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8/12/2019 Treatise on Bread

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CONTENTS.

HISTORY OF BREAD.

Primitive food of man. Bruising and grinding grain. Baing. Invention of !eavened

"read. Bread among t#e $rees and Romans%among t#e He"re&s. Sim'!i(it) of t#e "read

no& used in man) (ountries. . . *%+,

-A S OF DIET.

Reasons ) food in its natura! state &ou!d "e t#e "est. Con(entrated nutriment.

Interesting e/'eriments on anima!s. 0i/tures of food. -eavened and un!eavened "read.

1ua!ifi(ations of t#e "est "read +2%34

0ATERIA- OF BREAD.

#eat. E/tent of (!imate favora"!e to It. In5ured ") im'ro'er ti!!age. Remova!

of im'urities. as#ing of grain. Se'aration of t#e "ran from t#e nutrient 'arti(!es

im'ro'er. An(ient Roman "read. Pu"!i( "aers. 6se of "ad f!oor. Adu!terations.

Poisonous agents used to disguise t#em 3+%74


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I8 CONTENTS.

PROPERTIES OF BREAD.

Su'erfine f!our in5urious%a 'ro"a"!e (ause of some ... (ommon disorders.

O"5e(tions to (oarse "read. Its medi(a! 'ro'erties. E/tensive e/'eriments of its use9 : ")

so!diers and ot#ers. 6se among Euro'ean 'easant%

r). Se!e(tion9 'reservation and grinding of eat. 7+%2;

FER0ENTATION.

C#emi(a! (om'osition of f!our. Yeast%modes of 're% 'aring it. Su"stitutes for it.

Fermentation< and its 'rodu(ts. 8inous9 a(etous and 'utrefa(tive fermen%

tation. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23%=,

PREPARATION OF BREAD.

I!>fi/ing. .0u(# neading ne(essar). Rising9 or fermen%

tation. 6se of a!a!ies%sa!eratus and soda. Baing.

Ovens. A!(o#o! in "read. Preservation of "read. =2%+4;

HO SHO6-D 0A?E BREAD. .. 0aing "read ") ru!e. Baers.

Domesti(s. Sour

"read. An ane(dote. 0rs. 8an in!e. Bad "read need not "e made. maing a

drudger).Ho& (ae is made. Bread% E/(e!!ent e/am'!e of a mot#er Eating "ad "read .

Im'ortan(e of #aving good "read . . . . . . +43%+;,

8 ARIETIES OF BREAD.

R)e "read. Indian mea! "read. 6se of sour mi! or "uttermi!. A(ids. Fami!)

grinding +;2%+3+


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PREFACE.

THERE are probably few people in civil-.ized life, who-were the qe!tion pt to the" directly-wold .not !ay, that they

con!iderbread one of the "o!t, - if not the "o!t i"portant article of diet which enter!

into the food of "an. And yet there i!, in reality, al"o!t a total and niver!al

carele!!ne!! abot the character

.of bread. Tho!and! in civic life will, for year!, and perhap! a! lon# a! they

live, eat the "o!t "i!erable tra!h that can be i"a#ined, in the for" of bread, and never

!ee" to thin$ that they can po!!ibly have anythin# better, nor even that it i! an evil toeat !ch vile !tff a! they do.


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%& PREFACE.

And if there l' occa!ionally an individal who i! trobled with !o"e conviction! that

hi! bread i! not qite what it !hold be, he $now! not how to re"edy the diffi- clty( for it

i! a !erio! trth, that, altho#h nearly every h"an bein# in

civilized life eat! bread of !o"e) $ind or

other, yet !carcely anyone ha! !fficient ) $nowled#e of the tre principle! and

proce!!e! concerned in bread-"a$in#, and of

the actal ca!e! of the bad qalitie! of bread, to $now how, with any de#ree of

certainty, to avoid bad and !ecre #ood bread.

& have tho#ht, therefore, that & cold hardl y do !ociety a better !ervice, than to

pbli!h the followin# treati!e on a !b*ect which, whether people are aware of it or not, i!, in

reality, of very #reat i"portance to the health arid co"fort of everyone.

It ha! been prepared for the pre!! with "ore ha!te, nder "ore e"barra!!"ent!


