,steve ,harris1 ,charles ,franks and the ,online ,distributed ,proofreading ,team4 ,,the ,,physiology ,,of ,,taste2 ,,or1 ,,transcendental ,,gastronomy4 ,,illustrated ,,by ,,anecdotes ,,of ,,distinguished ,,artists ,,and ,,statesmen ,,of ,,both ,,continents4 ,,by ,,brillat ,,savarin4 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,last ,,paris ,,edition ,,by ,,fayette ,,robinson4 ,,contents4 ,,aphorisms of the ,professor to serve as ,prolegomena to his work1 and ,eternal basis of the ,science1 ,,dialogue1 between the ,author and his ,friend1 ,,biography1 ,,preface1 ,,meditation ,i4 ,,the ,,senses1 ,number of the ,senses1 ,action of the ,senses1 ,perfectness of the ,senses1 ,powers of the ,taste1 ,object of the ,action of the ,senses1 ,,meditation ,,ii4 ,,taste1 ,definition of ,taste1 ,mechanism of ,taste1 ,sensation of ,taste1 ,flavors1 ,influence of ,smelling on the ,taste1 ,analyses of the ,sensation of ,taste1 ,order of the ,impressions of ,taste1 ,enjoyments due to the ,taste1 ,supremacy of ,man1 ,method of the ,author1 ,,meditation ,,iii4 ,,gastronomy1 ,origin of ,sciences1 ,origin of ,gastronomy1 ,definition of ,gastronomy1 ,different objects of ,gastronomy1 ,utility of ,gastronomical ,knowledge1 ,influence of ,gastronomy on ,business1 ,gastronomical ,academy1 ,,meditation ,,iv4 ,,appetite1 ,definition of ,appetite1 ,anecdote1 ,great ,appetites1 ,,meditation ,v4 ,,food ,,in ,,germs--,section ,first1 ,definitions1 ,analyses1 ,osmazome1 ,principle of ,aliments1 ,vegetable ,kingdom1 ,difference between ,fat and ,lean1 ,individual ,instance1 ,,meditation ,,vi4 ,,food ,,in ,,germs--,section ,second1 ,specialities1 ,i4 ,pot-au-feu1 ,potage1 etc41 ,,ii4 ,bouilli1 ,,iii4 ,fowls1 ,,iv4 ,the ,turkey1 ,dindoniphiles1 ,financial ,influence of the ,turkey1 ,exploit of the ,professor1 ,v4 ,game1 ,,vi4 ,fish1 ,anecdote1 ,muria--,garum1 ,philosophical ,reflection1 ,,vii4 ,truffles1 ,erratic ,virtue of ,truffles1 ,are ,truffles ,indigestible1 ,,viii4 ,sugar1 ,indigenous ,sugar1 ,uses of ,sugur1 ,,ix4 ,origin of ,coffee1 ,different ,modes of preparing ,coffee1 ,effects of ,coffee1 ,x4 ,chocolate--its origin1 ,properties of ,chocolate1 ,true ,method of preparing ,chocolate1 ,,meditation ,,vii4 ,,theory ,,of ,,frying1 ,allocution1 ,i4 ,chemistry1 ,,ii4 ,application1 ,,meditation ,,viii4 ,,on ,,thirst1 ,varieties of ,thirst1 ,causes of ,thirst1 ,example1 ,,meditation ,,ix4 ,,on ,,drinks1 ,water1 ,quick effect of ,drinks1 ,strong ,drinks1 ,,meditation ,x4 ,,an ,,episode ,,on ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,world1 ,,meditation ,,xi4 ,,on ,,gourmandise1 ,definitions1 ,advantages of ,gourmandise1 ,sequel1 ,power of ,gourmandise1 ,a ,lady ,gourmand1 ,anecdote1 ,are ,women ,gourmands8 ,the effects of ,gourmandise of ,sociability1 ,influence of ,gourmandise on ,conjugal ,happiness1 ,note of a ,patriot ,gastronomer1 ,,meditation ,,xii4 ,,gourmands1 ,all who wish to be are not ,gourmands1 ,napoleon1 ,gourmands by ,destiny1 ,gourmands by ,profession1 ,financiers1 ,physicians1 ,objurgation1 ,men of ,letters1 ,devotees1 ,chevaliers and ,abbes1 ,longevity of ,gourmands1 ,,meditation ,,xiii4 ,,gastronomical ,,tests1 ,first ,series--,income of #e1jjj francs1 ,second ,series--,income of #ae1jjj francs1 ,third ,series--,income of #cj1jjj francs1 or more1 ,,meditation ,,xiv4 ,,on ,,the ,,pleasures ,,of ,,the ,,table1 ,origin of the ,pleasures of the ,table1 ,difference between the ,pleasures of ,eating and the ,pleasures of the ,table1 ,effects1 ,accessories1 ,the #ahth and #aith ,century1 ,summary1 ,,meditation ,,xv4 ,,haltes ,,de ,,chasse1 ,ladies1 ,,meditation ,,xvi4 ,,on ,,digestion1 ,ingestion1 ,duty of the ,stomach1 ,influence of ,digestion1 ,,meditation ,,xvii4 ,,repose1 ,time of ,rest1 ,,meditation ,,xviii4 ,,sleep1 ,definition1 ,,meditation ,,xix4 ,,dreams1 ,nature of ,dreams1 ,system of ,dr4 ,gall1 ,first ,observation1 ,second ,observation1 ,result1 ,age1 ,phenomena of ,dreams1 ,first ,observation1 ,second ,observation1 ,third ,observation1 ,do as you will be done by1 ,,meditation ,,xx4 ,,influence ,,of ,,diet ,,on ,,rest1 ,,sleep ,,and ,,dreams1 ,effects of ,diet on ,labor1 ,dreams1 ,consequence1 ,result1 ,,meditation ,,xxi4 ,,obesity1 ,causes of ,obesity1 ,sequel1 ,sequel1 ,anecdote1 ,inconvenience of ,obesity1 ,examples of ,obesity1 ,,meditation ,,xxii4 ,,preservative ,,treatment ,,and ,,cure ,,of ,,obesity1 ,generalities1 ,sequel of the ,regimen1 ,dangers of ,acids1 ,antiobesic ,belt1 ,quinquina1 ,,meditation ,,xxiii4 ,,thinness1 ,definition1 ,varieties1 ,effects of ,thinness1 ,natural ,predestination1 ,fattening ,regimen1 ,,meditation ,,xxiv4 ,,fasting1 ,definition1 ,origin1 ,how people used to ,fast1 ,origin of the removal of ,restriction in ,fasting1 ,,meditation ,,xxv4 ,,exhaustion1 ,treatment1 ,cure by the ,professor1 ,,meditation ,,xxvi4 ,,death1 ,,meditation ,,xxvii4 ,,philosophical ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,kitchen1 ,order of ,alimentation1 ,discovery of ,fire1 ,baking1 ,oriental ,entertainments--,grecian1 ,roman ,festivals1 ,resurrection of ,lucullus1 ,poetry1 ,irruption of the ,barbarians1 ,,meditation ,,xxviii4 ,,restaurateurs1 ,establishment1 ,,physiology ,,of ,,taste--,part ,second1 ,,transition1 ,,varieties1 ,i4 ,l'omelette du ,cure1 ,omelette au ,thon1 ,observations1 ,,ii4 ,a ,national ,victory1 ,,iii4 ,mystification of the ,professor and ,defeat of a ,general1 ,,iv4 ,the ,snare1 ,v4 ,the ,turbot1 ,,vi4 ,pheasants1 ,,vii4 ,gastronomical ,industry of the ,emigres1 ,,viii4 ,recollections of the ,emigration1 ,the ,weaver1 ,the ,starving1 ,sojourn in ,america1 ,asparagus1 ,fondue1 ,recipe for ,fondue1 ,copied from the ,papers of ,m4 ,trollet1 ,bailli of ,mondon in ,berne1 ,disappointment1 ,wonderful ,effects of a ,classical ,dinner1 ,effects and ,danger of ,strong ,drinks1 ,chevaliers and ,abbes1 ,miscellany--,wine1 ,strawberries1 ,judgment1 ,raisins1 ,a ,day with the ,bernardines1 ,prosperity en route1 ,h4 444 ,de,p 4441 ,conclusion1 ,,biographical ,,sketch4 ,the excellent man to whom we are indebted for this book has described himself1 with so much charm1 nature and truth2 the principal events of his life have been recorded in such an agreeable and faithful manner that very few words will suffice to finish the story4 ,brillat ,savarin 7,anthelme7 ,counsel of the ,court of ,cassation1 member of the ,legion of ,honor1 member of the ,society for the ,encouragement of ,national ,industry1 of the ,antiquarian ,society of ,france1 of the ,philoselic ,society of ,bourg1 c41 c41 was born1 #ast of ,april1 #agee1 at ,belley1 a little ,alpine city1 not far from the banks of the ,rhine1 which at this place separates ,france from ,savoy4 ,like his forefathers1 who had been for several generations devoted to the bar1 the profession which pleased him1 in consequence of his possession of great eloquence1 he practised with great success4 ,in1 #aghi1 the unanimous vote of his fellow citizens deputed him to the ,constituent assembly1 composed of all that was most brilliant in the youth of ,france at that day4 ,less attached in practice to the philosophy of ,zeno than that of ,epicurus1 his name does not figure very conspicuously1 but always appears at epochs1 which show that he acted with the good and moderate4 ,his legislative functions being determined by the expiration of the ,constituent ,assembly1 he was first appointed ,president of the ,superior ,civil court of the ,department of ,ain1 and subsequently a ,justice of the ,court of ,cassation1 newly instituted2 a man of talent1 perfectly incorruptible and unhesitating in the discharge of his duty1 he would have been precisely calculated for the place to which he had been appointed1 had the warmth of political discussion made practicable the advice either of moderation or of prudence4 ,in #agic1 he was ,mayor of ,belley1 and passed in anxiety there1 the season of the reign of ,terror2 whence he was forced to fly to ,switzerland for an asylum against the revolutionary movement4 ,nothing can better man1 without a personal enemy1 should be forced to pass in a foreign land the days he purposed to devote to the improvement of his country4 ,this is the point when the character of ,brillat ,savarin assumes its grandest proportions2 proscribed1 a fugitive1 and often without pecuniary resources1 frequently unable to provide for his personal safety1 he was always able to console his companions in exile and set them an example of honest industry4 ,as time rolled on1 and his situation became more painful1 he sought to find in the new world a repose which ,europe denied him2 he came from ,europe1 and in ,boston1 ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia1 and ,hartford passed two years teaching the ,french language1 and for a time playing the first violin in the orchestra of the ,park ,theatre4 ,like many other emigres1 ,brillat ,savarin ever sought to make the pleasant and the useful coincide4 ,he always preserved very pleasant recollection of this period of his life1 in which he enjoyed1 with moderate labor1 all that is necessary for happiness1 liberty sweetened by honest toil4 ,he might say all is well1 and to be able to enjoy the breath of my native land would alone increase my happiness2 he fancied that he saw brighter days with the commencement of ,vendemiaire year #e1 corresponding to ,september1 of #agif4 ,appointed by the ,directory1 as ,secretary of the ,general in ,chief of the ,republican armies in ,germany1 then ,commisary of the government in the department of the ,seine and ,oise1 7this appointment he held at the epoch of the #ahth ,brumaire1 in which ,france fancied she exchanged liberty for repose17 sustained by the ,senate and the ,court1 ,brillat ,savarin passed the remaining twenty-five years of his life respected by his inferiors1 loved by his equals1 and honored by all4 ,a man of mind1 a pleasant guest1 with a deep fund of humor1 he delighted every body4 ,his judicial labors did not at all interfere with the composition of this book1 which he esteemed the great one of his life4 ,to the very facility of its composition1 the ,physiology of the ,taste1 owes its success2 one would form a very erroneous opinion of it1 were he to estimate it at all as we do ,montaigue's writings on the ,gueule4 ,savarin was naturally a thoughtful man1 the simplest meal satisfied him1 all he required was that it should be prepared artistically2 and he maintained that the art of cookery consisted in exciting the taste4 ,he used to say1 to excite a stomach of ,papier ,mache1 and enliven vital powers almost ready to depart1 a cook needs more talent than he who has solved the ,,infintesimal ,,calculus4 ,the world was much surprised by finding in a book by ,brillat ,savarin1 a man it had always looked upon as simply a very pleasant person1 such a vast collection of general information2 after his laborious profession he had always seemed to expend the rest of his time with the muses and graces1 and none could divine where he obtained so much information1 as almost to recall the story of some gray-haired sage of ,greece4 ,he had however already composed more than one work unrecognised1 if we except the two opuscula ,critical and ,historical ,essay on ,duel1 with ,relation to our ,legislation and ,morals1 and a work on judicial practice4 ,they were successful1 but he was just then attacked by a violent cold1 contracted by being present at the annual ceremony1 ,footnote3 ,not only ,brillat ,savarin1 but ,robert ,de ,st4 ,vincent1 and ,attorney ,general ,marchangy1 contracted their death in consequence of the same ceremonial4 the #bast of ,january at the ,church of ,st4 ,dennis4 ,in spite of every care and attention1 on the #b;d of ,february1 #ahbf1 he died4 ,for many years gifted with robust health and athletic constitution1 made the more remarkable by his tall stature1 ,brillat ,savarin had a presentiment of the approach of death2 this feeling1 however1 did not influence the tenor of his life1 for his habitual gaity was maintained unimpaired4 ,when the fatal point was reached1 he died tanquam convivia satur1 not without regret1 certainly1 for he left many kind friends to whom his memory could not but be dear4 ,,aphorisms ,,of ,,the ,,professor4 ,,to ,,serve ,,as ,,prolegomena ,,to ,,his ,,work ,,and ,,eternal ,,basis ,,to ,,the ,,science4 ,i4 ,the universe would be nothing were it not for life and all that lives must be fed4 ,,ii4 ,animals fill themselves2 man eats4 ,the man of mind alone knows how to eat4 ,,iii4 ,the destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they are fed4 ,,iv4 ,tell me what kind of food you eat1 and ,i will tell you what kind of man you are4 ,v4 ,the ,creator1 when he obliges man to eat1 invites him to do so by appetite1 and rewards him by pleasure4 ,,vi4 ,gourmandise is an act of our judgment1 in obedience to which1 we grant a preference to things which are agreeable1 over those which nave not that quality4 ,,vii4 ,the pleasure of the table belongs to all ages1 to all conditions1 to all countries1 and to all aeras2 it mingles with all other pleasures1 and remains at last to console us for their departure4 ,,viii4 ,the table is the only place where one does not suffer1 from ennui during the first hour4 ,,ix4 ,the discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity1 than the discovery of a new star4 ,x4 ,those persons who suffer from indigestion1 or who become drunk1 are utterly ignorant of the true principles of eating and drinking4 ,,xi4 ,the order of food is from the most substantial to the lightest4 ,,xii4 ,the order of drinking is from the mildest to the most foamy and perfumed4 ,,xiii4 ,to say that we should not change our drinks is a heresy2 the tongue becomes saturated1 and after the third glass yields but an obtuse sensation4 ,,xiv4 ,a dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman who has lost an eye4 ,,xv4 ,a cook may be taught1 but a man who can roast1 is born with the faculty4 ,,xvi4 ,the most indispensable quality of a good cook is promptness4 ,it should also be that of the guests4 ,,xvii4 ,to wait too long for a dilatory guest1 shows disrespect to those who are punctual4 ,,xviii4 ,he who receives friends and pays no attention to the repast prepared for them1 is not fit to have friends4 ,,xix4 ,the mistress of the house should always be certain that the coffee be excellent2 the master that his liquors be of the first quality4 ,,xx4 ,to invite a person to your house is to take charge of his happiness as long as he be beneath your roof4 ,,dialogue between the author and his friend4 7after the usual salutations47 ,,friend4 ,as my wife and myself were at breakfast this morning1 we came to the conclusion that you should print1 as soon as possible1 your ,gastronomical ,observations4 ,,author4 ,what the wife wishes ,god wills4 ,in six words that is the charta of ,paris4 ,i1 though1 am not subject to that law1 for ,i am an unmarried man4 ,,friend4 ,bachelors1 though1 are as subject to the law as others are1 sometimes much to our injury4 ,single blessedness here1 however1 will not save you4 ,my wife says she has a right to order1 because you began your book at her country-house4 ,,author4 ,you know1 dear ,doctor1 how ,i defer to the ladies2 more than once you have found my submission to their orders4 ,you also were one of those who said ,i would make an excellent husband4 ,i will not1 however1 print my book4 ,,friend4 ,why not8 ,,author4 ,because being devoted1 from the nature of my profession1 to serious studies1 ,i fear that those who only know the title of my book will think that ,i devote myself to trifles4 ,,friend4 ,a panic terror6 ,thirty-six years of constant toil and labor for the public1 have made you a reputation4 ,besides1 my wife and ,i think every body would read you4 ,,author4 ,indeed6 ,,friend4 ,the learned will read your book to ascertain what you have to tell4 ,,author4 ,perhaps4 ,,friend4 ,women will read your book because they will see--- ,,author4 ,my dear friend1 ,i am old1 ,i am attacked by a fit of wisdom4 ,miserere mei4 ,,friend4 ,gourmands will read you because you do them justice1 and assign them their suitable rank in society4 ,,author4 ,well1 that is true4 ,it is strange that they have so long been misunderstood2 ,i look on the dear ,gourmands with paternal affection4 ,they are so kind and their eyes are so bright4 ,,friend4 ,besides1 did you not tell me such a book was needed in every library4 ,,author4 ,i did4 ,it is the truth--and ,i would die sooner than deny it4 ,,friend3 ,ah6 you are convinced6 ,you will come home with me8 ,,author4 ,not so4 ,if there be flowers in the author's path1 there are also thorns4 ,the latter ,i leave to my heirs4 ,,friend4 ,but then you disinherit your friends1 acquaintances and cotemporaries4 ,dare you do so8 ,,author4 ,my heirs6 my heirs6 ,i have heard that shades of the departed are always flattered by the praise of the living2 this is a state of beatitude ,i wish to reserve myself for the other world4 ,,friend4 ,but are you sure that the praise you love so1 will come to the right address8 ,are you sure of the exactness of your heirs8 ,,author4 ,i have no reason to think they will neglect a duty1 in consideration of which ,i have excused them the neglect of so many others4 ,,friend4 ,will they--can they have for your book the paternal love1 the author's attention without which every work always comes awkwardly before the public8 ,,author4 ,my manuscript will be corrected1 written out distinctly1 and in all respects prepared2 they will only have to print it4 ,,friend4 ,and the chapter of events8 ,alas6 such circumstances have caused the loss of many precious books1--among which was that of the famous ,lecat1 on the state of the body during sleep1 the work of his whole life4 ,,author4 ,this doubtless was a great loss2 but ,i anticipate no such regrets for my book4 ,,friend4 ,believe me1 your friends will have enough to do-to arrange matters with the church1 with the law1 and with the medical faculty1 so that if they had the will1 they would not have the time to devote them-selves to the various cares which precede1 accompany1 and follow the publication of a book1--however small the volume may be4 ,,author4 ,but1 my friend1 what a title6 ,think of the ridicule6 ,,friend4 ,the word ,gastronomy makes every ear attentive2 the subject is a la mode1 and those who laugh are as great votaries of the science as any others are4 ,this should satisfy you4 ,do you remember too1 that the greatest men have sometimes written books on very trivial subjects1-,montesquieu1 for example4 ,footnote3 ,m4 de ,monjucla1 known as the author of an excellent history of mathematics1 made a ,dictionary of ,gourmand ,geography2 he showed me portions of it during my residence at ,versailles4 ,it is said that ,m4 ,berryat-,professor of legal practice1 has written a romance in several volumes on the subject4 ,,author4 7,quickly47 ,on my word1 that is true4 ,he wrote the ,temple of ,gnidus1 and it would not be difficult to sustain that there is more real utility in meditating on what is at once a necessity1 a pleasure1 and an occupation every day of our lives1 than in telling what was done and said a thousand years ago by two mad people1 one of whom pursued through the woods of ,greece the other1 who had not the least disposition to escape4 ,,friend4 ,ah6 ha6 ,now you yield8 ,,author4 ,not ,i4 ,the ass's ear of the author only was shown2 and this recalls to my memory a scene of ,english comedy1 which amused me very much2 it is1 ,i think1 in the play called the ,natural ,daughter4 ,you shall see1 however1 for yourself4 ,footnote3 ,the reader will observe that my friend permits me to be familiar with him1 without taking advantage of it4 ,the reason is1 that the difference between our ages is that of a father and a son1 and that1 though now a man of great note and importance in every respect1 he would be completely overcome with grief if ,i changed my bearing towards him4 ,the subject relates to the ,quakers1 that sect which uses thee and thou to everybody1 which dresses simply1 never go to war1 never swear or act with passion1 and who never get angry4 ,the hero of this piece is a young and handsome ,quaker1 who appears on the scene in a brown coat1 a broad-brimmed hat1 and slick hair6 ,all this1 though1 does not keep him from being in love4 ,a fool who is his rival1 emboldened by his exterior1 ridicules and outrages him so that the young man gradually becoming excited1 and finally made furious1 gives his assailant a severe thrashing4 ,having done this he at once resumes his habitual deportment and says1 sadly1 ,alas6 the flesh is too mighty for the spirit4 ,thus say ,i1 and after a brief hesitation resume my first opinion4 ,,friend4 ,that is impossible4 ,you have shown your ear2 you are a prize1 and ,i will take you to my bookseller4 ,i will tell you who has gotten wind of your secret4 ,,author4 ,do not2 for ,i would speak of yourself1 and who knows what ,i would say8 ,,friend4 ,what could you say8 ,do not think you can intimidate me4 ,,author4 ,i will not say that our native city ,footnote3 ,belley1 capital of ,bugey1 where high mountains1 hills1 vines1 limpid streams1 cascades1 dells1 gardens of a hundred square leagues are found1 and where1 ,,before the revolution1 the people were able to control the other two orders4 is proud of having given you birth4 ,at the age of twenty-four you published an elementary book1 which from that day has become a classic4 ,a deserved reputation has attracted confidence to you4 ,your skill revives invalids2 your dexterity animates them2 your sensibility consoles them4 ,all know this2 but ,i will reveal to all ,paris1 to all ,france1 the sole fault of which ,i know you guilty4 ,,friend4 7,seriously47 ,what do you mean8 ,,author4 ,an habitual fault which no persuasion can correct4 ,,friend4 ,tell me what you mean6 ,why torment me8 ,,author4 ,you eat too quickly4 7,here1 the friend takes up his hat and leaves1 fancying that he has made a convert47 ,,biography ,the ,doctor ,i have introduced into the dialogue we have just read1 is not a creature of imagination like the ,chloris of other days1 but a real living ,doctor4 ,those who know me1 will remember ,,richerand4 ,when ,i thought of him ,i could not but have reference to those who preceded him1 and ,i saw with pride that from ,belley1 from the department of ,ain1 my native soil1 for a long time physicians of the greatest distinction had come4 ,i could not resist the temptation to erect a brief monument to them4 ,during the regency ,doctors ,genin and ,civoct were in full possession of practice1 and expended in their country a wealth they had honorably acquired4 ,the first was altogether ,,hippocratite2 he proceeded secundum artem2 the second was almost monopolized by women1 and had as his device1 as ,tacitus would have said1 res novas molientem4 ,about #aghj ,chapelle became distinguished in the dangerous career of a military surgeon4 ,about #agha ,doctor ,dubois had great success in sundry maladies1 then very much a la mode1 and in nervous diseases4 ,the success he obtained was really wonderful4 ,unfortunately he inherited a fortune and became idle1 and was satisfied to be a good story-teller4 ,he was very amusing1 and contrived to survive the dinners of the new and old regime4 ,footnote3 ,i smiled when ,i wrote the above1 for it recalled to me an ,academician1 the eulogium of whom ,fontenelle undertook4 ,the deceased knew only how to play at all games4 ,fontenelle made a very decent oration1 however1 about him4 ,about the end of the reign of ,louis ,,xv41 ,dr4 ,coste1 a native of ,chatillon came to ,paris2 he had a letter from ,voltaire to the ,duc de ,choiseuil1 the good wishes of whom he gained as soon as he had seen him4 ,protected by this nobleman1 and by the ,duchess of ,grammont1 his sister1 young ,coste advanced rapidly1 and in a short time became one of the first physicians of ,paris4 ,the patronage he had received took him from a profitable career to place him at the head of the medical department of the army which ,france sent to the ,united ,states1 who then were contending for their independence4 ,having fulfilled his mission1 ,coste returned to ,france1 and almost unseen lived through the evil days of #agic4 ,he was elected maire of ,versailles1 and even now the memory of his administration1 at once mild1 gentle and paternal1 has been preserved4 ,the ,directors now recalled him to the charge of the medical department of the army4 ,bonaparte appointed him one of the three ,inspectors ,general of the service2 the ,doctor was always the friend1 protector1 and patron of the young men who selected that service4 ,he was at last appointed ,physician of the ,invalides1 and discharged the duties until he died4 ,such service the ,bourbons could not neglect1 and ,louis ,,xviii4 granted to ,doctor ,coste the cordon of ,saint ,michel4 ,doctor ,coste died a few years since1 leaving behind kind recollections1 and a daughter married to ,m4 ,lalot1 who distinguished himself in the ,chamber of ,deputies by his eloquent and profound arguments4 ,one day when we had dined with ,m4 ,favre1 the ,cure of ,st4 ,laurent1 ,doctor ,coste told me of a difficulty he had1 the day before1 with the ,count de ,le ,cessac1 then a high officer of the ministry of war1 about a certain economy which the latter proposed as a means of paying his court ,napoleon4 ,the economy consisted in retrenching the allowances of hospital1 so as to restrict men who had wounds from the comforts they were entitled to4 ,doctor ,coste said such measures were abominable1 and he became angry4 ,i do not know what the result was1 but only that the sick soldiers had their usual allowances1 and that no change was made4 ,he was appointed ,professor of the ,faculty of ,medicine4 ,his style was simple and his addresses were plain and fruitful4 ,honors were crowded on him4 ,he was appointed ,physician to the ,empress ,marie ,louise4 ,he did not1 however1 fill that place long1 the ,emperor was swept away1 and the ,doctor himself succumbed to a disease of the leg1 to which he had long been subject4 ,bordier was of a calm disposition1 kind and reliable4 ,about the #ahth century appeared ,bichat1 all of the writings of whom bear the impress of genius4 ,he expended his life in toil to advance science1 and joined the patience of restricted minds to enthusiasm4 ,he died at the age of thirty1 and public honors were decreed to his memory4 ,at a later day came ,doctor ,montegre1 who carried philosophy into clinics4 ,he was the editor of the ,gazette de ,sante1 and at the age of forty died in the ,antilles whither he had gone to complete his book on the ,vomite ,negro4 ,at the present moment ,richerand stands on the highest degree of operative medicine1 and his ,elements of ,physiology have been translated into every language4 ,appointed at an early date a ,professor of the ,faculty of ,paris1 he made all rely fully on him4 ,he is the keenest1 gentlest1 and quickest operator in the world4 ,recamier1 a professor of the same faculty1 sits by his side4 ,the present being thus assured1 the future expands itself before us6 ,under the wings of these mighty ,professors arise young men of the same land1 who seek to follow their honorable examples4 ,janin and ,manjot already crush the pavement of ,paris4 ,manjot devotes himself to the diseases of children2 he has happy inspirations1 and soon will tell the public what he has discovered4 ,i trust my readers will pardon this digression of an old man1 who1 during an absence of thirty years1 has neither forgotten his country nor his countrymen4 ,i could not however omit all those physicians1 the memory of whom is yet preserved in their birth- place1 and who1 though not conspicuous1 had not on that account the less merit or worth4 ,footnote3 ,the translator thinks several have made world-renowned names4 ,,preface4 ,in offering to the public the work ,i now produce1 ,i have undertaken no great labor4 ,i have only put in order materials ,i had collected long ago4 ,the occupation was an amusing one1 which ,i reserved for my old age4 ,when ,i thought of the pleasures of the table1 under every point of view1 ,i saw that something better than a common cookery book could be made out of it1 and that much might be said about essential and continuous things1 which have a direct influence on health1 happiness1 and even on business4 ,when ,i had once gotten hold of the idea1 all the rest came naturally4 ,i looked around1 took notes1 and amidst the most sumptuous festivals looked at the guests4 ,thus ,i escaped many of the dangers of conviviality4 ,to do what ,i have undertaken1 one need not be a physician1 chemist1 physiologist1 or even a savant4 ,all ,i learned1 ,i learned without the least idea that ,i would ever be an author4 ,i was impressed by a laudable curiosity1 by the fear of remaining behind my century1 and by an anxiety to be able to sit at table on equal terms with the savants ,i used to meet4 ,i am essentially an amateur medecin1 and this to me is almost a mania4 ,among the happiest days of my life1 when with the ,professors1 ,i went to hear the thesis of ,doctor ,cloquet2 ,i was delighted when ,i heard the murmur of the students' voices1 each of whom asked who was the foreign professor who honored the ,college with his presence4 ,one other day is1 ,i think1 almost as dear to me4 ,i refer to the meeting of the society for the encouragement of national industry1 when ,i presented the irrorator1 an instrument of my own invention1 which is neither more nor less than a forcing pump filled with perfumes4 ,i had an apparatus fully charged in my pocket4 ,i turned the cock1 and thence pressed out a perfume which filled the whole room4 ,then ,i saw1 with inexpressible pleasure1 the wisest heads of the capital bend beneath my irrigation1 and ,i was glad to see that those who received most1 were the happiest4 ,thinking sometimes of the grave lucubrations to which ,i was attracted by my subject1 ,i really as afraid that ,i would be troublesome4 ,i have often read very stupid books4 ,i did all that ,i could to escape this reproach4 ,i have merely hovered over subjects which presented themselves to me2 ,i have filled my book with anecdotes1 some of which to a degree are personal4 ,i have omitted to mention many strange and singular things1 which critical judgment induced me to reject1 and ,i recalled popular attention to certain things which savants seemed to have reserved to themselves4 ,if1 in spite of all these efforts1 ,i have not presented to my readers a science rarely understood1 ,i shall sleep just as calmly1 being certain that the ,,majority will acquit me of all evil intention4 ,it may perhaps be said that sometimes ,i wrote too rapidly1 and that sometimes ,i became garrulous4 ,is it my fault that ,i am old8 ,is it my fault that1 like ,ulysses1 ,i have seen the manners and customs of many cities8 ,am ,i therefore blamable for writing a little bit of autobiography8 ,let the reader1 however1 remember that ,i do not inflict my political memoirs on him1 which he would have to read1 as he has many others1 since during the last thirty years ,i have been exactly in the position to see great men and great things4 ,let no one assign me a place among compilers2 had ,i been reduced thus low1 ,i would have laid down my pen1 and would not have lived less happily4 ,i said1 like ,juvenal3 ,semper ego auditor tantum6 nunquamne reponam6 and those who know me will easily see that used to the tumult of society and to the silence of the study ,i had to take advantage of both one and the other of these positions4 ,i did too many things which pleased me particularly2 ,i was able to mention many friends who did not expect me to do so1 and recalled some pleasant memories2 ,i seized on others which would have escaped1 and1 as we say familiarly1 took my coffee4 ,it may be a single reader may in some category exclaim1----,i wished to know if----4 ,what was he thinking of1 etc41 etc4 ,i am sure1 though1 the others will make him be silent and receive with kindness the effusions of a praiseworthy sentiment4 ,i have something to say about my style1 which1 as ,buffon says1 is all the man4 ,let none think ,i come to ask for a favor which is never granted to those who need it4 ,i wish merely to make an explanation4 ,i should write well1 for ,voltaire1 ,jean ,jacques1 ,fenelon1 ,buffon1 and ,cochin and ,aguesseau were my favorite authors4 ,i knew them by heart4 ,it may be though1 that the gods ordered otherwise2 if so1 this is the cause of the will of the gods4 ,i know five languages which now are spoken1 which gives me an immense refectory of words4 ,when ,i need a word and do not find it in ,french1 ,i select it from other tongues1 and the reader has either to understand or translate me4 ,such is my fate4 ,i could have acted otherwise1 but was prevented by a kind of system to which ,i was invincibly attached4 ,i am satisfied that the ,french language which ,i use is comparatively poor4 ,what could ,i do8 ,either borrow or steal4 ,i did neither1 for such borrowings1 cannot be restored1 though to steal words is not punishable by the penal code4 ,any one may form an idea of my audacity when ,i say ,i applied the ,spanish word volante to any one ,i had sent on an errand1 and that ,i had determined to ,,gallicise the ,english word ,,to ,,sip1 which means to drink in small quantities4 ,i however dug out the ,french word siroter1 which expresses nearly the same thing4 ,i am aware the purists will appeal to ,bosseux1 to ,fenelon1 ,raceri1 ,boilleau1 ,pascal1 and others of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,i fancy ,i hear their clamor4 ,to all this ,i reply distinctly1 that ,i do not depreciate the merit of those authors2 but what follows8 ,nothing1 except that if they played well on an inferior instrument1 how much better would they have done on a superior one4 ,therefore1 we may believe that ,tartini would have played on the violin far better than he did1 if his bow had been long as that of ,baillot4 ,i do not belong to the neologues or even to the romanticists2 the last are discoverers of hidden treasures1 the former are like sailors who go about to search for provisions they need4 ,the people of the ,north1 and especially the ,english1 have in this respect an immense advantage over us4 ,genius is never restricted by the want of expression1 which is either made or created4 ,thus it is that of all subjects which demand depth and energy1 our translations make but pale and dull infusions4 ,once ,i heard at the institute a pleasant discourse on the danger of neologism1 and on the necessity of maintaining our language as it was when the authors of the great century wrote4 ,like a chemist1 ,i sifted the argument and ascertained that it meant3 ,we have done so well1 that we neither need nor can do better4 ,now2 ,i have lived long enough to know that each generation has done as much1 and that each one laughs at his grandfather4 ,besides1 words must change1 when manners and ideas undergo perpetual modifications4 ,if we do things as the ancients did1 we do not