46 SCIENCE IN SHORT CHATTERS. 



But this was not all. He found Munich in a most deplor- 

 able condition as regards mendicity ; and took in hand the 

 gigantic task of feeding, clothing, and employing the over- 

 whelming horde of paupers, doing this so effectually that he 

 made his " House of Industry" a true workhouse ; it paid all 

 its own expenses, and at the end of six years left a net profit 

 of 100,000 florins. 



I mention these facts in confirmation of what I said above 

 concerning his practical character. Economical cookery was 

 at the root of his success in this maintenance of a workhouse 

 without any poor-rates. 



After doing all this he came to England, visited many of our 

 public institutions, reconstructed their fireplaces, and then 

 cooked dinners in presence of distinguished witnesses, in 

 order to show how lithe need be expended on fuel, when it is 

 properly used. 



At the Foundling Institution in London he roasted 112 Ibs. 

 of beef with 22 Ibs. of coal, or at a cost of less than threepence. 

 The following copy of certificate, signed by the Councillor of 

 War, etc., shows what he did at Munich : " We whose 

 names are underwritten certify that we have been present fre- 

 quently when experiments have been made to determine the 

 expense of fuel in cooking for the poor in the public kitchen of 

 the military workhouse at Munich, and that when the ordinary 

 dinner has been prepared for 1000 persons, the expense for 

 fuel has not amounted to quite 12 kreutzers. " Twelve kreut- 

 zers is about 4%d. of our money. Thus, only -^ of a far- 

 thing was expended on cooking each person's dinner, although 

 the peas which formed the substantial part of the soup required 

 five hours' boiling. The whole average daily fuel expenses of 

 the kitchen of the establishment amounted to ^ of a far- 

 thing for each person, using wood, which is much dearer than 

 coal. At this rate, one ton of wood should do the cooking for 

 ten persons during two years and six days, or one ton of coal 

 would supply the kitchen of such a family three and a half 

 years. 



The following is an abstract of the general principles which 

 he expounds for the guidance of all concerned in the construc- 

 tion of cooking-stoves. 



1. All cooking fires should-be inclosed. 



2. Air only to be admitted from below and under complete 

 control. All air beyond what is required for the supply of 

 oxygen " is a thief." 



