

 mineral elements; but taking the cream, butter and bread, the 

 per cent of nitrogenous food was entirely too small. To remedy 

 this the toast was moistened with milk, and he was induced to 

 eat a small piece of meat or a soft boiled or poached egg, a little 

 fruit, and a small amount of some vegetable at each meal. He 

 no longer had the painful sensations and ate much smaller 

 amounts of food. 



This subject of the necessary constituents of food is important, 

 and should be considered in making the bills of fare for each 

 day. The starch, sugar or fats are readily obtained. Nitrogen- 

 ous foods are supplied by lean meats, milk, eggs, the cereals, 

 peas and beans. It is very important that we have vegetables 

 and fruits on our tables daily. Fruits should be used both 

 cooked and uncooked. There is nothing more healthfnl or appe- 

 tizing for breackfast than some perfectly ripe delicious uncooked 

 fruits. Bread, meat, cereals, starch, sugar, peas and beans form 

 too concentrated a diet. The vegetables and fruits give more 

 bulk to our food besides furnishing the various mineral constitu- 

 ents often partially lacking in some other foods. 



Most of our knowledge of the chemistry and physics of foods 

 and cookery for the human family has been given by men who 

 have experimented with animals. Our numerous experiment 

 stations are now experimenting with stock, various kinds of field 

 crops, also fruits and vegetables are studied and tested as regards 

 producing them for the market, but these experimenters are al- 

 most silent as to their importance and relative values as food for 

 people and the best and most scientific methods of cooking them. 

 The questions which they are solving are of special interest to 

 only certain classes. Mcely adjusted food rations for the dairy 

 cow interest only one class; the preparation of foods for the table 

 Involves questions of interest to all classes. Chemists, botanists, 

 and other scientists will cheerfully experiment in this line when 

 there is sufficient demand for such knowledge. 



