THE DIETETIC VALUE OF FRUIT. 91 



of our bodily wants as of our spiritual necessities. "Blessed" 

 because hunger or thirst are indicative of health, and when in 

 health the plainest food tastes good and with it we can be "filled." 

 Nothing gives more genuine pleasure than wholesome food and 

 good water to a hungry and thirsty man. 



Among the many kinds and classes of wholesome foods, few 

 should rank higher in importance and value than the common fruits 

 from orchards and gardens. In satisfying our natural appetite 

 for fruit, fruit that is well matured, juicy and fine flavored, we 

 probably reach the highest form of palate gratification with the 

 least possible digestive effort. 



Our ordinary fruits contain eight distinct substances or com- 

 pounds in greater or less proportion. These are: 



1. A large proportion of water; the usual amount ranging from 

 85 to 90 per cent of the total weight of fresh, well-matured fruit. 



2. Sugar in the form of grape and fruit sugar; the percentage 

 is quite variable ranging from about 1.5 per cent in apricots and 

 peaches, to about 12 per cent in some varieties of grapes and cherries. 

 An average well-grown, fully matured apple contains about 8 per 

 cent of sugar. 



3. Free organic acids; varying somewhat according to the class 

 of fruit, and of several kinds in each class, but altogether forming 

 usually something less than one per cent. 



The predominating acid in the apple and pear is malic; in the 

 grape tartaric; and in the orange and lemon citric. 



4. Fats, oils, and ethers; abundant in some mature fruits, like 

 the olive, occurring in small quantities in others, and in some 

 almost wholly wanting. 



5. Protein or nitrogenous compounds; forming a very small 

 proportion of most fruits, often not more than .2 of one per cent. 



6. Pectose; a substance which gives firmness to fruit, and 

 upon boiling yields various fruit jellies. It often forms from three 

 to five or more per cent of the weight. 



7. Cellulose and starch; the former often called vegetable fiber 

 is the material that forms the cell walls, and is found in all parts 

 of all plants. It is less abundant in fine fruits than in any other 

 part of plants. 



Starch which is found so largelv in the cereals, and in certain 



