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Alkalies in Foods

THE alkali, Soda (sodium), which is most necessary in the body for the proper constitution of its fluids, is derived chiefly from animal foods, this being taken in the chemical form of chloride of sodium, or common salt; whilst the alkali Potash (potassium), which is essential for the renewed construction of cells, perhaps also of the red blood corpuscles, and of the muscles, is got more abundantly from the vegetable group of foods. Green vegetables, and ripe fruits are a particularly valuable source of potash salts. A craving for table-salt as an addition to the diet specially prevails among vegetable feeders. If it be wished, by the use of alkalies, to prevent the gouty formation of uric acid sediments, as gravel, and the like, or to gradually dissolve such concretions as have already become formed in the bladder, it will certainly be more rational to prescribe a diet of fresh fruits, potatoes, and other such vegetable products than to order alkaline mineral waters, or medicines, which, if taken constantly, are likely to create all kinds of irritative disturbances in the blood. Speaking generally, it is not to the laboratory of the chemist we should go for our potash salts, but to the laboratory of nature, and more especially to that of the vegetable kingdom. They exist in the green parts of all vegetables; but we wastefully extract a considerable proportion of these salts when we boil the vegetables, and throw away their potage, which our wiser and more thrifty French neighbours add to their everyday menu. When we eat raw vegetables, as in salads, though not converting their starch elements into soluble dextrin, especially if vinegar is added, yet we obtain all their potash constituents. Fruits, taken generally, contain important quantities of potash salts; and it is upon these vegetable products that the likely victims of gouty acid formations should especially rely; lemons, and grapes contain the same most abundantly. It should not be forgotten that nearly all the chemical compounds of potash, as they exist in fruits, and vegetables, are acid. But these organic acids become disintegrated in the body by their combustion, and then leave alkaline residual bases. Far different is the case with vinegar, and the mineral acids, which are of fixed chemical composition, and remain acid throughout.

Mattieu Williams teaches, in his Chemistry of Cookery (1898), that the saline constituents of vegetables (which are usually boiled out in the cooking water) are absolutely necessary for the maintenance of health; without them we become the subjects of gout, rheumatism, lumbago, gravel, and all the ills which human flesh, with a lithic acid disposition, is heir to. The potash of these salts existing in the vegetables, as combined with organic acids, is separated from these acids by organic combustion, and is straightway presented as an alkali to the baneful gouty acid of the blood, and tissues, the stony particles of which it converts into harmless, soluble lithate of potass, and thus enables them to be carried out of the system by the urine, the skin, and other channels. "I know not which of the Fathers of the Church invented fast days, and soupe maigre, but I can almost believe he was a scientific monk, and a profound alchemist, like Basil Valentine , who, in his seekings for the aurum potabile," the elixir of life, had learnt the beneficent action of organic potash salts on the blood, and therefore used the authority of the Church to enforce their frequent use in vegetable foods among the faithful." The proper compounds to be produced are those which correspond to the salts existing in the natural juices of vegetables, and in flesh, viz., compounds of potash with organic acids, such as tartaric acid, which forms the potash salt of the grape; such again, as citric acid, with which potash is combined in lemons and oranges; likewise malic acid, with which the same alkali is combined in apples, and many other fruits; similarly, too, the other natural acids of vegetables in general, as well as the lactic acid of milk. As long as the human body remains alive 66 a continuous state of slow combustion goes on within its economy, gradually, and for the most part gently, during which the organic acids of these potash salts become slowly consumed, whilst giving off their excess of carbonic acid, and water through the outlets of lungs, skin, and kidneys, but leaving behind their alkaline potash. This potash combines with the otherwise stony lithic acid (gouty material) just when, and where it begins to be harmfully formed, and neutralizes it into a soluble innocent combination. But no such happy decomposition is possible with free mineral acids in the blood, and tissues, to wit, sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric (if given medicinally), which are therefore poisonous to persons of a gouty, lithic acid disposition. Neither does the acid of vinegar-acetic, produced by fermentation— become changed so as to yield an alkali against gouty deposits ; but, as already stated, lemons, and grapes contain the fruit salts of potash most abundantly. Persons who cannot afford to buy these fruits as daily food may use cream of tartar, which, when genuine, is the natural salt of the grape.

