essays-1-第40部分

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olid　food　necessary；　　　　when　properly　prepared；　for　all　the　purposes　of　nutrition。　　Great　importance　of　the　art　of　cookery。　　Barley　remarkably　nutritive　when　properly　prepared。　　The　importance　of　culinary　processes　for　preparing　food　shown　　　　from　the　known　utility　of　a　practice　common　in　some　parts　of　　　　Germany　of　cooking　for　cattle。　　Difficulty　of　introducing　a　charge　of　cookery　into　common　use。　　Means　that　may　be　employed　for　that　purpose。

There　is；　perhaps；　no　operation　of　Nature；　which　falls　under　the　cognizance　of　our　senses；　more　surprising；　or　more　curious；　than　the　nourishment　and　growth　of　plants；　and　animals；　and　there　is　certainly　no　subject　of　investigation　more　interesting　to　mankind。As　providing　subsistence　is；　and　ever　must　be；　an　object　of　the　first　concern　in　all　countries；　any　discovery　or　improvement　by　which　the　procuring　of　good　and　wholesome　food　can　be　facilitated；　must　contribute　very　powerfully　to　increase　the　comforts；　and　promote　the　happiness　of　society。

That　our　knowledge　in　regard　to　the　science　of　nutrition　is　still　very　imperfect；　is　certain；　but；　I　think　there　is　reason　to　believe；　that　we　are　upon　the　eve　of　some　very　important　discoveries　relative　to　that　mysterious　operation。

Since　it　has　been　known　that　Water　is　not　a　simple　element；　but　a　COMPOUND；　and　capable　of　being　decomposed；　much　light　has　been　thrown　upon　many　operations　of　nature　which　formerly　were　wrapped　up　in　obscurity。　　In　vegetation；　for　instance；　it　has　been　rendered　extremely　probable；　that　water　acts　a　much　more　important　part　than　was　formerly　assigned　to　it　by　philosophers。　That　it　serves　not　merely　as　the　VEHICLE　of　nourishment；　but　constitutes　at　least　one　part；　and　probably　an　essential　part；　of　the　FOOD　of　plants。That　it　is　decomposed　by　them；　and　contributes　MATERIALLY　to　their　growth；and　that　manures　serve　rather　to　prepare　the　water　for　decomposition；　than　to　form　of　themselvessubstantially；　and　directlythe　nourishment　of　the　vegetables。

Now；　a　very　clear　analogy　may　be　traced；　between　the　vegetation　and　growth　of　plants；　and　the　digestion　and　nourishment　of　animals；　and　as　water　is　indispensably　necessary　in　both　processes；　and　as　in　one　of　them；　（vegetation；）　it　appears　evidently　to　serve　as　FOOD；why　should　we　not　suppose　it　may　serve　as　food　in　the　other？There　is；　in　my　opinion；　abundant　reason　to　suspect　that　this　is　really　the　case；　and　I　shall　now　briefly　state　the　grounds　upon　which　this　opinion　is　founded。　Having　been　engaged　for　a　considerable　length　of　time　in　providing　Food　for　the　Poor　at　Munich；　I　was　naturally　led；　as　well　by　curiosity　as　motives　of　economy；　to　make　a　great　variety　of　experiments　upon　that　subject；　and　I　had　not　proceeded　far　in　my　operations；　before　I　began　to　perceive　that　they　were　very　important；even　much　more　so　than　I　had　imagined。

The　difference　in　the　apparent　goodness；　of　the　palatableness；　and　apparent　nutritiousness　of　the　same　kinds　of　Food；　when　prepared　of　cooked　in　different　ways；　struck　me　very　forcibly；　and　I　constantly　found　that　the　richness　or　QUALITY　of　a　soup　depended　more　upon　a　proper　choice　of　the　ingredients；　and　a　proper　management　of　the　fire　in　the　combination　of　those　ingredients；　than　upon　the　quantity　of　solid　nutritious　matter　employed；much　more　upon　the　art　and　skill　of　the　cook；　than　upon　the　amount　of　the　sums　laid　out　in　the　market。

I　found　likewise；　that　the　nutritious　of　a　soup；　or　its　power　of　satisfying　hunger；　and　affording　nourishment；　appeared　always　to　be　in　proportion　to　its　apparent　richness　or　palatableness。

But　what　surprised　me　not　a　little；　was　the　discovery　of　the　very　small　quantity　of　SOLID　FOOD；　which；　when　properly　prepared；　will　suffice　to　satisfy　hunger；　and　support　life　and　health；　and　the　very　trifling　expence　at　which　the　stoutest；　and　most　laborious　man　may；　in　any　country；　be　fed。