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PREFACE. vii

fro" other en#a#e"ent!, and with le!! !everity of revi!ion, than & cold wi!h. +et,

whatever "ay be it! defect! of arran#e- "ent, "ethod or !tyle, & have ta$en care to ha ve

the principle! correct, and the in!trction! !ch a!, if attended to, will enable everyone

who i! heartily devoted to the ob*ect, to "a$e #ood bread.

& "!t, however, ac$nowled#e, that &

have very little epectation that proper attention will be paid to thi! !b*ect, !o

lon# a! the dietetic habit! f !ociety contine to be what they are. hile the vario!

preparation! of ani"al food con- !titte !o i"portant a portion of h"an ali"nt, the

qality of bread will be #reatly di!re#arded. and ne#lected, and people will contine

al"o!t niver!ally to be cr!ed with poor bread.

/everthele!!, & tr!t !o"e #ood will be, done by the little wor$ & now !end ot(

and & a" not withot hope, that it will be


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I

%lll PREFACE.

the "ean! of a con!iderable i"prove"ent in the qality of bread, and, a! a natral and

nece!!ary con!eqence, an i"prove- "ent in the h)ealth and happine!! of tho!e who con!"e it.

That it "ay prove th! beneficial to "y fellow creatre! in a hi#h de#ree, i! "yhearty and fervent de!ire.

!. 0RAHA1.

/2RTHAl%&PT2/, APR&3 45, 4678.


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TREATISE ON BREAD.

H&'T2R+ 2F 9REA:.

Pri"itive food of "an. 9ri!in# and #rindin# #rain. 9a$in#. &nvention of leavened bread. 9read a"on# the

0ree$! and Ro"an!-a"on# the Hebrew!. 'i"plicity of tbe bread now !ed in "any contrie!.

&/ the En#li!h ver!ion of the !acred !criptre!, the ter" 9read i! freqently !ed to

!i#nify ve#etable food in #eneral. Th! in 0en. iii, 4;, the 3ord) !ay! to Ada"-< &n the

!weat of thy face !halt tho eat bread =or food> till tho retrn to the #rond.< 'ee al!o

0en. viii, ?, and viii, 5@, and E. ii, 5@.

The "o!t etended !en!e of the word, however, accordin# to #eneral !a#e, co"- prehend!

all farinaceo! ve#etable !b- !tance! which enter into the diet of "an(

2


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10 BREAD AND

!ch a! the farinaceo! !eed! or #rain, nt!, frit, root!, c. And in thi! e-

tended !en!e, 9read( in. !o"e for" or other, ha! been the principal article in the diet of

"an$ind, fro" the earlie!t #enera- tion! of the h"an race, to the pre!ent ti"e( ecept

a"on# the few, !"all and !cattered tribe!, which have, perhap!, ever, !ince the day! of /oah, in different part!

of the earth, !b!i!ted "ainly on ani"al food.

It i! nearly certain that the pri"itive

inhabitant! of the earth, ate their food) with very little, if any artificial prepara-

tion.

The vario! frnit!, nt!, !eed!, root!, and other ve#etable !b!tance! on which they

fed, were eaten by the" in their natral !tate, with no other #rindin# than that which wa!done by the teeth.

A! the h"an fa"ily increa!ed, and poplation beca"e "ore den!e and e-

tended., and providential "ea!re! "ore nece!!ary, the condition and circ"!tance! of v!ociety

#radally led to the invention and adoption of the !i"ple, and, at fir!t,


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9REA:-1AB&/0. 11

rde art! of do"e!tic life. A"on# the!e, wa! that of bri!in# the harder article! of

their food, !ch a! nt! and !eed!, or #rain, on flat !tone!, !elected and $ept for the prpo!e.

