Home › The Doctor's Kitchen › Grapes

Grapes

The principal virtue of grapes is contained in their sugar, which differs chemically from cane sugar, and passes more quickly into the bodily system, with speedy combustion as a food. The amount of this grape sugar varies according to the greater or less warmth of the climate in which the different grapes are grown. Tokay grapes are the sweetest; next are those of Southern France; then of Moselle, Bohemia, and Heidelberg, whilst the fruit of the vine in Spain, Italy, and Madeira, is not so well adapted for curative purposes. The grape fruit consists of pulp, stones, and skin. Within the pulp is contained the grape sugar, together with a certain quantity of fruit sugar, which is identical with cane sugar. The grape sugar warms (and fattens) speedily, being taken up straightway into the circulation without waiting to be changed slowly by the saliva; therefore this grape sugar serves to repair the waste of burning fever quickly, and to recruit the strength promptly when thereby consumed, grapes being at such times most grateful to the sufferer. But for the same reason they do not suit inflammatory, or gouty persons under ordinary circumstances, as well as foods sweetened with cane sugar which has to undergo slower chemical conversion into heat, and sustenance. The chief ingredients of grape fruit are tannin, gum, bitartrate of potash, sulphate of potash, tartrate of lime, magnesia, alum, iron, chlorides of potassium, and sodium, tartaric, citric, racemic, and malic acids, some albumin, and azotized matters, with water. Grapes can supply but little nutritious matter for building up the solid structures of the body. Sweet grapes act as gentle laxatives, though the stones, if crushed are astringent. When taken in any quantity grapes act freely on the kidneys, and promote a flow of urine. The acids of the fruit are burnt off from their alkaline bases which remain behind, and help to neutralise such other gouty acids as they may encounter.. But for a person in good health, and with sound digestion, grapes are excellent to furnish bodily warmth by their ready-made sugar, whilst the essential flavours of the aromatic fruit are cordial and refreshing.

Besides being useful against gout by its alkaline base, the bitartrate of Potash salt (cream of tartar) in grapes proves of remedial use for other affections. It is reputed to have been of signal curative service in, or against small-pox. Mr. Rose, of Dorking, first gave it in 1826, and with remarkable success, losing only one case in over a thousand, and that one complicated with whooping cough. Likewise the son, Mr. Charles Rose, later on gave the remedy against small-pox with equally satisfactory effects. In 1863 it was tried by the authorities of the Highgate Small-pox Hospital, with the result that they reported "it does not seem to do the least good." Yet during the same time it was being given at Dorking with a result that the mortality there among unvaccinated patients was only 11 per cent as against 47 in the Highgate Small-pox Hospital. The usual mixture was a quarter of an ounce of the bitartrate of potash to a pint of water, taking a wineglassful of this at frequent intervals. Later on the same remedy was supplied in the form of whey; half, or three-quarters of an ounce of cream of tartar being administered in half a pint of hot, almost boiling milk. Mr. Rose came to the conclusion that this was essential in some cases, which the other form of the potash salt taken with Turkey Rhubarb, failed to benefit. "I am willing," wrote Edward Hume to the Liverpool Mercury, 1875, "to forfeit my reputation as a public man if the worst cases of small-pox cannot be cured in three days simply by the use of an ounce of cream of tartar dissolved in a pint of water, and drunk at intervals, when cold, as a certain never-failing remedy. It has cured thousands, never leaves a mark, never causes blindness, and avoids tedious lingering illness."

A limited diet of sweet grapes taken almost exclusively will sometimes work wonders for the feeble digestive powers of persons rendered weak and bloodless by over-work, or worry; to eat a grape each minute for an hour at a time, three or four times in the day, while taking very little else beyond dry bread, will often prove highly beneficial in such cases.

What is known as the Grape Cure is pursued in the Tyrol, Bavaria, on the banks of the Rhine, and elsewhere, with two objects in view according to the respective class of patients. Those weakly bloodless persons who are labouring under wasting disease, as in chronic catarrh of the lungs, requiring quick supplies of animal warmth, and adipose repair, gain special help from sweet ripe grapes, being ordered to take these almost exclusively, from three to six pounds a day. On the other hand, sufferers from torpid biliary functions, sluggish liver, or passive local congestions, benefit rather by taking the grapes not fully ripe, and not sweet, in moderate allowance; these latter grapes have a diuretic, and somewhat laxative effect, being eaten four or five times a day during the promenade; their reaction is alkaline, as aforesaid, therefore suitable for persons troubled with gravel, or acid gout.

