essays-1-第41部分

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view；　appear　very　extraordinary　that　a　portion　weighing　near　twenty　ounces；　and　consequently　making　near　ONE　PINT　AND　A　QUARTER　of　this　rich；　strong；　savoury　soup；　should　be　found　sufficient　to　satisfy　the　hunger　of　a　grown　person；　but　when　the　matter　is　examined　narrowly；　and　properly　analyzed；　and　it　is　found　that　the　whole　quantity　of　SOLID　FOOD　which　enters　into　the　composition　of　one　of　these　portions　of　soup；　does　not　amount　to　quite　SIX　OUNCES；　it　will　then　appear　to　be　almost　impossible　that　this　allowance　should　be　sufficient。

That　it　is　quite　sufficient；　however；　to　make　a　good　meal　for　a　strong　healthy　person；　has　been　abundantly　proved　by　long　experience。　　I　have　even　found　that　a　soup　composed　of　nearly　the　same　ingredients；　except　the　potatoes；　but　in　different　proportions；　was　sufficiently　nutritive；　and　very　palatable；　in　which　only　about　FOUR　OUNCES　AND　THREE　QUARTERS　of　solid　Food　entered　into　the　composition　of　a　portion　weighing　twenty　ounces。

But　this　will　not　appear　incredible　to　those　who　know；　that　one　single　spoonful　of　salope；　weighing　less　than　one　quarter　of　an　ounce；　put　into　a　pint　of　boiling　water；　forms　the　thickest　and　most　nourishing　soup　that　can　be　taken；　and　that　the　quantity　of　solid　matter　which　enters　into　the　composition　of　another　very　nutritive　Food；　hartshorn　jelly；　is　not　much　more　considerable。

The　barley　in　my　soup；　seems　to　act　much　the　same　part　as　the　salope　in　this　famous　restorative；　and　no　substitute　that　I　could　ever　find　for　it；　among　all　the　variety　of　corn　and　pulse　of　the　growth　of　Europe；　ever　produced　half　the　effect；　that　is　to　say；　half　the　nourishment　at　the　same　expence。　　Barley　may　therefore　be　considered　as　the　rice　of　Great　Britain。

It　requires；　it　is　true；　a　great　deal　of　boiling；　but　when　it　is　properly　managed；　it　thickens　a　vast　quantity　of　water；　and；　as　I　suppose；　PREPARES　IT　FOR　DECOMPOSITION。　　It　also　gives　the　soup　into　which　it　enters　as　an　ingredient；　a　degree　of　richness　which　nothing　else　can　give。　　It　has　little　or　no　taste　in　itself；　but　when　mixed　with　other　ingredients　which　are　savoury；　it　renders　them　peculiarly　grateful　to　the　palate＇2＇。

It　is　a　maxim；　as　ancient；　I　believe；　as　the　time　of　Hippocrates；　that　〃whatever　pleases　the　palate　nourishes；〃　and　I　have　often　had　reason　to　think　it　perfectly　just。　　Could　it　be　clearly　ascertained　and　demonstrated；　it　would　tend　to　place　COOKERY　in　a　much　more　respectable　situation　among　the　arts　than　it　now　holds。

That　the　manner　in　which　Food　is　prepared　is　a　matter　of　real　importance；　and　that　the　water　used　in　that　process　acts　a　much　more　important　part　than　has　hitherto　been　generally　imagined；　is；　I　think；　quite　evident；　for；　it　seems　to　me　to　be　impossible；　upon　any　other　suppositions；　to　account　for　the　appearances。　If　the　very　small　quantity　of　solid　Food　which　enters　into　the　composition　of　a　portion　of　some　very　nutritive　soup　were　to　be　prepared　differently；　and　taken　under　some　other　form；　that　of　bread；　for　instance；　so　far　from　being　sufficient　to　satisfy　hunger；　and　afford　a　comfortable　and　nutritive　meal；　a　person　would　absolutely　starve　upon　such　a　slender　allowance；　and　no　great　relief　would　be　derived　from　drinking　CRUDE　water　to　fill　up　the　void　in　the　stomach。

But　it　is　not　merely　from　an　observation　of　the　apparent　effects　of　cookery　upon　those　articles　which　are　used　as　Food　for　man；　that　we　are　led　to　discover　the　importance　of　these　culinary　processes。　Their　utility　is　proved　in　a　manner　equally　conclusive　and　satisfactory；　by　the　efforts　which　have　been　produced　by　employing　the　same　process　in　preparing　Food　for　brute　animals。