9y con!tant !e, the!e !tone! in ti"e beca"e hollowed ot( and bein# thereby rendered "ore

convenient, "en at len#th be#an to for" "ortar! and pe!tle! fro" !tone!( arid probably thenet !tep wa! the con!trction of the rde $ind of hand-"ill!, which contined in !e

for "any centrie!( and indeed, which, with the !tone "ortar!, have, thro#hot all a#e!

and in al"o!t every portion of the earth, been !ed in the rder !tate! of !ociety.

hen "en beca"e acqainted with the !e of fire, they probably often parched their

cor- or #rain before they ponded it( and afterward!, they learned to "i it with water

into the con!i!tency of do#h, and to ba$e thi!, in an nleavened or nfer"ented !tate,

on flat !tone! before the fire, or in the hot a!he! or hot earth, or in the rde oven! which

they for"ed, by di##in# hole! in the earth, into which


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45 BREAD AND

they pt heated !tone!, and !li#htly covered the" with leave! or #ra!!, and then laid

in the article they wi!hed to ba$e, and over thi! !trewed !o"e leave!, and

then covered the whole with earth. *

. Thi! $ind of nleavened bread, n-

dobtedly con!titted. a very i"portant, if not the principal article of artificially pre-

pared food in the diet of the pri"itive inhabitant! of. the earth, for "any centrie!( and

the !a"e, or very nearly the !a"e $ind of bread contined in #eneral !e down to the

day! of Abraha"( and it i! probable that the nleavened bread !ed by hi! de!cendant! at

the fea!t of the Pa!!over, before and after they left E#ypt,. wa! of the !a"e $ind.

&t i! hardly po!!ible, however, that-it

.cold have been otherwi!e, than that, at a "ch earlier period, Dlar#er qantitie! of

thi! do#h were occa!ionally "ade, than

ee i""ediately ba$ed, and con!eqently

* &n thi! !a"e "anner the 'and with &!lander! coo$ed all their food, when they were fir!t di!-covered. .


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.

9REA:- 1AB&/0. 13

portion! of it were !ffered to !tand and fer"en t( and by thi! "ean!, "en were in

proce!! of ti"e learned to "a$e leavened, or rai!ed bread.

At how early a date, loaf or rai!ed bread ca"e into co""on !e, it i! i"po!- !ible

now to a!certain with any con!iderable de#ree of preci!ion. The !criptre! do not afford

! any evidence that Abra- ha" wa! acc!to"ed to !ch bread( bt the fact that 1o!e!, at

the in!tittion of the !pper of the Pa!!over, the ni#ht before the ew! left E#ypt,

co""anded

the" !trictly to ab!tain fro" leavened


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14 9REA: A/:

the ve#etable $in#do", in their ncoo$ed or natral !tate.


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9REA:-lIB&/0. 15

and ca$e! were "ade, wa!, in co"pari!on with "odern !perfine flor, etre"ely

coar!e,-#rond "o!tly by fe"ale!, in hand-"ill! con!trcted and $ept for that prpo!e.

Fro" Ro"e the art of bread-"a$in#

very !lowly fond it! way over con!iderable portion! of Erope. A tho!and year! afterli! Cte!ar fir!t entered 9ritain, the rde people of that contry were little acqainted with

rai!ed bread.


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16 BREAD.

or pea!antry. &n the i!land! of the Pacific and 'othern oceari!, the bread of the- in-

habitant! con!i!t! of tlie plantain, bana- na!, ya"!, bread-frit, and other li$e ve#e- table!,

!i"ply roa!ted, ba$ed, or boiled.

9read, therefore, of !o"e $ind or other, "ade .of !o"e of the farinaceo! prodct! of theve#etable $in#do", ha! probably, in al"o!t @ every portion of the world, and every period of

ti"e, been one of the fir!t, and "o!t i"portant, and. niver!al article! of food, artificially

prepared by coo$- in#, which ha! entered into the diet of "an$ind( and, hence it ha!

with #reat propriety been called


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3A ' 2F :&ET.

Rea!on! why food in it! natral !tate wold be the be!t. Concentrated ntri"ent. &ntere!tin# eperi"ent! 2ll ani- "al!.

1itre! of food. 3eavened and nleavened bread. Jalification! of the be!t bread.

