State board of Health, 
323 
Scotland almost invariably produce derangements of digestion in 
persons not used to them. It has been also remarked that acidity 
of the stomach, and what is called “ water-brash,” is more common 
among the lower classes in Scotland than any other part of the world. 
Barley is not an important article of diet. It is sometimes dried 
by a peculiar process and sold in the markets as an aliment, under 
the name of “ pearled barley.” It is not very nutritious, but used 
therapeutically, affords an agreeable demulcent drink called barley 
water. It is also sometimes made into puddings, and used at meals 
as a dessert. 
Rice is noted among the cereals for containing a very large pro¬ 
portion of starch, reaching nearly to ninety per cent. Millions of 
people in Eastern countries are said to subsist almost solely upon 
it. Where it constitutes so large a proportion of the daily food, it 
is consumed in enormous quantities. Its influence upon the people 
who are dependent solely upon it for food is remarkable, for they 
lack the robust, healthy, physical development common to nations 
who use a mixed diet. In civilized countries, it is not a very im¬ 
portant article of diet. 
We come now to the further consideration of that most import¬ 
ant of all articles of food, either animal or vegetable, appropriately 
denominated the “ staff of life,” because it presents such an admir¬ 
able combination of all alimentary principles as causes it to be ac¬ 
cepted as the prime article of diet in all civilized countries. It 
rarely becomes distasteful from monotony if properly mixed with 
other kinds of food, and this alone demonstrates how completely it 
meets the demands of the human system. There are few questions 
connected with alimentation of greater importance than the making 
of good wheat bread. In bread-making we may safely adopt the 
French method which is said to furnish the best bread in the world. 
Most assuredly the first step toward making good bread is, to have 
good flour. The best flour is said to be obtained from the hard 
grains, and in the production of this class of cereals, this country is 
not surpassed. The first step in bread-making is to mix one hund¬ 
red parts of flour with fifty to sixty, by weight, of water, and add 
to every ten pounds of the mixture half an ounce of fresh yeast, 
with a little salt; some bakers add a little potato or alum, but, al¬ 
though not injurious, these latter substances must be regarded as 
adulterations. The mass is then kneeded until it forms a homogen- 