do them in the same manner4 ,there are whole pages in many ,french books1 which cannot be translated into ,latin or ,greek4 ,all languages had their birth1 their apogee and decline4 ,none of those which have been famous from the days of ,sesostris to that of ,philip ,augustus1 exist except as monuments4 ,the ,french will have the same fate1 and in the year #bhbe if read1 will be read with a dictionary4 ,i once had a terrible argument on this matter with the famous ,m4 ,andrieux1 at the ,academie ,francaise4 ,i made my assault in good array1 ,i attacked him vigorously1 and would have beaten him had he not made a prompt retreat1 to which ,i opposed no obstacle1 fortunately for him1 as he was making one letter of the new lexicon4 ,i end by one important observation1 for that reason ,i have kept it till the last4 ,when ,i write of ,,me in the singular1 ,i gossip with my reader1 he may examine1 discuss1 doubt or laugh2 but when ,i say ,,we ,i am a professor1 and all must bow to me4 ,i am1 ,sir ,oracle1 ,and when ,i ope my lips1 let no dog bark4 ,merchant of ,venice4 ,,physiology ,,of ,,taste4 ,,meditation ,,first4 ,,the ,,senses4 ,the senses are the organs by which man places himself in connexion with exterior objects4 ,,number ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 #a4 ,they are at least six-- ,sight1 which embraces space1 and tells us by means of light1 of the existence and of the colors of the bodies around us4 ,hearing1 which1 by the motion of the air1 informs us of the motion of sounding or vibrating bodies4 ,scent1 by means of which we are made aware of the odors bodies possess4 ,taste1 which enables us to distinguish all that has a flavor from that which is insipid4 ,touch informs us of the consistency and resistance of bodies4 ,the last is genesiac or physical love1 which attracts the sexes to each other1 and the object of which is the reproduction of the species4 ,it is astonishing that1 almost to the days of ,buffon1 so important a sense was misunderstood1 and was confounded with the touch4 ,yet the sensation of which it is the seat1 has nothing in common with touch2 it resides in an apparatus as complete as the mouth or the eyes1 and what is singular is that each sex has all that is needed to experience the sensation2 it is necessary that the two should be united to reach nature's object4 ,if the ,,taste1 the object of which is the preservation of the individual1 be incontestibly a sense1 the same title must indubitably be preserved on the organs destined to the preservation of the species4 ,let us then assign to the genesiac the sensual place which cannot be refused to it1 and let us leave to posterity the assignment of its peculiar rank4 ,,action ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 ,if we were permitted1 even in imagination1 to refer to the first moments of the existence of the human race1 we would believe that the first sensations were direct2 that is to say that all saw confusedly and indirectly1 smelled without care1 ate without tasting1 etc4 ,the centre of all these sensations1 however1 being the soul1 the sensual attribute of humanity and active cause of perfectibility1 they are reflected1 compared1 and judged by it2 the other senses then come to the assistance of each other1 for the utility and well-being of the sensitive2 one or individual4 ,thus touch rectifies the errors of sight2 sound1 by means of articulate speech1 becomes the interpreter of every sentiment2 taste is aided by sight and smell2 hearing compares sounds1 appreciates distance2 and the genesiac sense takes possession of the organs of all the senses4 ,the torrent of centuries rolling over the human race1 has continually brought new perfections1 the cause of which1 ever active though unseen1 is found in the demands made by our senses1 which always in their turns demand to be occupied4 ,sight thus gave birth to painting1 to sculpture1 and to spectacles of every kind4 ,sound1 to melody1 harmony1 to the dance1 and to music in all its branches1 and means of execution4 ,smell1 to the discovery1 manufacture and use of perfumes4 ,taste1 to the production1 choice and preparation of all that is used for food4 ,touch1 to all art1 trades and occupations4 ,the genesiac sense1 to all which prepares or embellishes the reunion of senses1 and1 subsequently to the days of ,francois ,i41 to romantic love1 to coquetry1 which originated in ,france and obtained its name there1 and from which the elite of the world1 collected in the capital of the universe1 take their lessons every day4 ,this proposition1 strange as it seems1 is very susceptible of demonstration2 we cannot express with clearness in any ancient language1 ideas about these three great motives of actual society4 ,i had written a dialogue on this subject1 but suppressed it for the purpose of permitting the reader1 each in his own way1 to think of the matter for himself4 ,there is enough to occupy the mind and display intelligence and erudition during a whole evening4 ,we said above1 that the genesiac sense took possession of the organs of all the others2 the influence it has exerted over all sciences is not less4 ,when we look closer1 we will find that all that is most delicate and ingenious is due to the desire1 to hope1 or to gratitude1 in connexion with the union of the sexes4 ,such is1 indeed1 the genealogy of the senses1 even the most abstract ones1 all being the immediate result of continuous efforts made to gratify our senses4 ,,perfectness ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 ,these senses1 our favorites1 are far from being perfect1 and ,i will not pause to prove it4 ,i will only observe1 that that ethereal sense--sight1 and touch1 which is at the other extremity of the scale1 have from time acquired a very remarkable additional power4 ,by means of spectacles the eye1 so to say1 escapes from the decay of age1 which troubles almost all the other organs4 ,the telescope has discovered stars hitherto unknown and inaccessible to all our means of mensuration2 it has penetrated distances so great1 that luminous and necessarily immense bodies present themselves to us only like nebulous and almost imperceptible spots4 ,the microscope has made us acquainted with the interior configuration of bodies2 or has shown the existence of a vegetation and of plants1 the existence of which we were ignorant of4 ,animals a hundred thousand times smaller than any visible with the naked eye have been discovered2 these animalculae1 however1 move1 feed and multiply1 establishing the existence of organs of inconceivable tenuity4 ,mechanics have multiplied our power2 man has executed all that he could conceive of1 and has moved weights nature made inaccessible to his weakness4 ,by means of arms and of the lever1 man has conquered all nature2 he has subjected it to his pleasure1 wants and caprices4 ,he has overturned its surfaces1 and a feeble biped has become king of creation4 ,sight and touch1 being thus increased in capacity1 might belong to some species far superior to man2 or rather the human species would be far different had all the senses been thus improved4 ,we must in the meantime remark1 that if touch has acquired a great development as a muscular power1 civilization has done almost nothing for it as an organ of sensation4 ,we must1 however1 despair of nothing1 but remember that the human race is yet young1 and that only after a long series of years can the senses aggrandise their domain4 ,for instance4 ,harmony was only discovered about four centuries ago1 and that celestial science is to sound what painting is to colors4 ,certainly1 the ancients used to sing and accompany themselves in unison4 ,their knowledge1 however1 ended there4 ,they knew neither how to decompose sounds1 nor to appreciate their relations4 ,footnote3 ,we are aware that the contrary has been maintained2 the idea though cannot be supported4 ,had the ancients been acquainted with harmony1 their writings would have preserved some precise notion on the matter1 instead of a few obscure phrases1 which may be tortured to mean anything4 ,besides1 we cannot follow the birth and progress of harmony in the monuments left to us2 this obligation we owe to the ,arabs1 who made us a present of the organ1 which produces at one time many continuous sounds1 and thus created harmony4 ,tone was only reduced to system1 and accords measured in the fifteenth century4 ,only then it was used to sustain the voice and to reinforce the expression of sentiments4 ,this discovery1 made at so late a day1 yet so natural1 doubled the hearing1 and has shown the existence of two somewhat independent faculties1 one of which receives sound and the other appreciates resonance4 ,the ,german ,doctors say that persons sensible of harmony have one sense more than others4 ,of those persons to whom music is but a confused mass of sounds1 we may remark that almost all sing false4 ,we are forced to think that they have the auditory apparatus so made1 as to receive but brief and short undulation1 or that the two ears not being on the same diapason1 the difference in length and sensibility of these constituent parts1 causes them to transmit to the brain only an obscure and undetermined sensation1 like two instruments played in neither the same key nor the same measure1 and which can produce no continuous melody4 ,the centuries last passed have also given the taste important extension2 the discovery of sugar1 and its different preparations1 of alcoholic liquors1 of wine1 ices1 vanilla1 tea and coffee1 have given us flavors hitherto unknown4 ,who knows if touch will not have its day1 and if some fortuitous circumstance will not open to us thence some new enjoyments8 ,this is especially probable as tactile sensitiveness exists every where in the body1 and consequently can every where be excited4 ,we have seen that physical love has taken possession of all the sciences4 ,in this respect it acts with its habitual tyranny4 ,the taste is a more prudent measure but not less active faculty4 ,taste1 we say1 has accomplished the same thing1 with a slowness which ensures its success4 ,elsewhere we will consider the march4 ,we may1 however1 observe1 that he who has enjoyed a sumptuous banquet in a hall decked with flowers1 mirrors1 paintings1 and statues1 embalmed in perfume1 enriched with pretty women1 filled with delicious harmony1 will not require any great effort of thought to satisfy himself that all sciences have been put in requisition to exalt and to enhance the pleasures of taste4 ,,object ,,of ,,the ,,action ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 ,let us now glance at the system of our senses1 considered together1 and we will see that the ,author of creation had two objects1 one of which is the consequence of the other1--the preservation of the individual and the duration of the species4 ,such is the destiny of man1 considered as a sensitive being2 all his actions have reference to this double purpose4 ,the eye perceives external objects1 reveals the wonders by which a man is surrounded1 and tells him he is a portion of the great whole4 ,hearing perceives sounds1 not only as an agreeable sensation1 but as warnings of the movement of bodies likely to endanger us4 ,the sense of touch watches to warn us by pain of any immediate lesion4 ,that faithful servant the hand has prepared his defence1 assured his steps1 but has from instinct seized objects it thought needed to repair losses caused by the use of life4 ,the sense of smell explores2 deleterious substances almost always have an unpleasant smell4 ,the taste decides2 the teeth are put in action1 the tongue unites with the palate in tasting1 and the stomach soon commences the