For consumptive persons the ripe, luscious, sweet grapes, besides affording an exceptionally large quantity of warming, fattening glucose (i.e. grape sugar), specifically stimulate the lung substance to healthier action, and help it to throw off effete matters by thus encouraging the formation of new tissue. During the grape cure the fruit if taken on an empty stomach would act as a laxative: so that eating them does not begin until after breakfast. A hundred pounds weight of ripe, sweet grapes include within their pulp as much as thirteen pounds, full weight, of the purest glucose; and because of this abundance the said glucose has received, wherever obtained, the comprehensive name of grape sugar. Furthermore, the tartaric acid which sweet grapes contain plentifully is the basis of several so-called blood-purifying" medicines. Neuralgia and the sleeplessness of debility may be materially improved by the sweet grape cure, because nutrition is thereby stimulated, and the needful quality of good blood restored. 66 "Some of the credit," says Dr. Hutchison. "of the results attained must be put down to the circumstances under which the grape cure is carried out; seeing that the patient is expected to gather the grapes for himself, the doing which entails a certain amount of exercise in the open fresh air. Consumptive patients are sent to the Gironde for the purpose of breathing-in the vapour from the wine vats whilst the grape juice is fermenting, this proving to be highly beneficial as a restorative for weakly and delicate young persons. The wine-vapour in this district is more stimulating, and more curative than in Burgundy. Young girls who suffer from atrophy are at first made to remain for some hours daily in the sheds whilst the wine-pressing is going forward. After a time, as they become less weak, they are directed to jump into the wine press, where they skip about and inhale the fumes of the fermenting juice, until they sometimes become intoxicated thereby, and even senseless. But this effect subsides after two or three trials, and presently the girls return to their homes, and work, with renewed strength and heightened colour, hopeful, joyous, and robust." A stranger on his first visit to the Bodegas, or wine vaults of Southern Spain experiences a decided sense of exhilaration, with quickening of the pulse, this being followed presently by a narcotic effect, with a feeling of languor and headache. According to an authoritative examination (Lancet) made of the distillery air it appeared that no less than an ounce of absolute alcohol may be present in five cubic feet of the air. From which result it is obvious that a very appreciable amount of alcohol would be inhaled during a stay, say of eight hours, in such air; and since the alcohol by the medium of the lungs would rapidly get into the general circulation, it cannot but be concluded that such air would in the long run produce in persons habitually respiring it the well known pernicious effects of alcoholic excesses. Nevertheless, short systematized dosings with such alcoholized air, modified in degree, and properly regulated, may be curatively prescribed with safe benefit. The vats of the famous Chateau D'Yquem have effected the most wonderful cures on this principle, even in cases considered to be past human aid. Perhaps a modified pursuance of the inhaling process just described might be carried out for suitable cases at our leading home breweries? The fresh sap of the vine (lacryma, a tear) is an excellent application to weak eyes, because of its tannin in the juices, also for corneal specks.

The large family of Muscat grapes get their distinctive title, not because of any flavour of musk attached to them, but because the luscious berries are particularly attractive to flies (musca). "On attrape plus de mouches avec le miel qu 'avec le vinaigre," says a pithy French proverb. Sometimes when eaten to excess grapes cause soreness of the tongue, and within the mouth, resembling the symptoms of thrush. and honey will act in like manner. The sweet grape cure is highly to be commended for persons threatened with consumptive mischief in the lungs, because of the abundant sugar and the potash salts supplied in the fruit. But children as a rule do not bear the grape cure satisfactorily. Other fruits, it has been aptly said, "May please the palate equally well, but it is the proud prerogative of the kingly grape to minister also to the mind."

Grape sugar as such may be used with benefit for sweetening the drinks of patients in fevers, or to mix with their light farinaceous foods. Recipes for grape juice in bottle, for grape jelly, grape sauce, and grape jam ("raisiné") are given fully in Kitchen Physic. The best grapes wherewith to make grape juice for keeping in bottles are of the purple kind. For another "grape jam," as made at the Cape, South Africa, take four pounds of the fresh fruit, and one pound of sugar. Carefully pick the grapes from the bunches, and prick them with a steel, or gold pin. Boil a syrup of the sugar, and put the grapes into the syrup whilst boiling. Some sliced apple, or quince, may be added to the grapes; for every pound of the same, one pound again of sugar; also some orange peel cut up may be introduced. Boil rather quickly at first. Take out some of the jam, and put it in a shallow saucer to cool, so as to see if it will jelly properly. It is well worthy of remark with respect to grape juice, that whilst it exercises when freshly obtained an inhibiting effect, more or less, in typhoid fever on the growth and vitality of the typhoid bacillus, as likewise on the colon bacilli which are the cause of many forms of acute intestinal ailments, yet the bottled grape juice found in grocery stores gives the most conclusive experimental results. It should be observed, there is a marked difference between the brands of this bottled grape juice. Experimentally certain brands have been found to kill the bacilli by the end of a minute, such effect being almost instantaneous. Moreover the quantity of grape juice required for securing this vital object does not disturb the digestion, as lemon juice (also destructive to the bacilli) might do. It was found that the recently expressed grape juice, prepared in the laboratory, had no effect on the bacilli, even in the proportion as high as 100 per cent. American physicians declare that unfermented grape juice, not artificially preserved by mischievous salicylic acid, etc., is a grand food for the sick, particularly in fever cases. Dr. Foster, of Chicago, reported in the Medical Era, 1886, "grape juice has done me this one inestimable service: it has given me a food, the only food, which little ones when endangered by wasting and febrile diseases, can, or will take, whilst the temperature remains high, and the pulse quick." "When I had found a food of which a boy four years old would drink one and a half pints daily, and ask for more, while he would absolutely refuse all other food, I had discovered a means whereby his strength could be maintained throughout ten days during a raging scarlet fever, and that food saved my little patient's life." Still more important has this advice become to-day. Grape juice (easily sterilized by a simple, harmless process) is highly beneficial in all forms of low wasting disease.

