Human Foods and Their Nutritive Value

Human Foods and Their
Nutritive Value, by

Harry Snyder
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Title: Human Foods and Their Nutritive Value
Author: Harry Snyder

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HUMAN FOODS AND THEIR NUTRITIVE VALUE
by
HARRY SNYDER, B.S.

New York The MacMillan Company 1914 All rights reserved Copyright,
1908, by the MacMillan Company.
Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1908. Reprinted October,
1909; September, 1910; February, 1911; September, 1912; May,
December, 1913; June, 1914.
Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood,
Mass., U.S.A.

PREFACE
Since 1897 instruction has been given at the University of Minnesota,
College of Agriculture, on human foods and their nutritive value. With
the development of the work, need has been felt for a text-book
presenting in concise form the composition and physical properties of
foods, and discussing some of the main factors which affect their
nutritive value. To meet the need, this book has been prepared,
primarily for the author's classroom. It aims to present some of the

principles of human nutrition along with a study of the more common
articles of food. It is believed that a better understanding of the subject
of nutrition will suggest ways in which foods may be selected and
utilized more intelligently, resulting not only in pecuniary saving, but
also in greater efficiency of physical and mental effort.
Prominence is given in this work to those foods, as flour, bread, cereals,
vegetables, meats, milk, dairy products, and fruits, that are most
extensively used in the dietary, and to some of the physical, chemical,
and bacteriological changes affecting digestibility and nutritive value
which take place during their preparation for the table. Dietary studies,
comparative cost and value of foods, rational feeding of men, and
experiments and laboratory practice form features of the work. Some
closely related topics, largely of a sanitary nature, as the effect upon
food of household sanitation and storage, are also briefly discussed.
References are given in case more extended information is desired on
some of the subjects treated. While this book was prepared mainly for
students who have taken a course in general chemistry, it has been the
intention to present the topics in such a way as to be understood by the
layman also.
This work completes a series of text-books undertaken by the author
over ten years ago, dealing with agricultural and industrial subjects:
"Chemistry of Plant and Animal Life," "Dairy Chemistry," "Soils and
Fertilizers," and "Human Foods and their Nutritive Value." It has been
the aim in preparing these books to avoid as far as possible repetition,
but at the same time to make each work sufficiently complete to permit
its use as a text independent of the series.
One of the greatest uses that science can serve is in its application to
the household and the everyday affairs of life. Too little attention is
generally bestowed upon the study of foods in schools and colleges,
and the author sincerely hopes the time will soon come when more
prominence will be given to this subject, which is the oldest, most
important, most neglected, and least understood of any that have a
direct bearing upon the welfare of man.
HARRY SNYDER.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE GENERAL COMPOSITION OF FOODS 1
Water; Dry Matter; Variations in Weight of Foods; Ash; Function of
Ash in Plant Life; Organic Matter; Products of Combustion of Organic
Matter; Classification of Organic Compounds; Non-nitrogenous
Compounds; Carbohydrates; Cellulose; Amount of Cellulose in Foods;
Crude Fiber; Starch; Microscopic Structure of Starch; Dextrin; Food
Value of Starch; Sugar; Pectose Substances; Nitrogen-free-extract; Fats;
Fuel Value of Fats; Iodine Number of Fats; Glycerol Content of Fats;
Ether Extract and Crude Fat; Organic Acids; Dietetic Value of Organic
Acids; Essential Oils; Mixed Compounds; Nutritive Value of
Non-nitrogenous Compounds; Nitrogenous Compounds; General
Composition; Protein; Sub-divisions of Proteins; Crude Protein; Food
Value of Protein; Albuminoids; Amids and Amines; Alkaloids; General
Relationship of the Nitrogenous Compounds.
CHAPTER II
CHANGES IN COMPOSITION OF FOODS DURING COOKING
AND PREPARATION 27
Raw and Cooked Foods compared as to Composition; Chemical
Changes during Cooking; General Changes affecting Cellulose, Starch,
Sugar, Pectin Bodies, Fats, Proteids; Effect of Chemical Changes