The choice of food / by Henry Simpson.

  • Simpson, Henry.
Date:
[between 1870 and 1879?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The choice of food / by Henry Simpson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    21/22 (page 99)
    food with them, either as fat, or as starchy food, such as potatoes; and better still, a mixture of the latter. We shall never come to such exactitude as to weigh and measure our food in every-day life; but it is found that about 23 ounces of dry food, properly proportioned, are required daily, and this would amount to 46 ounces of solid food in the ordinary condition as to dryness. Besides this, 50 to 80 ounces of water or other fluid will be taken. The dry solid is divided as follows :— Alimentary substances, in a dry state, required daily, for the support of an ordinary working man, of average height and weight. (Moleschott). In oz. In grains. Albuminous matters 4*587 2,006 Fatty „ 2*964 1,296 Carbo-hydrates i4'25o 6,234 Salts 1*058 462 22-859 9,998 There is a valuable table by Dr. Frankland, of the proportionate \: values of food in relation to work, too long to give in detail, but I from which I will quote a few curious facts, namely, that the same amount of work is obtainable from oat-meal costing 3^d., flour, 3^d., bread, 4^d., and beef fat, S^d,, as from beef costing 3s. 6}^d., and isinglass, ^Ti 2s. o^^d. This shows that the power for work is not due to the lean meat we eat nearly as much as to the fat and starch and sugar. But a fair proportion of food I containing nitrogen is the best, because the muscles and the body generally are better nourished. It is a remarkable fact that man's instinct or intuition has caused him almost universally to mix his food in tolerably correct proportion. In 100 parts of food we generally have about 9 of fat, 22 of flesh-forming matters, and 69 of starch and sugar. I have had to pass Hghtly over many points that should have been dwelt on more at length. Some, as the preparation and cooking of rood, have had to be left untouched altogether. Nor has there been time to go into the detail I wished to do with respect to the econo- , mical arrangement of our food. If, however, you will bear in mind he principles I have sought to lay before you as to the require- •ments of the system, and the properties of the various kinds of food, you will not go very far wrong in your dietary.