Again, we shamefully neglect the best of all food by failing to partake more freely of fruit when ripe and sound. If it must be had cooked, then what we have to say is, "Jam for the million, jelly for the luxurious, but fruit-juice in some form for all." The desire among boys for fruit, which sometimes tempts them to rob the orchard, is due to the craving of nature at this time of life for vegetable acids, a craving which it is needful to gratify, and wrong to deny.

Of The chief mineral substances necessary in food are soda, potash, lime, magnesia, and iron, together with phosphorus, chlorine, sulphur, and traces of such matters as silica, fluorine, and iodine. These constituents are of vital importance as structure-builders, and renovators. Lime and phosphorus are organically combined in milk; iron in yolk of eggs, meat , and artichokes; sulphur in all vegetable nitrogenous foods . dietetic articles the richest in lime is milk, next eggs, then the cereal grains, especially rice. Iron is present (as to order of richness) in spinach, yolk of egg, beef, apples, lentils, strawberries , white beans, peas, potatoes, and wheat. Milk, and its derivatives, such as cheese, are very poor in iron. Of vegetable foods , oatmeal, and Egyptian lentils are amongst the richest in iron , but bread, rice, artichokes, potatoes, and spinach also contain a good proportion.

Certain Natural Waters from volcanic regions, former, or present, are in demand as pure and refreshing drinks, because , are in demand as pure and refreshing drinks, because of their amount of carbonic acid gas, as well as their mineral salts. The best, and longest known is the water of Seltzers in called Seltzer water, which continues to be supplied commercially in just the same state as whilst rising from this wonderful spring. It was first used in 1798. But artificial mineral waters are now much more in vogue, all of which are impregnated with carbonic acid gas made from chalk (carbonate of lime ) in its ground, pulverulent form, "whiting."

Those waters which are distilled should be preferred, not only because they are free from organic impurities, but also because they are without any mineral salts in excess; of course, the source of the water from which these drinks are manufactured must be irreproachable as regards taint of impurity, or infection. And as to "the mineral spring fad," says Dr. Woods Hutchinson (1903), "this is one of the survivals in medicine from the times of the 'trembling of the waters' in the Pool of Bethesda. It origingood old demon-theory days, when the potency of the water was rated according to the amount of heat, from gases contained therein, and, best of all, from its sulphurous smell, and abominable taste, all of which were to the primitive mind clear and convincing proofs that such water issued directly from the infernal regions, being possessed by spirits, and hence peculiarly suitable for the casting out of Thus, either sparkle, heat, or a brimstone taste is still the popular requisite for a successful mineral water; if it has all three it inspires a confidence little short of that felt by Montaigne in the waters of Corsena, which he declared 'powerful enough to break stones. " 66 A bottle of soda water recovered from the wreck of the Royal George (1780) was sold March 10th, 1903, by public auction in (1780) was sold March 10th, 1903, by public auction in London for the sum of twenty-five guineas, it being more than 120 years old. Soda water was first introduced in 1767, being called Mephitic julep," by Mr. Richard Bewley, of Great received its present name before 1798. A glass soda-water bottle was dug up on the Crimean battlefield, thus showing that no alteration in the shape had taken place for seventy-three years.

Ginger-beer was at one time put into bottles similar in shape to this same soda-water pattern, but made of stone.

The effervescent table waters of commerce, -soda-water, potash-water, Seltzer-water, Apollinaris water, and the like,-- are all charged more or less with alkaline carbonates, whereby they are prevented from arresting the salivary digestion, so that the use of such waters as an addition to sub-acid wines is commendable. The mineral waters, soda or potash, usually contain in each bottle from ten to fifteen grains of their respective bicarbonates, in addition to the carbonic acid gas.

