Volume 2

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    136/600 (page 124)
    roasting and broiling are no doubt the most savoury, but are only suited for the finer pieces of meat. Steaming is a most economical method, and should be much more used than it is. It requires very little fire; there is no waste of any of the materials cooked, and none of the liquid cooked can pass off in steam, as in baking and boiling. Stewing, as we have already mentioned, is the best and most economical method of cooking tough and gristly pieces of meat. Bones are useful for making soup with. We have heard of one careful woman who boiled twopence worth of bones whole one day for soup; the next day she split them and boiled them again for more soup, and the third day she just gave them a boil again to make sure that nothing was left in them. To keep our bodies healthy and strong we must have variety of food. Dr Eussell, in his lecture on ^^Food and Drink,''^ ex- plained to you fully what the different classes of food are, and the work each class has to do. It is therefore not necessary here to enter into those particulars again; it is enough for our present purpose to press upon you the great importance to health of variety in food, and of variety in the methods of cooking it. Good food is not necessarily expensive food. A great authority on food and diet—Dr Parkes t—writes : A labouring man by ringing the changes on oatmeal, maize, peas and beans, rice and macaroni (which is made from corn), to which may be added cheese and bacon occasionally, may bring up his children as well nourished as those of the richest people, and at a small cost. Oatmeal, the most nutritious of the cereal grains, and formerly the staple food of our finest men . . . Indian corn . . . peas and beans, and rice are far less used by our poorer classes than should be the case.'' One word in conclusion: the woman who does her market- ing and cooking ignorantly and badly, as surely promotes indigestion, ill-temper, and dram-drinking, as the thoughtful and efficient cook undoubtedly promotes good health, good temper, and sobriety. C. E. G. W. *^'*Food and Drink, by Dr J, A. Russell.—Health Lectures, 1st Series. + The Personal Care of Health, by E. A. Parkes, M.D., F.R.S. Pub- lished by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, price Is.