Am.  .lour.  Pharm.) 
August,  1899.  J 
Artificial  Foods. 
385 
use,  their  composition,  and  the  process  by  which  they  are  con- 
verted from  their  crude  state  into  forms  serviceable  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  life. 
Food  is  that  "  which  is  eaten  for  nourishment."  Man's  food  con- 
sists of  animal,  vegetable  and  mineral  matter,  and  must  supply  a 
sufficient  amount  of  proteids,  carbohydrates,  fats,  mineral  salts  and 
water  to  completely  repair  the  waste  that  is  continually  taking  place 
and  allow  the  organism  to  grow. 
Various  foods  supply  .these  elements  in  different  proportions,  and 
are  useless  or  valuable  according  as  they  contain  more  or  less  of 
the  essentials,  and  any  food  which  possesses  these  five  substances  in 
proper  proportions  is  capable  of  perfectly  sustaining  life, 'for  each 
supplies  the  necessary  material  for  the  development  of  tissues, 
nerves,  glands,  juices,  fat,  bones,  ligaments,  etc.,  and  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  bodily  temperature,  and  the  production  of 
energy. 
The  proteids  or  albumenoids  contain  nitrogen  and  supply  the 
elements  for  the  foundation  and  repair  of  the  tissues,  brain, 
muscles,  nerves,  glands,  blood  corpuscles,  and  the  resisting  power 
against  disease.  Protoplasm,  the  centre  of  cell  life,  is  formed  of 
and  nourished  by  proteids.  They  are  therefore  the  most  important 
elements  in  our  food,  and  are  the  only  ones,  when  used  alone,  that 
are  capable  of  sustaining  life. 
They  may  be  of  animal  or  vegetable  origin,  such  as  egg,  meat, 
milk  and  the  gluten  of  cereals. 
The  fats  and  oils  are  second  in  importance,  as  they  supply  by 
combustion  the  heat  necessary  for  the  body,  and  without  which  the 
activity  of  the  juices,  the  digestive  ferments  and  many  of  the  chem- 
ical reactions  taking  place  in  the  body  would  be  destroyed.  They 
also  are  the  main  source  of  our  energy,  or,  to  use  a  crude  simile,  they 
are  the  oils  burnt  as  fuel  to  keep  the  engine  running.  They  may 
be  of  vegetable  or  animal  origin,  as  lard,  tallow,  butter,  olive  or  cot- 
ton seed  oil. 
The  carbohydrates  are  the  next  in  importance  and  are  employed 
in  the  production  of  fat  chiefly,  although  they  also  assist  the  fats  in 
contributing  to  the  production  of  heat  and  energy. 
They  also  may  be  of  animal  or  vegetable  origin,  although  chiefly 
of  the  latter,  as  cane  sugar,  starch  and  milk  sugar. 
The  salts  supply  the  chemicals  necessary  for  the  formation  of 