Seltzer-water further contains magnesium, with phosphate, and sulphate of soda. " At Bath," we are told, "in Pickwick's day, near at hand to the Pump Room, there were mineral baths in which a in which a part of the company wash themselves, and a band plays afterwards to congratulate the remainder on their fellow-visitors . having done so." Further on we read concerning these Bath mineral waters (sulphated lime) : Have you drunk the waters, Mr. Weller ?' inquired his companion, the tall footman, as they walked towards High Street. ' Once,' replied Sam. 'What. did you think of 'em, Sir?' 'I thought they was particklerly unpleasant,' replied Sam. ' Ah!' said Mr. John Smawker, 'you disliked the killibeate taste, perhaps ?' 'I don't know much about that 'ere,' said Sam ; 'I thought they'd a werry strong flavour of warm flat-irons.' 'That is the killibeate, Mr. Weller, observed Mr. John Smawker contemptuously. 'Well, if it is, it's a werry inexpressive word, that's all,' said all,' said Sam; it may be so, but I aint much in the chemical line myself, so I can't say. " 6 6 Nowadays much may be done for the relief of functional heart disorders by taking, as a pleasant beverage at meals, Barium water, a famous spring whereof exists at Llangammarch Wells, in Breconshire. This contains more than six grains of barium per gallon. The water is likewise of especial service for curing enlarged tonsils in delicate children, with contingent irritability of the heart; also it is highly useful as a course for lessening . arterial stiffness of the vascular coats. The Barium water can be had in bottles, or syphons, for table use.

About the middle of the eighteenth century, when stone in the bladder was common, and was sought to be dissolved by alkalies, soap was largely administered as such a solvent. The case of Horace Walpole marked this method in 1748, when he began to take a course consisting of one ounce of Alicant soap in three pints of lime-water daily. The same regimen was continued by him until the beginning of the year 1757, when it was calculated that he had consumed no less than 180 pounds of soap, and 1,200 gallons of lime-water. Yet when an examination was made of his body after death by Mr. Sergeant-Surgeon Ranby, and Mr. Hawkins, three stones were found in his bladder. It was to challenge the memory of old Macklin (who had boasted he could learn anything by rote on once hearing it), that S. Foote extemporised the following well-known nonsensepassage. "So she went into the garden to cut a cabbage-leaf to make an apple pie, and at the same time a great she-bear coming up the street pops its head into the shop. What! no soap ! so he died, and she very imprudently married the barber; and there were present the Picaninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the Grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top; and they all fell to playing the game of catch as catch can till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots." A (professedly) Eton boy has rendered the same in Latin hexameters :- "Ut vice pomorum fungantur caule, placentam Hortulum adit meditans: immani corpore at Ursa Ora tabernæ infert-eheu, saponis egestas!

Hicce obiit dehinc mortem, temeraria at illæ Omine tonsori lævo nupsit: Picalilli, Joblillique aderant, cum Garrabulis; Panjandrum Magnus et ipse aderat, apice insignisque pusillo :

Ludo captantes captabantur quoque, pulvis Calce cothurnorum donec sclopetarius exit."

Professor Kirk, of Edinburgh, in Papers on Health, commends highly for localized neuralgia to lather the part with Barilla soap, which must be genuine (Maclinton's) as compounded from the ash of the barilla plant, growing abundantly in Sicily, in Teneriffe, and some parts of Spain. Lather made therefrom does not dry on the skin; its composition is a valuable secret. The soap requires eight days for its manufacture, and should be stamped with the name of makers-Brown & Son, Donoughmore, Tyrone, Ireland. This lather will allay the irritation of internal organs by application to the skin outside, as, for instance, over the stomach when it is rejecting all food, and even when retching on emptiness. Handful after handful of the lather (mixed in the palm with a shaving-brush, and hot water) should be laid on until the required surface is well covered; then a soft handkerchief should be put loosely over it. Again, varicose ulcers of the legs can be successfully healed in many cases by simply dressing them with compresses of lint, or soft linen, steeped in a solution of bicarbonate of soda, containing from 2 to 4 per cent of this salt. The suppurative discharges will become straightway lessened, and healing will proceed apace.