52 ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY 



a good deal of wheat by searching over the wheat fields and 

 picking up the stray stalks left by the reapers; but it would 

 be much simpler to take it from the wheat bins where large 

 quantities are stored. Likewise enough proteid will be obtained 

 if enough vegetable food is eaten; but this would usually in- 

 volve the consumption of too much starch. It is better, 

 therefore, to obtain proteid from the more concentrated foods. 

 Some of the cereals, especially wheat, contain large quantities, 

 as do beans and peas. Animal foods, as a whole, contain 

 large amounts, which are more easily digested and of more 

 value to the body than the proteids of vegetable foods. 



Against the use of meats, on the other hand, several objec- 

 tions are urged. First is the claim that the frequent use of 

 meat involves the eating of too much proteid. This is especially 

 true of those who eat in restaurants and hotels, for with the 

 menu of the restaurant before him almost every one will choose 

 meat. It is believed that on-} of the primary causes of the 

 kidney trouble prevalent among the American people is the 

 excessive amounts of meat which are eaten in a country where 

 that kind of food is comparatively cheap. Further it is urged 

 that by means of animal foods certain injurious parasites 

 such as tapeworms and trichinae are sometimes introduced 

 into the body; all these disastrous effects would be avoided 

 if we refrained from eating meats. 



Whatever one may think of thb matter, vegetarianism is 

 certainly a wholesome reaction against the food habits of 

 certain classes of people who make meat the basis of every 

 meal. There is, however, no good reason why meat should 

 not, in proper proportion, form a limited part of our diet each 

 day. 



INCIDENTAL ARTICLES OF FOOD 



Condiments. The spices pepper, cinnamon, allspice, mus- 

 tard, nutmeg etc. common table salt, the flavorings used in 

 foods, and the flavoring part of syrups used in drinks are all 



