essays-1-第42部分

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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　of　a　scarcity　of　provisions；　for　the　relief　which　may　in　such　cases　be　derived　from　it；　is　immediate　and　effectual；　while　all　other　resources　are　distant　and　uncertain。

I　am　aware　of　the　difficulties　which　always　attend　the　introduction　of　measures　calculated　to　produce　and　remarkable　change　in　the　customs　and　habits　of　mankind；　and　there　is　perhaps　no　change　more　difficult　to　effect；　than　that　which　would　be　necessary　in　order　to　make　any　considerable　saving　in　the　consumption　of　those　articles　commonly　used　as　Food；　but　still；　I　am　of　opinion；　that　such　a　change　might；　with　proper　management；　be　brought　about。

There　was　a　time；　no　doubt；　when　an　aversion　to　potatoes　was　as　general；　and　as　strong；　in　Great　Britain；　and　even　in　Ireland；　as　it　is　now　in　some　parts　of　Bavaria；　but　this　prejudice　has　been　got　over；　and　I　am　persuaded；　that　any　national　prejudice；　however　deeply　rooted；　may　be　overcome；　provided　proper　means　be　used　for　that　purpose；　and　time　allowed　for　their　operation。

But　notwithstanding　the　difficulty　of　introducing　a　general　use　of　soups　throughout　the　country；　or　of　any　other　kind　of　Food；　however　palatable；　cheap；　and　nourishing；　to　which　people　have　not　been　accustomed；　yet　these　improvements　might　certainly　be　made；　with　great　facility；　in　all　public　hospitals　and　work…houses；　where　the　Poor　are　fed　at　the　public　expense；　and　the　saving　of　provisions；　（not　to　mention　the　diminution　of　expence；）　which　might　be　derived　from　this　improvement；　would　be　very　important　at　all　times；　and　more　especially　in　times　of　general　scarcity。

Another　measure；　still　more　important；　and　which　might；　I　am　persuaded；　be　easily　carried　into　execution；　is　the　establishment　of　public　kitchens　in　all　towns；　and　large　villages；　throughout　the　kingdom；　whence；　not　only　the　Poor　might　be　fed　gratis；　but　also　all　the　industrious　inhabitants　of　the　neighbourhood　might　be　furnished　with　Food　at　so　cheap　a　rate；　as　to　be　a　very　great　relief　to　them　at　all　times；　and　in　times　of　general　scarcity；　this　arrangement　would　alone　be　sufficient　to　prevent　those　public　and　private　calamities；　which　never　fail　to　accompany　that　most　dreadful　of　all　visitations；　a　famine。

The　saving　of　Food　that　would　result　from　feeding　a　large　proportion　of　the　inhabitants　of　any　country　from　public　kitchens；　would　be　immense；　and　that　saving　would　tend；　immediately；　and　most　powerfully；　to　render　provisions　more　plentiful　and　cheap；diminish　the　general　alarm　on　account　of　the　danger　of　a　scarcity；　and　prevent　the　hoarding　up　of　provisions　by　individuals；　which　is　often　alone　sufficient；　without　any　thing　else；　to　bring　on　a　famine；　even　where　there　is　no　real　scarcity：　for　it　is　not　merely　the　FEARS　of　individuals　which　operate　in　these　cases；　and　induce　them　to　lay　in　a　larger　store　of　provisions　than　they　otherwise　would　do；　and　which　naturally　increases　the　scarcity　of　provisions　in　the　market；　and　raises　their　prices；　but　there　are　persons　who　are　so　lost　to　all　the　feelings　of　humanity；　as　often　to　speculate　upon　the　distress　of　the　Public；　and　all　THEIR　operations　effectually　tend　to　increase　the　scarcity　in　the　markets；　and　augment　the　general　alarm。

But　without　enlarging　farther　in　this　place　upon　these　public　kitchens；　and　the　numerous　and　important　advantages　which　may　in　all　countries　be　derived　from　them；　I　shall　return　to　the　interesting　subjects　which　I　have　undertaken　to　investigate；　the　science　of　nutrition；　and　the　art　of　providing　wholesome　and　palatable　Food　at　a　small　expence。


CHAPTER。　II。

　Of　the　Pleasure　of　Eating；　and　of　the　Means　that　may　be　　　　employed　for　increasing　it。

