"Bread and Milk."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8451, 16 May 1906, Page 7

"Bread and Milk."

[TO THE EDITOR.]

Sir,— Everyone is more or less interested in the subject of the notoiious and lamentable increase in the premature decay of our children's teeth in tho past few years, part of which is undoubtedly due to imperfect feed-

May I ask you, in the public interest, to insert the enclosed item from the " British Medical Journal " of March 3rd, 1906, in your valuable and widely read paper, for the instruction of your readers, and with the hope that it will be widely copied and read all over the Colony. .

I have for many years recognised and priA-ately advocated the larger use of whole meal bread. Perhaps a more widely diffused knowledge of its existing importance will lead to a strong public demand for its manu--4fmctm-e ancl supply.—l am, etc., William 11. lloskixu. Masterton, llth May, 1!)06.

During the recent discussions on the causes of physical degeneration one factor has emerged with great prominence, namely, the almost universal tendency in children to early decay of the teeth, with all its disastrous consequences to nutrition and development. It is now practically demonstrated that one of the causes of this decay of the

teeth is the general use of bread made from Hoar which has been prepared by the modern steel roller process instead of ground as of old between an upper and a nether millstone. It is to be feared, however, that comparatively few of the profession at large, and still fewer of the public, understand what is really the difference between the two processes. This difference is clearly explained, and its importance emphasised, in an article entitled "Bread," by MiFrancis Fox, which appeared in " Macmitlan's Magazine" a short time ago. The •writer points out that a grain of wheat consists of the germ, which, of course, is rich in proteids and fats, surrounded by an envelope of starch provided for its nutrition, and enclosed in a cuticle. In the old pro-

cess of milling the grain was ground in its entirety, only the cuticle being removed in form of bran. In this way Hour was pre--wpvred which contained all the three elements of food—proteids, fats, and carbohydrates—in their proper proportions, ancl bread baked from such flour was truly called the " staff of life." When, however, the modern craze for perfectly Avhite Hour ancl bread came in, millers at once set to work to eliminate the germ, which, while it contained two out of the three necessary elements of food, was guilty of colouring the flour yelloAvish or broAvn. To this end the steel-roller process Avas introduced, by Avhich the germ is not crushed but flattened out into a little disc, which is removed from the flour by a process of sieving. The situation may perhaps be appreciated if Aye say that the modern process of milling would be exactly paralled if we Avere to prepare eggs for the table by first removing their yolks. On these grounds the writer of the article makes a strong appeal to the public to assist in creating a demand for the oldfashioned flour known as " households " or " seconds," and he gives some information as to where this can be obtained. At present it is almost unattainable in the provinces, although there are certain proprietary articles Avhich are practically the same

thing. For these, however, a higher price is actually charged to the consumer, although Jfcliinary " seconds " are regarded as an inarticle and are therefore cheappr than the ordinary " best quality" of Hour. In spite of the slip Avhich describes the wheat germ as " rich in proteid or fat," the article is a valuable one, and contains information which should be as widely disseminated as possible. A more recent number of the same magazine contains an article on similar lines concerning milk, and the policy of providing the public Avith simple and accurate instruction on these important topics, is one which certainly merits, and is sure to obtain, the hearty co-operation of the profession.