&F "an were to !b!i!t wholly on ali- "entary !b!tance! in their natral !tate,

;f withot any artificial preparation by

coo$in#, then he wold be obli#ed to !e hi! teeth freely in "a!ticatin# hi! food( and

by !o doin#, not only pre!erve hi! teeth fro" decay, and $eep the" in !ond health, bt at

the !a"e ti"e, and by the

!a"e "ean!, wold he thoro#hly "i - I

hi! food with the flid of hi! "oth.. and th! prepare it both for !wallowin# and) for

the action of the !to"ach, and by the !a"e "ean! al!o, he wold be "ade Dto !wallow hi!

food !low 4y, a! the welfare of the !to"ach and of the whole !y!te" reqire! he !hold.


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46 BREAD AND

A#ain, if "an were to !b!i!t wholly

. on ncoo$ed food, he wold never !ffer fro" the i"proper te"peratre of hi! ali-

"ent. Hot !b!tance! ta$en into the "oth, !erve 444@redirectly and powerflly to

de!troy the teeth, than any other ca!e which act! i""ediately pon the"( and hot food anddrin$ received into the !to- "ach, alway! in !o"e de#ree debilitate that or#an, and

thro#h it, every other or#an and portion of the whole !y!te"( di"ini!hin#, a! an

lti"ate re!lt, the vital power of every part-i"pairin# every fnction, and increa!in#

the !!ceptibility of the whole body to the action of di!- trbin# ca!e!, and

predi!po!in# it to di!ea!e. A#ain, ifD "an were to !b!i!t entirely on

food in a natral !tate, he wold never !ffer fro" concentrated ali- "ent.

Every !b!tance in natre which 0od ha! prepared for the food Of ")(ln, con!i!t!

of both ntritio! and inntritio! "atter. The- proportion! vary in different $ind! of

food. Th! in a hndred pond! of potatoe!, there are abot twenty-five pond! ofnori!hin# "atter( while in a


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9REA:-1AB&/0. 19

hndred pond! of #ood wheat there are abot ei#hty pond! of nori!hin# "atter.

There are a few prodct! of the ve#etable $in#do" which are !till hi#her in the !cale of

ntri"ent, than wheat( and on the other hand there i! a bondle!! variety ran#in# below

wheat, etendin# down to three or for per cent. of nori!h"ent.9t natre, withot the aid of h"an art, D prodce! nothin# for the ali"entary !e of

"an which i! prely a concentrated ntrient !b!tance. And 0od ha! con!trcted "an in

!trict accordance with thi! #eneral econo"y of natre. He ha! or#anized and endowed the

h"an body with refer- ence to the condition and qalitie! of tho!e !b!tance! in natre, which

He de!i#ned

for the food of inane And con!eqently,

while "an obey! the law! of con!tittion and relation which !hold #overn hi" in

re#ard to hi! food, he pre!erve! the health and inte#rity of hi! ali"entary or#an!, and

thro#h the" of hi! whole natre(

.and !o far a! hi! dietetic habit! are con-

cerned, !ecre! the hi#he!t and be!t condition of hi! natre. 9 t, if he di!re#ard!


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20 BREAD AND

the!e law!, and by artificial "ean! #reatly depart! fro" the natral adaptation of

thin#!, he inevitably brin#! evil on hi"!elf and on hi! po!terity.

It ha! been flly proved that


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9REA:-l)lAB&/0. 21

droop, and e"aciate, and die( bt if a de proportion of proper inntritio!

!b- !tance be "ied with the!e concentrated for"! of ali"ent, the do#! will !b!i!t

on the" and re"ain healthy. 'o if hor!e!, cow!, deer, !heep, and other #ra!!-eatin# ani"al!

be fed on #rain alone, they will !oon lo!e their appetite and be#in to droop, and will!hortly peri!h( bt if a de proportion of !traw or !havin#! of wood be #iven the"

with their #rain, they will contine to do well. 1an i! affected in the !a"e

"anner. He cannot lon# !b!i!t on prely ntrition! !b!tance!. And the rea!on

i! not beca!e the!e !b!tance! have no azote or nitro#en in the"(nor i! it beca!e "an necessarily reqire! a variety of ali"entary !b!tance!, bt !i"- ply

and ecl!ively beca!e the anato"i- cal con!trction and vital power! of the ali"entary

or#an!, are con!tittionally adapted .to ali"entary !b!tance! which con!i!t of both

ntritio! and inntritio! "atter( and therefore a de proportion of inntritio! "atter in

the food of "an i! a! e!!ential to the welfare of hi! ali"en-

3


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22 BREAD AND

tary or#an!, a! a de proportion of nor ... i!h"ent i! to the !pport of hi! body.