process of assimilation4 ,in this state a strange languor is perceived1 objects seem discolored1 the body bends1 the eyes close1 all disappears1 and the senses are in absolute repose4 ,when he awakes man sees that nothing around him has changed1 a secret fire ferments in his bosom1 a new organ is developed4 ,he feels that he wishes to divide his existence4 ,this active unquiet and imperious sentiment is common to both sexes4 ,it attracts them together and unites them1 and when the germ of a new being is fecundated1 the individuals can sleep in peace4 ,they have fulfilled the holiest of their duties by assuring the duration of the species4 ,footnote3 ,buffon describes1 with all the charms of the most brilliant eloquence1 the first moments of ,eve's existence4 ,called on to describe almost the same subject1 we have drawn but one feature4 ,the reader will complete the picture4 ,such are the general and philosophical principles ,i wished to place before my readers1 to lead them naturally to the examination of the organ of taste4 ,,meditation ,,ii4 ,,taste4 ,,definition ,,of ,,taste4 ,taste is the sense which communicates to us a knowledge of vapid bodies by means of the sensations which they excite4 ,taste1 which has as its excitement appetite1 hunger and thirst1 is the basis of many operations the result of which is that the individual believes1 developes1 preserves and repairs the losses occasioned by vital evaporation4 ,organized bodies are not sustained in the same manner4 ,the ,author of creation1 equally varied in causes and effects1 has assigned them different modes of preservation4 ,vegetables1 which are the lowest in the scale of living things1 are fed by roots1 which1 implanted in the native soil1 select by the action of a peculiar mechanism1 different subjects1 which serve to increase and to nourish them4 ,as we ascend the scale we find bodies gifted with animal life and deprived of locomotion4 ,they are produced in a medium which favors their existence1 and have special and peculiar organs which extract all that is necessary to sustain the portion and duration of life allotted them4 ,they do not seek food1 which1 on the contrary1 comes to seek them4 ,another mode has been appointed for animals endowed with locomotion1 of which man is doubtless the most perfect4 ,a peculiar instinct warns him of the necessity of food2 he seeks and seizes the things which he knows are necessary to satisfy his wants2 he eats1 renovates himself1 and thus during his life passes through the whole career assigned to him4 ,taste may be considered in three relations4 ,in physical man it is the apparatus by means of which he appreciates flavors4 ,in moral man it is the sensation which the organ impressed by any savorous centre impresses on the common centre4 ,considered as a material cause1 taste is the property which a body has to impress the organ and to create a sensation4 ,taste seems to have two chief uses3 #a4 ,it invites us by pleasure to repair the losses which result from the use of life4 #b4 ,it assists us to select from among the substances offered by nature1 those which are alimentary4 ,in this choice taste is powerfully aided by the sense of smell1 as we will see hereafter2 as a general principle1 it may be laid down that nutritious substances are repulsive neither to the taste nor to the smell4 ,it is difficult to say in exactly what the faculty of taste consists4 ,it is more complicated than it appears4 ,the tongue certainly plays a prominent part in the mechanism of degustation--for1 being endued with great muscular power1 it enfolds1 turns1 presses and swallows food4 ,also1 by means of the more or less numerous pores which cover it1 it becomes impregnated with the sapid and soluble portions of the bodies which it is placed in contact with4 ,yet all this does not suffice1 for many adjacent parts unite in completing the sensation --viz3 jaws1 palate1 and especially the nasal tube1 to which physiologists have perhaps not paid attention enough4 ,the jaws furnish saliva1 as necessary to mastication as to the formation of the digestible mass4 ,they1 like the palate1 are gifted with a portion of the appreciative faculties2 ,i do not know that1 in certain cases1 the nose does not participate1 and if but for the odor which is felt in the back of the mouth1 the sensation of taste would not be obtuse and imperfect4 ,persons who have no tongue or who have lost it1 yet preserve the sensation of taste4 ,all the books mention the first case2 the second was explained to me by an unfortunate man1 whose tongue had been cut out by the ,algerines for having1 with several of his companions1 formed a plot to escape from captivity4 ,i met this man at ,amsterdam1 where he was a kind of broker4 ,he was a person of education1 and by writing was perfectly able to make himself understood4 ,observing that his whole tongue1 to the very attachment1 had been cut away1 ,i asked him if he yet preserved any sense of taste when he ate1 and if the sense of taste had survived the cruel operation he had undergone4 ,he told me his greatest annoyance was in swallowing1 7which indeed was difficult27 that he had a full appreciation of tastes and flavors1 but that acid and bitter substances produced intense pain4 ,he told me the abscission of the tongue was very common in the ,african kingdoms1 and was made use of most frequently to punish those thought to be the leaders of any plot1 and that they had peculiar instruments to affect it with4 ,i wished him to describe them1 but he showed such painful reluctance in this matter1 that ,i did not insist4 ,i reflected on what he said1 and ascending to the centuries of ignorance1 when the tongues of blasphemers were cut and pierced1 ,i came to the conclusion that these punishments were of ,moorish origin1 and were imported by the crusaders4 ,we have seen above1 that the sensation of taste resided chiefly in the pores and feelers of the tongue4 ,anatomy tells us that all tongues are not exactly alike1 there being three times as many feelers in some tongues as in others4 ,this circumstance will explain why one of two guests1 sitting at the same table1 is delighted1 while the other seems to eat from constraint2 the latter has a tongue but slightly provided4 ,these are recognized in the empire of the taste--both deaf and dumb4 ,,sensation ,,of ,,taste4 ,five or six opinions have been advanced as to the modus operandi of the sensation of taste4 ,i have mine1 viz3 ,the sensation of taste is a chemical operation1 produced by humidity4 ,that is to say1 the savorous particles must be dissolved in some fluid1 so as to be subsequently absorbed by the nervous tubes1 feelers1 or tendrils1 which cover the interior of the gastatory apparatus4 ,this system1 whether true or not1 is sustained by physical and almost palpable proofs4 ,pure water creates no sensation1 because it contains no sapid particle4 ,dissolve1 however1 a grain of salt1 or infuse a few drops of vinegar1 and there will be sensation4 ,other drinks1 on the contrary1 create sensation because they are neither more nor less than liquids filled with appreciable particles4 ,it would be in vain for the mouth to fill itself with the divided particles of an insoluble body4 ,the tongue would feel by touch the sensation of their presence1 but not that of taste4 ,in relation to solid and savorous bodies1 it is necessary in the first place for the teeth to divide them1 that the saliva and other tasting fluids to imbibe them1 and that the tongue press them against the palate1 so as to express a juice1 which1 when sufficiently saturated by the degastory tendrils1 deliver to the substance the passport it requires for admission into the stomach4 ,this system1 which will yet receive other developments1 replies without effort to the principal questions which may present themselves4 ,if we demand what is understood by sapid bodies1 we reply that it is every thing that has flavor1 which is soluble1 and fit to be absorbed by the organ of taste4 ,if asked how a sapid body acts1 we reply that it acts when it is reduced to such a state of dissolution that it enters the cavities made to receive it4 ,in a word1 nothing is sapid but what is already or nearly dissolved4 ,,flavors4 ,the number of flavors is infinite1 for every soluble body has a peculiar flavor1 like none other4 ,flavors are also modified by their simple1 double1 or multiple aggregation4 ,it is impossible to make any description1 either of the most pleasant or of the most unpleasant1 of the raspberry or of colocynth4 ,all who have tried to do so have failed4 ,this result should not amaze us1 for being gifted with an infinite variety of simple flavors1 which mixture modifies to such a number and to such a quantity1 a new language would he needed to express their effects1 and mountains of folios to describe them4 ,numerical character alone could label them4 ,now1 as yet1 no flavor has ever been appreciated with rigorous exactness1 we have been forced to be satisfied with a limited number of expressions such as ,,sweet1 ,,sugary1 ,,acid1 ,,bitter1 and similar ones1 which1 when ultimately analyzed1 are expressed by the two following ,,agreeable and ,,disagreeable1 which suffice to make us understood1 and indicate the flavor of the sapid substances referred to4 ,those who come after us will know more1 for doubtless chemistry will reveal the causes or primitive elements of flavors4 ,,influence ,,of ,,smelling ,,on ,,the ,,taste4 ,the order ,i marked out for myself has insensibly led me to the moment to render to smell the rights which belong to it1 and to recognise the important services it renders to taste and the application of flavors4 ,among the authors ,i have met with1 ,i recognise none as having done full justice to it4 ,for my own part1 ,i am not only persuaded that without the interposition of the organs of smell1 there would be no complete degustation1 and that the taste and the sense of smell form but one sense1 of which the mouth is the laboratory and the nose the chimney2 or to speak more exactly1 that one tastes tactile substances1 and the other exhalations4 ,this may be vigorously defended2 yet as ,i do not wish to establish a school1 ,i venture on it only to give my readers a subject of thought1 and to show that ,i have carefully looked over the subject of which ,i write4 ,now ,i continue my demonstration of the importance of the sense of smell1 if not as a constituent portion of taste1 at least as a necessary adjunct4 ,all sapid bodies are necessarily odorous1 and therefore belong as well to the empire of the one as of the other sense4 ,we eat nothing without seeing this1 more or less plainly4 ,the nose plays the part of sentinel1 and always cries ,,who ,,goes ,,there8 ,close the nose1 and the taste is paralyzed2 a thing proved by three experiments any one can make3 #a4 ,when the nasal membrane is irritated by a violent coryza 7cold in the head7 the taste is entirely obliterated4 ,there is no taste in anything we swallow1 yet the tongue is in its normal state4 #b4 ,if we close the nose when we eat1 we are amazed to see how obscure and imperfect the sense of touch is4 ,the most disgusting medicines thus are swallowed almost without taste4 #c4 ,the same effect is observed if1 as soon as we have swallowed1 instead of restoring the tongue to its usual place1 it be kept detached from the palate4 ,thus the circulation of the air is intercepted1 the organs of smell are not touched1 and there is no taste4 ,these effects have the same cause1 from the fact that the sense of smell does not co-operate with the taste4 ,the sapid body is appreciated only on account of the juice1 and not for the odorous gas which emanates from it4 ,,analysis ,,of ,,the ,,sensation ,,of ,,taste4 ,principles being thus determined1 ,i look on it as certain that taste has given place to sensations of three different orders1 viz3 ,,direct1 ,,complete and ,,reflected4 ,direct sensation is the first perception emanating from the intermediate organs of the mouth1 during the time that the sapid body rests on the tongue4 ,complete sensation is that composed of the first impression which is created when the food abandons this first position1 passes into the back of the mouth1 and impresses all the organ with both taste and perfume4 ,reflected sensation is the judgment which conveys to the soul the impressions transmitted to it by the organ4 ,let us put this system in action by observing what takes place when a man either eats or drinks4 ,let a man1 for instance1 eat a peach1 and he will first be agreeably impressed by the odor which emanates from it4 ,he places it in his mouth1 and acid and fresh flavors induce him to continue4 ,not1 though1 until he has swallowed it1 does the perfume reveal itself1 nor does he till then discover the peculiar flavor of every variety4 ,some time is necessary for any gourmet ,footnote3 ,any gentleman or lady1 who may please1 is at perfect liberty to translate the word gourmet into any other tongue4 ,i cannot4 ,as much may be said of gourmand4- -,,translator4 to say1 ,it is good1 passable1 or bad4 ,it is ,chambertin1 or something else4 ,it may then be seen that in obedience to principles and practice well understood1 true amateurs sip their wine4 ,every mouthful thus gives them the sum total of pleasure which they would not have enjoyed had they swallowed it at once4 ,the same thing takes place1 with however much more energy1 when the taste is disagreeably affected4 ,just look at the patient of some doctor who prescribes immense doses of black medicine1 such as were given during the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,the sense of smell1 like a faithful counsellor1 foretells its character4 ,the eyes expand as they do at the approach of danger2 disgust is on the lips and the stomach at once rebells4 ,he is however besought to take courage1 gurgles his throat with brandy1 closes his nose and swallows4 ,as long as the odious compound fills the mouth and stuns the organ it is tolerable1 but when it has been swallowed the after drops develop themselves1 nauseous odors arise1 and every feature of the patient expresses horror and disgust1 which the fear of death alone could induce him to bear4 ,if the draught be on the contrary merely insipid1 as for instance a glass of water1 there is neither taste nor after taste4 ,nothing is felt1 nothing is experienced1 it is swallowed1 and all is over4 ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,impressions ,,of ,,taste4 ,taste is not so richly endowed as the hearing2 the latter can appreciate and compare many sounds at once2 the taste on the contrary is simple in its action2 that is to say it cannot be sensible to two flavors at once4 ,it may though be doubled and multipled by succession1 that is to say that in the act of swallowing there may be a second and even a third sensation1 each of which gradually grows weaker and weaker and which are designated by the words ,,after-,,taste1 perfume or fragrance4 ,thus when a chord is struck1 one ear exercises and discharges many series of consonances1 the number of which is not as yet perfectly known4 ,those who eat quickly and without attention1 do not discern impressions of the second degree4 ,they belong only to a certain number of the elect1 and by the means of these second sensations only can be classed the different substances submitted to their examination4 ,these fugitive shadows for a long time vibrate in the organ of taste4 ,the professors1 beyond doubt1 always assume an appropriate position1 and when they give their opinions they always do so with expanded nostrils1 and with their necks protruded far as they can go4 ,,enjoyments ,,due ,,to ,,the ,,taste4 ,let us now look philosophically at the pleasure and pain occasioned by taste4 ,the first thing we become convinced of is that man is organized so as to be far more sensible of pain than of pleasure4 ,in fact the imbibing of acid or bitter substances subjects us to sensations more or less painful1 according to their degree4 ,it is said that the cause of the rapid effects of hydrocyanic acid is that the pain is so great as to be unbearable by the powers of vitality4 ,the scale of agreeable sensations on the other hand is very limited1 and if there1 be a sensible difference between the insipid and that which flatters the taste1 the interval is not so great between the good and the excellent4 ,the following example proves this3--,,first ,,term a ,bouilli dry and hard4 ,,second ,,term a piece of veal4 ,,third ,,term a pheasant done to a turn4 ,of all the senses though with which we have been endowed by nature1 the taste is the one1 which all things considered1 procures us the most enjoyments4 #a4 ,because the pleasure of eating is the only one1 when moderately enjoyed1 not followed1 by fatigue4 #b4 ,it belongs to all aeras1 ages and ranks4 #c4 ,because it necessarily returns once a day1 and may without inconvenience be twice or thrice repeated in the same day4 #d4 ,it mingles with all other pleasures1 and even consoles us for their absence4 #e4 ,because the impressions it receives are durable and dependant on1 our will4 #f4 ,because when we eat we receive a certain indefinable and peculiar impression of happiness originating in instinctive conscience4 ,when we eat too1 we repair our losses and prolong our lives4 ,this will be more carefully explained in the chapter we devote to the pleasures of the table1 considered as it has been advanced by civilization4 ,,supremacy ,,of ,,man4 ,we were educated in the pleasant faith that of all things that walk1 swim1 crawl1 or fly1 man has the most perfect taste4 ,this faith is liable to be shaken4 ,dr4 ,gall1 relying on ,i know not what examinations1 says there are many animals with the gustatory apparatus more developed and extended than man's4 ,this does not sound well and looks like heresy4 ,man1 jure divino1 king of all nature1 for the benefit of whom the world was peopled1 must necessarily be supplied with an organ which places him in relation to all that is sapid in his subjects4 ,the tongue of animals does not exceed their intelligence2 in fishes the tongue is but a movable bone1 in birds it is usually a membranous cartilage1 and in quadrupeds it is often covered with scales and asperities1 and has no circumflex motion4 ,the tongue of man on the contrary1 from the delicacy of its texture and the different membranes by which it is surrounded and which are near to it announces the sublimity of the operations to which it is destined4 ,i have1 at least1 discovered three movements unknown to animals1 which ,i call ,,spication1 ,,rotation and ,,verration 7from the ,latin verb verro1 ,i sweep74 ,the first is when the tongue1 like a ,,pike1 comes beyond the lips which repress it4 ,the second is when the tongue rotates around all the space between the interior of the jaws and the palate4 ,the third is when the tongue moves up and down and gathers the particles which remain in the half circular canal formed by the lips and gums4 ,animals are limited in their taste2 some live only on vegetables1 others on flesh2 others feed altogether on grain2 none know anything of composite flavors4 ,man is omnivorous4 ,all that is edible is subjected to his vast appetite1 a thing which causes gustatory powers proportionate to the use he has to make of them4 ,the apparatus of taste is a rare perfection of man and we have only to see him use it to be satisfied of it4 ,as soon as any esculent body is introduced into the mouth it is confiscated hopelessly1 gas1 juice and all4 ,the lips prevent its retrogression4 ,the teeth take possession of it and crush it4 ,the salva imbibes it2 the tongue turns it over and over1 an aspiration forces it to the thorax2 the tongue lifts it up to suffer it to pass4 ,the sense of smell perceives it en route1 and it is precipitated into the stomach to undergo ulterior transformations1 without the most minute fragment during the whole of this escaping4 ,every drop every atom has been appreciated4 ,in consequence of this perfection1 gourmandise is the exclusive apanage of man4 ,this gourmandise is even contagious1 and we impart it without difficulty to the animals we have appropriated to our use1 and which in a manner associate with us1 such as elephants1 dogs1 cats1 and parrots even4 ,besides taste requiring to be estimated only by the value of the sensation it communicates to the common centre1 the impression received by the animal cannot be compared to that imparted to man4 ,the latter is more precise and clear1 and necessarily supposes a superior quality in the organ which transmits it4 ,in fine1 what can we desire in a faculty susceptible of such perfection that the gourmands of ,rome were able to distinguish the flavors of fish taken above and below the bridge8 ,have we not seen in our own time1 that gourmands can distinguish the flavor of the thigh on which the partridge lies down from the other8 ,are we not surrounded by gourmets who can tell the latitude in which any wine ripened as surely as one of ,biot's or ,arago's disciples can foretell an eclipse8 ,the consequence then is that we must render to ,caesar the things which are ,caesar's and proclaim man the great ,,gourmand ,,of ,,nature1 and not be surprised if the good ,doctor does sometimes as ,homer did3--,much zumeilen ichlafert der gute4 ,,method ,,of ,,the ,,author4 ,as yet we have treated the taste only from the physical point of view1 and in some anatomical details which none will regret1 we have remained pari passu with science4 ,this does not however conclude the task we have imposed on ourselves1 for from its usual attributes especially does this reparatory sense derive its importance4 ,we have then arranged in analytical order the theories and facts which compose the ensemble of this history1 so that instruction without fatigue will result from it4 ,thus in the following chapters1 we will often show how sensations by repetition and reflection have perfected the organs and extended the sphere of our powers4 ,how the want of food1 once a mere instinct1 has become a passion which has assumed a marked ascendency of all that belongs to society ,we will also say1 how all sciences which have to do with the composition of substances1 have agreed to place in a separate category all those appreciable to the taste2 and how travellers have followed in the same pathway when they placed before us substances nature apparently never meant us to see4 ,we will follow chemistry to the very moment when it penetrated our subterraneous laboratories to enlighten our ,,preparers1 to establish principles1 to create methods and to unveil causes which had remained occult4 ,in fine we will see by the combined power of time and experience that a new science has all at once appeared1 which feeds1 nourishes1 restores1 preserves1 persuades1 consoles1 and not content with strewing handsfull of flowers over the individual1 contributes much to the power and prosperity of empires4 ,if1 amid the grave lucubrations1 a piquante anecdote1 or an agreeable reminiscence of a stormy life drips from my pen1 we will let it remain to enable the attention to rest for a moment1 so that our readers1 the number of whom does not alarm us1 may have time to breathe4 ,we would like to chat with them4 ,if they be men we know they are indulgent as they are well informed4 ,if women they must be charming4 ,footnote3 ,here the ,professor1 full of his subject1 suffers his hand to fall and rises to the seventh heaven4 ,he ascends the torrent of ages1 and takes from their cradle all sciences1 the object of which is the gratification of taste4 ,he follows their progress through the night of time and seeing that in the pleasures they procure us1 early centures were not so great as those which followed them3 he takes his lyre and sings in the ,dorian style the elegy which will be found among the varieties at the end of the volume4 ,,meditation ,,iii4 ,,gastronomy4 ,,origin ,,of ,,sciences4 ,,the sciences are not like ,minerva who started ready armed from the brain of ,jupiter4 ,they are children of time and are formed insensibly by the collection of the methods pointed out by experience1 and at a later day by the principles deduced from the combination of these methods4 ,thus old men1 the prudence of whom caused them to be called to the bed-side of invalids1 whose compassion taught to cure wounds1 were the first physicians4 ,the shepherds of ,egypt1 who observed that certain stars after the lapse of a certain period of time met in the heavens1 were the first astronomers4 ,the person who first uttered in simple language the truth1 #b #b #d created mathematics1 that mighty science which really placed man on the throne of the universe4 ,in the course of the last sixty years1 many new sciences have taken their place in the category of our knowledge1 among which is stereotomy1 descriptive geometry1 and the chemistry of gas4 ,all sciences cultivated for a long time must advance1 especially as the art of printing makes retrogression impossible4 ,who knows1 for instance1 if the chemistry of gases will not ultimately overcome those1 as yet1 rebellious substances1 mingle and combine them in proportions not as yet tempted1 and thence obtain substances and effects which would remove many restrictions in our powers4 ,,origin ,,of ,,gastronomy4 ,gastronomy has at last appeared1 and all the sister sciences have made a way for it4 ,well2 what could be refused to that which sustains us1 from the cradle to the grave1 which increases the gratifications of love and the confidence of friendship which disarms hatred and offers us1 in the short passage of our lives1 the only pleasure which not being followed by fatigue makes us weary of all others4 ,certainly1 as long as it was confided to merely hired attendants1 as long as the secret was kept in cellars1 and where dispensaries were written1 the results were but the products of an art4 ,at last1 too late1 perhaps1 savants drew near4 ,they examined1 analyzed1 and classified alimentary substances1 and reduced them to simple elements4 ,they measured the mysteries of assimilation1 and following most matter in all its metamorphoses saw how it became vivified4 ,they watched diet in its temporary and permanent effects1 for days1 months and lives4 ,they even estimated its influence and thought to ascertain if the savor he impressed by the organs or if it acts without them4 ,from all this they deduced a lofty theory which embraces all mankind1 and all that portion of creation which may be animalized4 ,while all this was going on in the studies of savants1 it was said in drawing-rooms that the science which fed man was at least as valuable as that which killed him4 ,poets sang the pleasures of the table and books1 the object of which was good cheer1 awakened the greatest and keenest interest in the profound views and maxims they presented4 ,such were the circumstances which preceded the invention of gastronomy4 ,,definition ,,of ,,gastronomy4 ,gastronomy is a scientific definition of all that relates to man as a feeding animal4 ,its object is to watch over the preservation of man by means of the best possible food4 ,it does so by directing1 according to certain principles1 all those who procure1 search for1 or prepare things which may be converted into food4 ,to tell the truth this is what moves cultivators1 vine-dressers1 fishermen1 huntsmen1 and the immense family of cooks1 whatever title or qualification they bear1 to the preparation of food4 ,gastronomy is a chapter of natural history1 for the fact that it makes a classification of alimentary substances4 ,of physics1 for it examines their properties and qualities4 ,of chemistry1 from the various analysis and decomposition to which it subjects them4 ,of cookery1 from the fact that it prepares food and makes it agreeable4 ,of commerce1 from the fact that it purchases at as low a rate as possible what it consumes1 and displays to the greatest advantage what it offers for sale4 ,lastly it is a chapter of political economy1 from the resources it furnishes the taxing power1 and the means of exchange it substitutes between nations4 ,gastronomy rules all life1 for the tears of the infant cry for the bosom of the nurse2 the dying man receives with some degree of pleasure the last cooling drink1 which1 alas6 he is unable to digest4 ,it has to do with all classes of society1 for if it presides over the banquets of assembled kings1 it calculates the number of minutes of ebullition which an egg requires4 ,the material of gastronomy is all that may be eaten2 its object is direct1 the preservation of individuals4 ,its means of execution are cultivation1 which produces2 commerce1 which exchanges2 industry1 which prepares2 and experience1 which teaches us to put them to the best use4 ,,different ,,objects ,,of ,,gastronomy4 ,gastronomy considers taste in its pleasures and in its pains4 ,it has discovered the gradual excitements of which it is susceptible2 it regularizes its action1 and has fixed limits1 which a man who respects himself will never pass4 ,it also considers the action of food or aliments on the moral of man1 on his imagination1 his mind1 his judgment1 his courage1 and his perceptions1 whether he is awake1 sleeps1 acts1 or reposes4 ,gastronomy determines the degree of esculence of every alimentary subject2 all are not presentable under the same circumstances4 ,some can be eaten until they are entirely developed4 ,such like as capres1 asparagus1 sucking pigs1 squabs1 and other animals eaten only when they are young4 ,others1 as soon as they have reached all the perfection to which they are destined1 like melons1 fruit1 mutton1 beef1 and grown animals4 ,others when they begin to decompose1 such as snipe1 wood- cock and pheasant4 ,others not until cooking has destroyed all their injurious properties1 such as the potato1 manioc1 and other substances4 ,gastronomy classifies all of these substances according to their qualities1 and indicates those which will mingle1 and measuring the quantity of nourishment they contain1 distinguishes those which should make the basis of our repast1 from those which are only accessories1 and others which1 though not necessary1 are an agreeable relief1 and become the obligato accompaniment of convivial gossip4 ,it takes no less interest in the beverages intended for us1 according to time1 place and climate4 ,it teaches their preparation and preservation1 and especially presents them in an order so exactly calculated1 that the pleasure perpetually increases1 until gratification ends and abuse begins4 ,gastronomy examines men and things for the purpose of transporting1 from one country to another1 all that deserves to be known1 and which causes a well arranged entertainment1 to be an abridgement of the world in which each portion is represented4 ,,utility ,,of ,,gastronomical ,,knowledge4 ,gastronomical knowledge is necessary to all men1 for it tends to augment the sum of happiness4 ,this utility becomes the greater in proportion as it is used by the more comfortable classes of society2 it is indispensable to those who have large incomes1 and entertain a great deal1 either because in this respect they discharge an obligation1 follow their own inclination1 or yield to fashion4 ,they have this special advantage1 that they take personal pleasure in the manner their table is kept2 they can1 to a certain point1 superintend the depositories of their confidence1 and even on many occasions direct them4 ,the ,prince de ,soubise once intended to give an entertainment1 and asked for the bill of fare4 ,the maitre d'hotel came with a list surrounded by vignettes1 and the first article that met the ,prince's eye was ,,fifty ,,hams4 ,bertrand1 said the ,prince1 ,i think you must be extravagant2 fifty hams6 ,do you intend to feast my whole regiment8 ,no1 ,prince1 there will be but one on the table1 and the surplus ,i need for my epagnole1 my blonds1 garnitures1 etc4 ,bertrand1 you are robbing me4 ,this article will not do4 ,monsigneur1 said the artist1 you do not appreciate me6 ,give the order1 and ,i will put those fifty hams in a chrystal flask no longer than my thumb4 ,what could be said to such a positive operation8 ,the ,prince smiled1 and the hams were passed4 ,,influence ,,of ,,gastronomy ,,in ,,business4 ,in men not far removed from a state of nature1 it is well known that all important affairs are discussed at their feasts4 ,amid their festivals savages decide on war and peace2 we need not go far to know that villages decide on all public affairs at the cabinet4 ,this observation has not escaped those to whom the weightiest affairs are often confided4 ,they saw that a full stomached individual was very different from a fasting one2 that the table established a kind of alliance between the parties1 and made guests more apt to receive certain impressions and submit to certain influences4 ,this was the origin of political gastronomy4 ,entertainments have become governmental measures1 and the fate of nations is decided on in a banquet4 ,this is neither a paradox nor a novelty but a simple observation of fact4 ,open every historian1 from the time of ,herodotus to our own days1 and it will be seen that1 not even excepting conspiracies1 no great event ever took place1 not conceived1 prepared and arranged at a festival4 ,,gastronomical ,,academy4 ,such1 at the first glance1 appears to be the domain of gastronomy1 a realm fertile in results of every kind and which is aggrandized by the discoveries and inventions of those who cultivate it4 ,it is certain that before the lapse of many years1 gastronomy will have its academicians1 courses1 professors1 and premiums4 ,at first some rich and zealous gastronomer will establish periodical assemblies1 in which the most learned theorists will unite with artists1 to discuss and measure the various branches of alimentation4 ,soon 7such is the history of all academies7 the government will intervene1 will regularise1 protect1 and institute2 it will seize the opportunity to reward the people for all orphans made by war1 for all the ,arianas whose tears have been evoked by the drum4 ,happy will be the depository of power who will attach his name to this necessary institution6 ,his name will be repeated from age to age with that of ,noah1 ,bacchus1 ,triptolemus1 and other benefactors of humanity2 he will be among ministers what ,henri ,,iv4 was among kings2 his eulogy will be in every mouth1 though no regulation make it a necessity4 ,,meditation ,,iv4 ,,appetite4 ,,definition ,,of ,,appetite4 ,,motion and life occasion in the animal portion of all that lives a constant loss of substance1 and the human body1 that most complicated machine1 would soon be unfit for use1 did not ,providence provide it with a mark to inform it of the very moment when its power is no longer in equilibrium with its wants4 ,this monitor is appetite4 ,by this word we understand the first impression of the want of food4 ,appetite declares itself by languor in the stomach1 and a slight sensation of fatigue4 ,the soul at the same time busies itself with things