What　has　already　been　said　upon　this　subject　will；　I　flatter　myself；　be　thought　sufficient　to　show　that；　FOR　ALL　THE　PURPOSES　OF　NOURISHMENT；　a　much　smaller　quantity　of　solid　Food　will　suffice　than　has　hitherto　been　thought　necessary；　but　there　is　another　circumstance　to　be　taken　into　the　account；　and　that　is；　the　PLEASURE　OF　EATING；an　enjoyment　of　which　no　person　will　consent　to　be　deprived。

The　pleasure　enjoyed　in　eating　depends　first　upon　the　agreeableness　of　the　taste　of　the　Food；　and　secondly；　upon　its　power　to　affect　the　palate。　Now　there　are　many　substances　extremely　cheap；　by　which　very　agreeable　tastes　may　be　given　to　Food；　particularly　when　the　basis　or　nutritive　substance　of　the　Food　is　tasteless；　and　the　effect　of　any　kind　of　palatable　solid　Food；　（of　meat；　for　instance；）　upon　the　organs　of　taste；　may　be　increased；　almost　indefinitely；　by　reducing　the　size　of　the　particles　of　such　Food；　and　causing　it　to　act　upon　the　palate　by　a　larger　surface。　　And　if　means　be　used　to　prevent　its　being　swallowed　too　soon；　which　may　be　easily　done　by　mixing　with　it　some　hard　and　tasteless　substance；　such　as　crumbs　of　bread　rendered　hard　by　toasting；　or　any　thing　else　of　that　kind；　by　which　a　long　mastrication　is　rendered　necessary；　the　enjoyment　of　eating　may　be　greatly　increased　and　prolonged。

The　idea　of　occupying　a　person　a　great　while；　and　affording　him　much　pleasure　at　the　same　time；　in　eating　a　small　quantity　of　Food；　may；　perhaps；　appear　ridiculous　to　some；　but　those　who　consider　the　matter　attentively；　will　perceive　that　it　is　very　important。　　It　is；　perhaps；　as　much　so　as　any　thing　that　can　employ　the　attention　of　the　philosopher。

The　enjoyments　which　fall　to　the　lot　of　the　bulk　of　mankind　are　not　so　numerous　as　to　render　an　attempt　to　increase　them　superfluous。　And　even　in　regard　to　those　who　have　it　in　their　power　to　gratify　their　appetites　to　the　utmost　extent　of　their　wishes；　it　is　surely　rendering　them　a　very　importance　service　to　show　them　how　they　may　increase　their　pleasures　without　destroying　their　health。

If　a　glutton　can　be　made　to　gormandize　two　hours　upon　two　ounces　of　meat；　it　is　certainly　much　better　for　him；　than　to　give　himself　an　indigestion　by　eating　two　pounds　in　the　same　time。

I　was　led　to　meditate　upon　this　subject　by　mere　accident。　　I　had　long　been　at　a　loss　to　understand　how　the　Bavarian　soldiers；　who　are　uncommonly　stout；　strong；　and　healthy　men；　and　who；　in　common　with　all　other　Germans；　are　remarkably　fond　of　eating；　could　contrive　to　live　upon　the　very　small　sums　they　expended　for　Food；　but　a　more　careful　examination　of　the　economy　of　their　tables　cleared　up　the　point；　and　let　me　into　a　secret　which　awakened　all　my　curiosity。　　These　soldiers；　instead　of　being　starved　upon　their　scanty　allowance；　as　might　have　been　suspected；　I　found　actually　living　in　a　most　comfortable　and　even　luxurious　manner。　　I　found　that　they　had　contrived　not　only　to　render　their　Food　savoury　and　nourishing；　but；　what　appeared　to　me　still　more　extraordinary；　had　found　the　means　of　increasing　its　action　upon　the　organs　of　taste　so　as　actually　to　augment；　and　even　prolong　to　a　most　surprising　degree；　the　enjoyment　of　eating。

This　accidental　discovery　made　a　deep　impression　upon　my　mind；　and　gave　a　new　turn　to　all　my　ideas　on　the　subject　of　Food。　It　opened　to　me　a　new　and　very　interesting　field　for　investigation　and　experimenting　inquiry；　of　w