A#ain, if "an !b!i!ted wholly on n-. coo$ed food, he wold not only be pre-

!erved fro" i"proper concentration!, bt al!o fro" pernicio! co"bination! of ali- "entary

!b!tance!. The ali"entary or- #an! of "an, li$e tho!e of the hor!e, ,2K, !heep, do#, cat,and "o!t or all other ani"al! of the hi#her order!, if not in fact, of all other ani"al!

withot )li"itation,po!!e!! the vital capability of !o acco"- "odatin# the"!elve! to

e"er#encie!, that they can be "ade to di#e!t al"o!t every ve#etable and ani"al !b!tance in

natre( and they can, by lon# trainin#, be edcated to di#e!t a "itre of the!e !b!tance! at the

!a"e ti"e. /everthele!! it i! incon- te!tibly tre, that the ali"entary or#a! of "an and

of all other ani"al!, can "an- a#e one $ind of food at a ti"e better than

a "ied in#e!tion( for it i! i"po!!ible that the !olvent flid! !ecreted by the

!to"ach and other or#an! belon#in# to the ali"entary apparat!, !hold be at the


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9REA:- 1AB&/0. 23

!a"e ti"e eqally well adapted to entirely different $ind! of food.

& do not !ay that the ali"entary or#an!

of "an cannot, by lon# habit, be bro#ht into !ch a condition a! that, while that

condition re"ain!, they will not "ana#e a "ied in#e!tion of ani"al and ve#etable food,

with "ore i""ediate co"fort and !ati!faction to the"!elve! and the individal, than

they will an in#e!tion of pre ve#etable food. 9t thi! doe! not "ilitate a#ain!t the

#eneral principle in

the lea!t( for it i! neverthele!! tre, thatthe !a"e or#an! are capable of bein#

bro#ht into a c onditi on in which they

will "ana#e an in#e!tion of n"ied food

of either $ind, with le!! e"barra!!"ent and in*ry to the"!elve! and the whole

!y!te", than they can the "ied food in any condition. I Hence it i! a #eneral law of natre,

concernin# the dietetic habit! of "an, that !i"plicity of food at each "eal i! e!!ential to the

hi#he!t well-bein# of the individal and of the race.

0od ha! nqe!tionably provided a #reat and rich variety of !b!tance! for


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5L BREAD A/:

"an)! nori!h"ent and en*oy"ent( bt it i! eqally certain that he did not de!i#n

that "an !hold parta$e of all thi! variety at a !in#le "eal, nor in a !in#le day, nor !ea!on-b

t fro" "eal to "eal, fro" day to day, and fro" !ea!on to !ea!on, varyin# hi! en*oy"ent in

!tricte!t con!i!tency with the #reat law! of hi! natre. And hence all artificial co"bination!of ali"entary !b!tance!, and particlarly tho!e of a hetero#eneo! $ind, and yet "ore

e!pecially the concentrated for"!, "!t be "ore or

le!! pernicio! to the ali"en tary or#an!,I

and thro#h the" to the whole !y!te".

Finally, if "an !b!i!ted wholly on ncoo$ed food, the n depraved inte#rity of hi!

appetite, hi! thoro#h "a!tication and !low !wallowin#, and hi! !i"ple "eal, wold. #reatly

!erve to prevent hi! over- eatin#, and th! !ave hi" fro" the rin- o! effect! of one of the

"o!t de!trctive ca!e! operatin# in civic life.