Grapes are sometimes employed systematically as a means of cure for continued diarrhea: the grape sugar is partly absorbed into the system unchanged, and whilst rich in silicates, phosphates, tartrates, and pectin. The skins afford some aromatic ethereal oils, and the stones a good deal of tannin; the grape sugar becomes partly converted into lactic acid. In the Song of Solomon occurs the pleasant passage, "the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." With respect to table scraps for the poor (Epicure, 1898), “a little ingenuity may often render these tempting, and appetising. Half a bunch of grapes, and a couple of spoonfuls of jelly (lemon, or wine) left from dinner, do not by themselves look particularly attractive, one has to admit; but just melt the jelly, and set the grapes therein, using a small pudding basin, or brawn basin, as a mould, and see how glad some sick child will be of the morsel, though your servants would probably disdain to touch it. Verily the poor may easily be fed with the crumbs which fall from rich men's tables, did the rich only know how to utilize such crumbs. There are stalls at some of the Paris markets where may be seen portions of foods laid out, the relics of dainty dinners from restaurants, and large households: a morsel of fish, a simple cutlet, a spoonful of bavaroise, all disposed neatly together as one of such portions, to be sold for a few sous, under the name of an 'arlequin.' These scraps in England go to help fill the hog-tub, or into the dust-hole, because no one has taken the trouble to teach the English cook how she should put away her 'beauxrestes' tidily." In countries where the fruit can be successfully dried certain kinds of grapes are converted into raisins, always specially associated with Christmas time. To quote again the Song of Solomon, when the Bride feeling faint cries out, "Stay me with 'ashishah,' comfort me with apples," the genuine sense of this Hebrew word is "raisin-cakes," as long familiar to scholars; and now the revised version puts it. "Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples."

Muscatels are known as " raisins of the sun," because left upon the tree to dry in the sunshine before being gathered. Grapes can be better cured and dried, because of local conditions, in certain parts of Spain than elsewhere, especially near Malaga. The Valentia, or pudding raisins, are likewise imported from Spain. Sultanas, which are destitute of stones, or seeds, are received from Smyrna. "Surpassing even the banana in nutritive value (Dr. Hutchison) is the group of dried fruits which includes the raisin, and the date." Raisin-tea is found to be of the same proteid value as milk, and much more easily digested, therefore of superior use in many cases of gastric disease where milk or soups (vegetable or animal) must be disallowed. "Take half a pound of good raisins, and wash them well in cold water. Cut them up roughly to free the pulp in cooking, and put them into a stewing jar with one quart of cold water. Cook for from three to four hours, when the liquid will be reduced to one pint. Press all but the insoluble skins, and stones, through a fine scalded sieve, and use the tea either hot, or cold; if too sweet a little lemon juice may be added." But the tea is scarcely to be advised for meat eaters, as its sweetness might induce biliousness. For persons who suffer from coldness of the feet, and hands, it is very warming and cherishing. Also stewed sultana raisins are restorative when fatigue of body and mind are felt, being at the same time mildly laxative. Wash and pick one pound of sultanas, soak them all night in cold water; next morning drain off the water, and put the raisins into a pan, or basin, and barely cover them with water, add a little grated lemon peel, put a plate over the top, and stew them in the oven till quite tender, and soft. Some of these, hot or cold, with a slice of whole-meal bread, or brown bread, will make a very sustaining repast. Dried raisins contain 24 per cent of proteid substance, 74½ of heat-forming parts (carbohydrates), 4 of salts, and 19 of water. The German doctors used to keep their patients whilst under the grape cure almost entirely without other food, but now some suitable light nourishment is also allowed, at regular times, and even a moderate quantity of Bordeaux wine. The sap of the vine is used commonly in Italy for strengthening, and improving the hair, increasing and renewing its growth even when it has taken to fall out considerably. In the Spring when the vines are pruned, a fluid percolates out from the cut boughs, which the peasants are careful to collect in little tin pots, some time being needed to gather the juice as it oozes out by drops. When sufficient has been obtained it is strained through muslin, though some of the fibrous substance must be also kept in hand, as it helps to do good. Practically the same process may be adopted in this country by persons who possess vineries. The liquid will keep sweet, and useful for six or eight months, and even then it only acquires a sharp odour which is not unwhole- One sort of grape, the Bourdelas, or Vergus, being intensely sour when green is never allowed to ripen, but its large berries are made to yield their acid liquor for use instead of some.

The vinegar, or lemon juice, in drinks, medicines, and sauces. human stomach will tolerate acids which are comparatively strong, even of a mineral sort, and these not presently becoming alkaline as the vegetable acids do by chemical change. Drs. Gould and Pyle record a case (Curiosities of Medicine, 1901) of "a bootmaker who constantly took half an ounce of strong sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) in a tumbler of water, saying that it relieved his dyspepsia, and kept his bowels open"; of course this was a most exceptional immunity, and a strange power of resistance.