It　is　well　known；　that　boiling　the　potatoes　with　which　hogs　are　fed；　renders　them　much　more　nutritive；　and　since　the　introduction　of　the　new　system　of　feeding　horned　cattle；　that　of　keeping　them　confined　in　the　stables　all　the　year　round；　（a　method　which　is　now　coming　fast　into　common　use　in　many　parts　of　Germany；）　great　improvements　have　been　made　in　the　art　of　providing　nourishment　for　those　animals；　and　particularly　by　preparing　their　Food；　by　operations　similar　to　those　of　cookery；　and　to　these　improvements　it　is　most　probably　owing；　that　stall　feeding　has；　in　that　country；　been　so　universally　successful。

It　has　long　been　a　practice　in　Germany　for　those　who　fatten　bullocks　for　the　butcher；　or　feed　milch…cows；　to　give　them　frequently　what　is　called　a　drank　or　drink；　which　is　a　kind　of　pottage；　prepared　differently　in　different　parts　of　the　country；　and　in　the　different　seasons；　according　to　the　greater　facility　with　which　one　or　other　of　the　articles　occasionally　employed　in　the　composition　of　it　may　be　procured；　and　according　to　the　particular　fancies　of　individuals。　　Many　feeders　make　a　great　secret　of　the　composition　of　their　drinks；　and　some　have；　to　my　knowledge；　carried　their　refinement　so　far　as　actually　to　mix　brandy　in　them；　in　small　quantities；　and　pretend　to　have　found　their　advantage　in　adding　this　costly　ingredient。

The　articles　most　commonly　used　are；　bran；　oatmeal；　brewers　grains；　mashed　potatoes；　mashed　turnips；　rye　meal；　and　barley　meal；　with　a　large　proportion　of　water；　sometimes　two　or　three　or　more　of　these　articles　are　united　in　forming　a　drink；　and　of　whatever　ingredients　the　drink　is　composed；　a　large　proportion　of　salt　is　always　added　to　it。

There　is；　perhaps；　nothing　new　in　this　method　of　feeding　cattle　with　liquid　mixtures；　but　the　manner　in　which　these　drinks　are　now　prepared　in　Germany　is；　I　believe；　quite　new；　and　shows　what　I　wish　to　prove；　that　COOKING　RENDERS　FOOD　REALLY　MORE　NUTRITIVE。

These　drinks　were　formerly　given　cold；　but　it　was　afterwards　discovered　that　they　were　more　nourishing　when　given　warm；　and　of　late　their　preparation　is；　in　many　places；　become　a　very　regular　culinary　process。　　Kitchens　have　been　built；　and　large　boilers　provided　and　fitted　up；　merely　for　cooking　for　the　cattle　in　the　stables；　and　I　have　been　assured　by　many　very　intelligent　farmers；　who　have　adopted　this　new　mode　of　feeding；　（and　have　also　found　by　my　own　experience；）　that　it　is　very　advantageous　indeed；　that　the　drinks　are　evidently　rendered　much　more　nourishing　and　wholesome　by　being　boiled；　and　that　the　expence　of　fuel；　and　the　trouble　attending　this　process；　are　amply　compensated　by　the　advantages　derived　from　the　improvement　of　the　Food。　　We　even　find　it　advantageous　to　continue　the　boiling　a　considerable　time；　two　or　three　hours；　for　instance；　as　the　Food　goes　on　to　be　still　farther　improved；　the　longer　the　boiling　is　continued＇3＇。

These　facts　seem　evidently　to　show；　that　there　is　some　very　important　secret　with　regard　to　nutrition；　which　has　not　been　yet　properly　investigated；　and　it　seems　to　me　to　be　more　probable；　that　the　numbers　of　inhabitants　who　may　be　supported　in　any　country；　upon　its　internal　produce；　depends　almost　as　much　upon　the　state　of　THE　ART　OF　COOKERY；　as　upon　that　of　agriculture。　The　Chinese；　perhaps；　understand　both　these　arts　better　than　any　other　nation。Savages　understand　neither　of　them。

But；　if　cookery　be　of　so　much　importance；　it　certainly　deserves　to　be　studied　with　the　greatest　care；　and　it　ought　particularly　to　be　attended　to　in　times　of　general　alarm　on　account　o