THE SUPPLY OF PURE MILK 293 



namely, the hydro-carbons — fat, bqtter, and oil — and the 

 carbo-hydrates — sugar and starch — foods which serve as 

 mere fuel or heat-and-force givers. The late proprietor 

 of " Truth," Mr. Henry Labouchere, once said to me that 

 the doctors ought to provide us with a sausage containing 

 in their simplest form the necessary proportions of proteid 

 and of heat-giver (fat and sugar), and that we should 

 abandon all "sit-down " meals, pulling the necessary sausage 

 out of our pockets without any fuss or interruption to 

 our occupation, and eating a couple of inches or so, three 

 or four times a day ! Experimental feeding of animals 

 (in menageries, etc.), and even of men (in prison, on the 

 march, and on ships), has sometimes taken very nearly 

 as simple a form as this. 



But we now know (and many, indeed, have recog- 

 nized it for many years) that the nutrition of the animal 

 body, and especially of man's body, is not so simple a 

 matter as this method would suppose. It is necessary 

 not merely to supply the proteids, fats, starches, and 

 sugars, in correct weight and bulk, but also certain 

 qualities and substances in food, much more subtle and 

 difficult to estimate precisely, which are required in 

 order to maintain health. There are elaborate chemical 

 compounds present in really " fresh " meats and vegetables 

 which seem to be absolutely necessary in order to keep 

 man (and some of the higher animals) in health, and 

 not only that, but it is ascertained that without them 

 he cannot be properly nourished, but dies ! These 

 subtle, highly complex bodies seem to be present in 

 very small quantities in good fresh food, and yet are 

 absolutely necessary though so minute in amount. The 

 failure of a diet consisting exclusively of tinned meats 

 and preserved foods is due as much to this as to the 

 nausea set up by it — of which I have written on a 



