J 36 



Mr. Luckcocic on the Nutritive Properties of Food. 



to subsistence, tlic 3lbs. of Cne bread 

 could be increased to 6, and the nutri- 

 )n."iit still, of each lb., be found suffi- 

 cient, or equal in cH'cct to its pure 

 slate, why throw away the difference? 

 I am aware, however, that 1 am tread- 

 ing on delicate groinid, and that the 

 cupidity of the rich wants no new sti- 

 mulus for encroachment on the rifi^iits 

 and conil'orls of the poor; let us, then, 

 tiu'n the application of the subject to 

 the brute creation, as here it may be 

 made available without such ob- 

 jections. 



Suppose a cow to consume (I speak 

 by conjecture,) 241bs. pur day of tiie 

 green or succulent vegetables ; this 

 quantity would be said to contain but 

 21bs. of "solid nutritious substance," 

 or about one-twelfth part of the whole : 

 but does not this evince a most egre- 

 gious fallacy? The animal has not 

 only to draw its own support from this 

 2lbs. of nutrition, with the addition of 

 water only, but can supply an average 

 of twelve quarts, or more, dailj', of a 

 substance, which, perhaps, of all 

 others, contains the most nutrition of 

 any which Nature so bountifully pre- 

 sents to our acceptance. Is it ]>()ssible 

 to reconcile this with tlie theory of nu- 

 triment exhibited in our scale ; and 

 ought not this consideration to put us 

 on our guard against anj' sjieculations 

 not well-grounded on actual ex])eri- 

 ment, well-connected and persevering- 

 ly maintained I If the calculations of 

 Messrs. P. and V. have a fair claim to 

 our assent on accurate jninciplcs, it 

 ought to follow, that about 2lbs. of len- 

 tils, mixed with some other substance, 

 if such could be found, tliat shoidd 

 serve only as a vehicle to the nutri- 

 ment, would jiroduce the same result 

 as the total mass, or 24lbs. of the cow's 

 juicy store ;.or, in other words, that of 

 the 24lbs., there are 22 parts that 

 supply no nutriment at all. Of what, 

 then, should this extraneous supply 

 consist, to make the result serviceable 

 as lessening the demand lor the highest 

 qualify of food for genei al purposes, or 

 ill eases of urgency and famine? It is 

 well known, that much of the northern 

 population of llurope depend on the 

 bark of trees for their daily bread ; 

 and, if this su])[)ly answers the pur- 

 pose, however humbly, fur the suste- 

 nance of human life, why not suppose 

 that most of onr English timber might 

 be pulverized, so as to become a fit 

 article to mix with the nutritive matter 

 that niiglit be concentrated from 



[March t, 



every source within our reach for the 

 food of cattle ? Might not even some 

 of the fat and argillaceous soils be ad- 

 mitted info the mixture? Many of our 

 bakers, if the public papers do not 

 grossly belie them, use considerable 

 quantities of chalk, or plaster-of-Faris, 

 in their bread, without its being per- 

 ceived, or even suspected, by the 

 consumers ; and the nutritive qualifies 

 of salt, though a mineral, are univer- 

 sally admitted. 



If the horses in this kingdom (as I 

 believe may easily be proved,) con- 

 sume the produce of more land than 

 the whole population of human bciugs, 

 who will say, that any attempt to re- 

 duce that consumption is not deserv- 

 ing the public attention? That this is 

 not only practicable, but easy to ac- 

 complisli, in a very great degree, I am 

 well convinced. The generality of 

 mankind "live to eat, instead of eat- 

 hig to live ;" and, while this propensity 

 remains, no wonder that less attention 

 siiould be paid to the quantity than to 

 the quality of our food, and that so 

 little should be understood of its pro- 

 perties. I5y a commuaication of niiiie 

 through your Magazine, (see vol. 43, 

 page 400,) I shewed, I think incon- 

 testihly, that our principal articles 

 of food depend more on our good nia- 

 nagcmcnl for their nutritions qualifies, 

 than on any inherent properties with- 

 out such preparation. I there proved, 

 that 6 ('Z. of Scotch barley might be 

 made sufTicient for the daily food of a 

 healthy man; and yet it appears to me, 

 that bread, having undergone the fer- 

 mentative process, could not, by any 

 contrivance or ingenuity, be made to 

 produce any increase of nutriment be- 

 yond its common value. These are 

 striking facts; and, as my statement 

 has never been eonfioverted, I am 

 more confirmed in my opinion, as well 

 as from subsequent observation and ex- 

 perience. On this, however, 1 shall 

 make no farther comment, than merely 

 to notice, that, though the barley, pre- 

 l)ared as directed, is improved in its 

 nutritious qualities in so extraordinary 

 a degree, yet, the same article and 

 quantity, taken in the wayof connnon 

 preparation, would quit the stomach, 

 and pass tlirongh the intestines, with 

 no more tlian ordinary efl'ect. The 

 excrement of a horse, conq)ared with 

 that of a cow, seems to exhibit a much 

 more imperfect digestion ; but his gene- 

 ral food, consisting princijially of grain, 

 might, no doidjf, by a similar process 



as 