,%hatever "ay be the "aterial, there-

fore, fro" which bread i! "ade, when the artificial preparation i! of that !i"ple

character which leave! the proportion! of


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9REA:-1AB&/0. 5?

ntritio! and in ntritio! propertie!, a! natre co"bined the", and effect! little

chan#e in the ntritio! principle!, and retain! the natral reqi!ition for the fnction of

the teeth, and th! !ecre! the proper chewin# of the food and the "iin# of it with the

flid! of the "oth, and !wallowin# of it !lowly, the artificial proce!! "ilitate! very little,

if at all, a#ain!t any of the phy!iolo#ical or vital intere!t! of the body. 9t if or artificial

proce!! of bread-"a$in#, concentrate! the ntrient propertie!, and de!troy! the de proportion

between


24/138

5M . 9REA: A/:

&n all civilized nation!, and particlarly in civic life, bread, a! & have already !tated,

i! far the "o!t i"portant article of food which i! artificially prepared( and in or contry and

cli"ate, it i! the "o!t i"portant article that enter! into the diet of "an( and therefore it i! of

the fir!t con!ideration, that it! character !hold, in every re!pect, be a! nearly a! po!!ible,con!i!tent with the law! of con!tittion

and relation e!tabli!hed in or natre( or with the anato"ical con!trction and vital

propertie! and power! and intere!t of or !y!te"!.

If we conte"plate the h"an con!tittion in it! hi#he!t and be!t condition,-in the

po!!e!!ion of it! "o!t vi#oro! and ni"paired power!-and a!$, what "!tbe the

character of or bread in order to

pre!erve that con!tittion in that condi-

tion the an!wer "o!t indbitably i!, that

the coar!e nleavened bread of early ti"e!,

when of proper a#e, wa! one of the lea!t

re"ove! fro" the natral !tate of food,- one of the !i"ple!t and "o!t whole!o"e

.

for"! of artificial preparation!, and be!t


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9REA:-1AB&/0. 58

adapted to flfil the law! of con!tittion and relation( and therefore be!t adapted to

!!tain the "o!t vi#oro! and healthy !tate of the ali"entary or#an!, and the hi#he!t and

be!t condition of the whole natre of "an, a! a #eneral and per"a-

nent fact( and hence it i! very qe!tiona-

ble whether loaf or rai!ed bread can be "ade eqally condcive to all the intere!t!

of or natre, with the !i"ple nleavened ) bread.

& a" aware that "any profe!!ional "en

-entertain a very different opinion on thi! !b*ect, and

!pea$ of nleavened bread a! bein# le!! nori!hin# and le!! ea!ily di#e!ted.

Thi! "ay be tre to a li"ited etent, in !pecial ca!e! of i"paired and

debilitated ali"entary or#an!( bt & a" confidentthat a! a #eneral fact the notion i!

en tirel y erroneo!.


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28 9REA: A/:

e"ploy"ent of nfer"ented bread, and n- fer"ented farinaceee in other for"!, i! !till very

con!iderable, and we are ready to "aintain that the "orbid con!eqence! of !ch a diet

are very !eldo" to be ob- !erved. &n 'cotland, nine tenth! of the

)lower cla!!e! of people-and that i! the

~

#reater part of the whole-4ive pon nfer-

"en ted bread and nfer"en ted farinacere in other for"!, and at the !a"e ti"e, & a"

of opinion) that there are not a "ore healthy people anywhere to be fond. e #ive it

to all cla!!e! and both !ee! with advanta#e.-a little

!alt i! #enerally added, and !o"e add abot hlf a pint of water blood war", bt thi! i! not

e!!ential(- then !tir wheat flor or "eal into the "il$ till-it for"! a "oderately thic$ bat-

ter( and then cover it over, and place it where it will re"ain at a te"peratre

of fro" M@0

to 8@0

F. till it beco"e! perfectly li#ht.) &t !hold then be !edi""ediately and let it be re"e"bered that do#h "ade with thi! yea!t will !or !ooner than

that "ade with other yea!t(


75/138

9REA:-1AB&/0. 8;

and al!o that the bread after it i! ba$ed will beco"e etre"ely dry and crumbly-

"ch !ooner than bread "ade with other yea!t. +et thi! bread, when a day old, i!

eceedin#ly li#ht and, beatifl albeit !o"e di!li$e the ani"al !"ell and ta!te which it

derive! fro" the "il$.&n all the!e preparation! of yea!t and do#h, it !hold ever be recollected that < the

proce!! of fer"entation caon

when) tr$tE.E,.F.,

thi)rproceed! qite !lowly at ?@U, "oderately at M@U, Tc(pidly at 8@U, and ) very

rapidly at 6@U.