FOODS 61 



loss of digestive power, and other disorders well known to physicians. 

 Coffee differs from tea in being rich in aromatic matters ; tea contains 

 a bitter principle, tannin. To avoid the injurious solution of too 

 much tannin, tea should only be allowed to infuse (draw) for a few 

 minutes. Cocoa is not only a stimulant, but a food as well : it con- 

 tains about 50 per cent, of fat and 12 per cent, of protein. In cocoa, 

 as manufactured for the market, the amount of fat is reduced to 

 30 per cent., and the amount of protein rises proportionally to about 

 20 per cent. 



Green vegetables are taken as a palatable adjunct to other foods 

 rather than for their nutritive properties. Their potassium salts are, 

 however, abundant. Cabbage, turnips, and asparagus contain 80 to 

 92 water, 1 to 2 protein, 2 to 4 carbohydrates, and 1 to 1*5 cellulose 

 per cent. The small amount of nutriment in most green foods 

 accounts for the large meals made by and the vast capacity of the 

 alimentary canal of herbivorous animals. 



