.Tanuarv. 1919 



G 1. K A N I N G S IN B K E CULTURE 



27 



times. T am making no claim that the re- 

 stricted war diet kept us free from colds. 

 I am merely pointing out that it did not in- 

 jure our health in the slightest degree, for 

 freedom from colds is a pretty good measure 

 of a person 's resisting power. 



Of course, it is quite possible that the en- 

 tire family may contract influenza before 

 the epidemic subsides, bvit in that case it 

 seems probable we are in a condition to go 

 thru it without serious results. 



I wonder if I dare say something else be- 

 fore leaving the subject. I am not much 

 afraid of editors, but dislike to be misun- 

 derstood by my Gleanings-reader friends. 



We have all been saddened by the unbe- 

 lievably long lists of deaths which have 

 occurred in army camps from influenza and 

 pneumonia. What makes it so hard to un- 

 derstand is that those deaths occurred 

 among young and vigorous men, picked from 

 the whole country as physically fit and ro- 

 bust, and living an active out-of-door life 

 with plenty of nutritious food. 



Physicians all tell us that pneumonia puts 

 a fearful strain upon the heart. Also these 

 same physicians assure us that tobacco 

 weakens the heart. Permit me to quote a 

 passage from "How To Live," a book au- 

 thorized by and prepared in collaboration with 

 the Hygiene Reference Board of the Life 

 Extension Listitute. This Eeference Board 

 is composed of some 74 of the most eminent 

 physicians and health writers in the coun- 

 try. 



The following^ is the quotation in refer- 

 ence to tobacco: "Disturbance of the blood 

 pressure, rapid heart action, shortness of 

 breath, palpitation of the heart, pain in the 

 region of the heart, are important effects. 

 Tobacco heart is often lightly spoken of be- 

 cause the abandonment of the habit will 

 often restore the heart to its normal condi- 

 tion ; but tobacco heart often causes death, 

 especially under severe physical strain or 

 in the course of acute disease, such as ty- 

 phoid or jineumonia. Surgeons have noted 

 failure to rally after operation in tobacco- 

 users, who are, of course, dejjrived of their 

 accustomed indulgence immediately before 

 and after operation. It is probable that 

 many such cases pass unrecognized. ' ' 



Isn't it possible that the extraordinary 

 prevalence of the tobacco habit among the 

 young men of this country has been one of 

 the contributing factors in weakening the 

 heart and lowering the resistence to influ- 

 enza and pneumonia? Many have comment- 

 ed on the fact that apparently more men 

 have succumbed to the disease than women, 

 and while there are a few ultra fashionables 

 among women who smoke, the great majori- 

 ty of our American women and girls do not 

 use tobacco. 



Please don 't think me a tiresome crank on 

 this subject. I presume if I had been privi- 

 leged to help in a Y. M. C. A. hut in France, 

 I should have handed out cigarets with good 

 grace. It was probably not the time to 

 start such reforms among the fighting men. 



But I am a woman and mother who desires 

 the finest and best of everything in life for 

 our brave American boys, and I cannot help 

 regretting that so many are addicted to a 

 habit which makes them less physically fit. 



YOU have all heard of those who ' ' strain 

 at a gnat and swallow a camel. ' ' I 

 have just discovered that refers to 

 proofreaders. At least I imagine the mod- 

 ern proofreader is a direct descendant of 

 ancient proofreading scribes. The camel 

 the Gleanings proofreaders unwittingly 

 swallowed was on page 730 where I made 

 the astonishing statement that you should 

 omit about one-fifth of a cup of liquid when 

 you substitute a cup of sugar for a cup of 

 honey. You see I was so joyful over the 

 opportunity^ to call sugar a honey substitute 

 that I quite lost my head. I should have 

 said, "add about one-fifth of a cup of liquid 

 when substituting a cup of sugar for a cup 

 of honey." 



PEA, CELERY, AND NUT SALAD. 



V2 cup chopped nuts mayonnaise dressing 



1 pint can peas % lb. celery, cut small 

 Bring the peas to a boil, drain and cool 



and combine with the nuts and celery. Mix 

 with a little mayonnaise dressing and serve 

 on lettuce leaves, topped with a spoonful of 

 the mayonnaise. Boiled dressing may be 

 used, if preferred. 



MAYONNAISE DRESSING. 



2 egg yolks 4 tablespoons vinegar or 

 IVz cups oil lemon juice 



1 teaspoon salt 



Beat the egg yolks thoroly, add the oil 

 drop by drop, beating constantly. As the 

 mixture thickens, thin with the vinegar, in 

 which the salt has been dissolved. Add oil 

 and vinegar alternately until all is used, 

 beating constantly. If the oil is added too 

 rapidly the mixture will curdle, in which 

 case it is necessary to beat another egg 

 yolk and add the first mixture gradually to 

 it. A regular mayonnaise mixer saves work 

 and time, but it can be done with a Dover 

 egg beater. 



Now that olive oil is so high in price a 

 very good mayonnaise may be made of any 

 mild-flavored cooking oil, using two or 

 three tablespoons of the olive oil for flavor. 

 Have all the ingredients of the same tem- 

 perature, and cold if possible. 



MAYONNAISE FLUFF DRESSING. 



To 1 cupful of the above dressing add % 

 cup of stiffly whipped cream just before 

 serving. 



GRAHAM MUFFINS. 



1 egg 1^/4 cups white flour 



2 cups thick sour milk 2 teaspoons soda 



1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon melted 



1% cups graham flour shortening 



Beat the egg in the mixing bowl, add the 

 sour milk and then sift in the two kinds of 

 flour in which the salt and soda have been 

 sifted. Use only enough of the white flour 

 to make a rather thin batter. Add the 

 shortening last, dip into hot, well oiled 

 muffin or gem irons, and bake in a quick 

 {Continued on page 60.) 