After　an　experiment　of　more　than　five　years　in　feeding　the　Poor　at　Munich　during　which　time　every　experiment　was　made　that　could　be　devised；　not　only　with　regard　to　the　choice　of　the　articles　used　as　Food；　but　also　in　respect　to　their　different　combinations　and　proportions；　and　to　the　various　ways　in　which　they　could　be　prepared　or　cooked；　it　was　found　that　the　CHEAPEST；　most　SAVOURY；　and　most　NOURISHING　Food　that　could　be　provided；　was　a　soup　composed　of　PEARL　BARLEY；　PEASE；　POTATOES；　CUTTINGS　OF　FINE　WHEATEN　BREAD；　vinegarsalt　and　water　in　certain　proportions。

The　method　of　preparing　this　soup　is　as　follows；　　The　water　and　the　pearl　barley　are　first　put　together　into　the　boiler　and　made　to　boil；　the　pease　are　then　added；　and　the　boiling　is　continued　over　a　gentle　fire　about　two　hours；the　potatoes　are　then　added；　（having　been　previously　peeled　with　a　knife；　or　having　been　boiled；　in　order　to　their　being　more　easily　deprived　of　their　skins；）　and　the　boiling　is　continued　for　about　one　hour　more；　during　which　time　the　contents　of　the　boiler　are　frequently　stirred　about　with　a　large　wooden　spoon；　or　ladle；　in　order　to　destroy　the　texture　of　the　potatoes；　and　to　reduce　the　soup　to　one　uniform　mass。When　this　is　done；　the　vinegar　and　the　salt　are　added；　and　last　of　all；　at　the　moment　it　is　to　be　served　up；　the　cuttings　of　bread。

The　soup　should　never　be　suffered　to　boil；　or　even　to　stand　long　before　it　is　served　up　after　the　cuttings　of　bread　are　put　into　it。　It　will；　indeed；　for　reasons　which　will　hereafter　be　explained；　be　best　never　to　put　the　cuttings　of　bread　into　the　boiler　at　all；　but；　（as　is　always　done　at　Munich；）　to　put　them　into　the　tubs　in　which　the　soup　is　carried　from　the　kitchen　into　the　dining…hall；　pouring　the　soup　hot　from　the　boiler　upon　them；　and　stirring　the　whole　well　together　with　the　iron　ladles　used　for　measuring　out　the　soup　to　the　Poor　in　the　hall。

It　is　of　more　importance　than　can　well　be　imagined；　that　this　bread　which　is　mixed　with　the　soup　should　not　be　boiled。　It　is　likewise　of　use　that　it　should　be　cut　as　fine　or　thin　as　possible；　and　if　it　be　dry　and　hard；　it　will　be　so　much　the　better。

The　bread　we　use　at　Munich　is　what　is　called　semel　bread；　being　small　loaves；　weighing　from　two　to　three　ounces；　and　as　we　receive　this　bread　in　donations　from　the　bakers；　it　is　commonly　dry　and　hard；　being　that　which；　not　being　sold　in　time；　remains　on　hand；　and　becomes　stale　and　unsaleable；　and　we　have　found　by　experience；　that　this　hard　and　stale　bread　answers　for　our　purpose　much　better　than　any　other；　for　it　renders　mastication　necessary；　and　mastication　seems　very　powerfully　to　assist　in　promoting　digestion：　it　likewise　PROLONGS　THE　DURATION　OF　THE　ENJOYMENT　OF　EATING；　a　matter　of　very　great　importance　indeed；　and　which　has　not　hitherto　been　sufficiently　attended　to。

The　quantity　of　this　soup　furnished　to　each　person；　at　each　meal；　or　one　portion　of　it；　（the　cuttings　of　bread　included；）　is　just　ONE　BAVARIAN　POUND　in　weight；　and　as　the　Bavarian　pound　is　to　the　pound　Avoirdupois　as　1；123842　to　1；　it　is　equal　to　about　nineteen　ounces　and　nine…tenths　Avoirdupois。　　Now；　to　those　who　know　that　a　full　pint　of　soup　weighs　no　more　than　about　sixteen　ounces　Avoirdupois；　it　will　not；　perhaps；　at　the　first　view；　appear　very　extraordinary　that　a　portion　weighing　near　twenty　ounces；　and　consequently　making