TIMELY TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1936, Page 6

TIMELY TOPICS

FOOD AND HEALTH. Science is applied to one of its most intimately interesting purposes when it deals with the problems of nutrition, remarks the “Daily Telegraph.” Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, one of the leaders of research in this field, warns us in his presidential address to the Royal Society not to be satisfied with the present state of our national diet. He is not an alarmist. His opinion that under-feeding and ill-feed-ing are having bad effects in Britain is stated with the caution that their extent is difficult to measure. No one is likely to dispute that the far too heavy rate of rejection of army recruits implies a good deal of faulty nutrition. The essential question, said Sir Frederick, is whether food ade-quate-in quantity and quality is within the reach of all. But the answer to that question does not depend only on income. Some of the most valuable foodstuffs, such as milk, green vegetables, fresh fruit and eggs, are certainly more expensive than those which consist chiefly of carbodydrates. It would be to the advantage of the national physique and of British agriculture if a larger proportion of the dearer articles were consumed. There is much to be said for a national and indeed an international policy directed to this end. In the supply of milk to schools we have one line of advance already undertaken. But neither Governments nor science can absolutely control diet. What peo- j pie prefer is not always what is best for them. Sir Frederick complained that the housewives of the poorer classes have still to be taught the art of simple cookery. It is not the poorer classes alone. * * * ♦ Words of Wisdom. When you have done a thing, leave it alone. —Kingsley. * t * * Tale of the Day. Teacher : Johnny, what do you consider the greatest accomplishment of the ancient Romans?” Johnny : “Speaking Latin.”