essays-1-第26章

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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　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　mo