analogous to its wants2 memory recalls food that has flattered its taste2 imagination fancies that it sees them1 and something like a dream takes place4 ,this state is not without pleasure1 and we have heard many adepts say1 with joy in their heart1 ,what a pleasure it is to have a good appetite1 when we are certain of a good meal4 ,the whole nutritive apparatus is moved4 ,the stomach becomes sensible1 the gastric juices are moved and displace themselves with noise1 the mouth becomes moist1 and all the digestive powers are under arms1 like soldiers awaiting the word of command4 ,after a few moments there will be spasmodic motion1 pain and hunger4 ,every shade of these gradations may be observed in every drawing- room1 when dinner is delayed4 ,they are such in nature1 that the most exquisite politeness cannot disguise the symptoms4 ,from this fact ,i deduced the apothegm1 ,,the ,,most ,,indispensable ,,quality ,,of ,a ,,good ,,cook ,,is ,,promptness4 ,,anecdote4 ,i will sustain this grave maxim by the details of an observate1 made at an entertainment where ,i was1 ,quorum magna pars fui1 and where the pleasures of observation preserved me from the anguish of misery4 ,i was invited to dine with a high public functionary4 ,the hour was half past five1 and at the appointed time all were present4 ,we knew he liked exactness1 and always scolded the dilatory4 ,i was amazed1 when ,i came1 at the consternation which pervaded the party4 ,people whispered together1 and looked into the court-yard through the window--all betokened something extraordinary4 ,i approached the one of the guests ,i thought best able to satisfy my curiosity1 and asked him what the news was4 ,alas6 said they1 ,monsieur has been sent for to the ,council of ,state2 he has just gone1 and none know when he will return4 ,is that all6 said ,i4 ,be of good cheer1 we will be detained only a quarter of an hour2 something particular has happened4 ,all know to-day is his regular dinner1 and we will not have to fast4 ,i was not1 however1 easy1 and wished ,i was away4 ,the first hour passed well enough1 and those who were intimate sat together4 ,common places were exhausted1 and conjectures were formed as to what could have called the ,prince to the ,tuilleries ,at the commencement of the second hour there were many signs of impatience2 people looked anxiously at each other and the first who murmured were three or four guests who1 finding no place to sit in1 were not in a convenient position to wait4 ,at the third hour1 the discontent became general1 and every symptom became exaggerated4 ,when will he return8 said one4 ,what can he be thinking of8 said another4 ,this is death1 said a third4 ,this question was then put1 but not determined1 ,shall we go or not8 ,at the fourth hour every symptom became aggravated4 ,people stretched out their arms without the slightest regard whether they interrupted their neighbors or not4 ,unpleasant sounds were heard from all parts of the room1 and everywhere the faces of the guests bore the marks of concentration4 ,no one listened to me when ,i remarked that beyond doubt our absent amphytrion was more unhappy than any one of us4 ,our attention was for a moment arrested by an apparition4 ,one of the guests1 better acquainted with the house than the others1 had gone into the kitchen1 and returned panting4 ,his face looked as if the day of judgment had come1 and in an almost inarticulate voice1 which announced at once both the fear of making a noise and of not being heard1 ,monsigneur went away without giving any orders1 and happen what may1 dinner will not be served until his return4 ,the terror caused by what he said could not be exceeded by that to be expected at the last trump4 ,among the martyrs1 the most unfortunate was ,d',aigrefeuille1 whom all ,paris knew4 ,his whole body seemed to suffer1 and the agony of ,laocoon was marked on his face4 ,pale1 terrified1 he saw nothing but sank in a chair1 grasped his hands on his round stomach1 and closed his eyes1 not to sleep but to die4 ,he did not though4 ,about ten o'clock a carriage drove into the yard4 ,all were on the qui-vive and a arose spontaneously4 ,hilarity succeeded suffering1 and in five minutes we were at the table4 ,appetite however was gone1 all seemed amazed to sit down to dinner at such an unusual hour2 the jaws had not that isochronous measure which announces a regular business4 ,i know many were sufferers thus4 ,the course to be taken is not to eat immediately after the obstacle has ceased1 but to drink a glass of eau-sucree1 or take a plate of soup to sustain the stomach1 and then in ten or fifteen minutes to begin dinner1 to prevent the stomach being oppressed by the weight of the aliments with which it is surcharged4 ,,great ,,appetites4 ,when we see in early books a description of the preparations made to receive two or three persons1 and the enormous masses served up to a single guest1 we cannot refuse to think that those who lived in early ages were gifted with great appetites4 ,the appetite was thought to increase in direct ratio to the dignity of the personage4 ,he to whom the saddle of a five year old ox would be served was expected to drink from a cup he could scarcely lift4 ,some individuals have existed who testified to what once passed1 and have collected details of almost incredible variety1 which included even the foulest objects4 ,i will not inflict these disgusting details on my readers1 and prefer to tell them two particular circumstances which ,i witnessed1 and which do not require any great exertion of faith4 ,about forty years ago1 ,i made a short visit to the cure at ,bregnier1 a man of immense stature and who had a fearful appetite4 ,though it was scarcely noon ,i found him at the table4 ,soup and bouilli had been brought on1 to these two indispensables had succeeded a leg of mutton a la ,royale1 a capon and a salad4 ,as soon as he saw me he ordered a plate which ,i refused1 and rightly too4 ,without any assistance he got rid of every thing1 viz3 he picked the bone of mutton and ate up all the salad4 ,they brought him a large white cheese into which he made an angular breach measured by an arc of ninety degrees4 ,he washed down all with a bottle of wine and glass of water1 after which he laid down4 ,what pleased me was to see that during the whole of this business1 the venerable pastor did not seem busy4 ,the large mouthfulls he swallowed did not prevent him either from laughing or talking4 ,he dispatched all that was put before him easily as he would have a pair of birds4 ,so it was with ,general ,bisson who drank eight bottles of wine at dinner every day1 and who never appeared the worse for it4 ,he had a glass larger than usual and emptied it oftener4 ,he did not care for that though1 for after having swallowed six ounces of fluids he could jest and give his orders as if he had only swallowed a thimble full4 ,this anecdote recalls to me my townsman1 ,general ,p4 ,sibuet1 long the chief aide of ,napoleon1 and who was killed in #ahac at the passage of the ,bober4 ,he was eighteen years old1 and had at that time the appetite by which nature announces that its possessor is a perfect man1 and went one night into the kitchen of ,genin1 an inn keeper of ,belley1 where the old men of the town used to meet to eat chestnuts and drink the new white wine called in the country vin bourru4 ,the old men were not hungry and paid no attention to him4 ,his digestive powers were not shaken though1 and he said ,i have just left the table1 but ,i will bet that ,i eat a whole turkey4 ,if you eat it ,i will pay for it1 said ,bouvier du ,bouchet1 a rich farmer who was present1 and if you do not ,i will eat what is left and you shall pay for it4 ,footnote3 ,this sentence is patois1 and the translator inserts the original4 ,sez vosu meze1 z'u payo1 repondit ,bouvier du ,bouchet1 gros fermier qui se trouvait present2 e sez vos caca en rotaz1 i-zet vo ket paire et may ket mezerai la restaz4 ,they set to work at once1 and the young athlete at once cut off a wing1 he ate it at two mouthfulls and cleaned his teeth by gnawing the bone and drank a glass of wine as an interlude4 ,he then went into the thigh which he ate and drank another glass of wine to prepare a passage for the rest4 ,the second went the same way1 and he had come to the last limb when the unfortunate farmer said1 alas6 ,i see it is all over1 but ,mr4 ,sibouet as ,i have to pay1 let me eat a bit4 ,footnote3 ,this also is patois4 ,hai6 ze vaie praou qu'izet fotu2 m'ez1 monche ,chibouet1 poez kaet zu daive paiet1 lesse m'en a m'en mesiet on mocho4 ,prosper was as good a fellow as he was a soldier1 and consented4 ,the farmer had the carcass at spolia opima1 and paid for the fowl with a good grace4 ,general ,sibuet used always to love to tell of this feat of his youth4 ,he said that his admitting the farmer to eat was a pure courtesy1 and that he could easily have won the bet4 ,his appetite at forty permitted none to doubt the assertion4 ,brillat-,savarin1 says in a note1 ,i quote this fragment of the patois of ,bugey with pleasure4 ,in it is found the ,english 'th and the ,greek #j1 and in the word praou and others1 a dipthong existing in no language1 the sound of which no character can describe4 7,see #c;d ,volume of the ,memoirs of the ,royal ,society of ,antiquarians of ,france47 ,,meditation ,v4 ,,food ,,in ,,germs4 ,,section ,,first4 ,,definitions4 ,,what is understood by aliments8 ,,popular ,,answer4 ,all that nourishes us4 ,,scientific ,,answer4 ,by aliments are understood the substances which1 when submitted to the stomach1 may be assimulated by digestion1 and repair the losses which the human body is subjected to in life4 ,the distinctive quality of an aliment1 therefore1 is its liability to animal assimulation4 ,,analysis4 ,the animal and vegetable kingdoms are those which until now have furnished food to the human race4 ,since analytical chemistry has become a certain science1 much progress has been made into the double nature of the elements of which our body is composed1 and of the substances which nature appears to have intended to repair their losses4 ,these studies had a great analogy1 for man is to a great degree composed both of the substances on which animals feed1 and was also forced to look in the vegetable kingdom for affinities susceptible of animalization4 ,in these two walks the most praiseworthy efforts have been made always as minute as possible1 and the curious have followed either the human body or the food which invigorates it1 first to their secondary principles1 and then to their elements1 beyond which we have not been permitted to penetrate4 ,here ,i intended to have given a little treatise on alimentary chemistry1 and to tell my readers1 to how many thousands of hydrogen1 carbon1 etc41 may be reduced the dishes that sustain us4 ,i did not do so1 however1 because ,i remembered ,i would only have to copy many excellent treatises on chemistry in the hands of every body4 ,i feared1 too1 that ,i would relapse into very barren details1 and limited myself to a very reasonable nomenclature1 which will only require the explanation of a small number of very usual terms4 ,,osmazome4 ,the greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science1 is the discovery of osmazome1 or rather the determination of what it was4 ,osmazome is the purely sapid portion of flesh soluble in cold water1 and separated from the extractive portion which is only soluble in boiling water4 ,osmazome is the most meritorious ingredient of all good soups4 ,this portion of the animal forms the red portion of flesh1 and the solid parts of roasts4 ,it gives game and venison its peculiar flavor4 ,osmazome is most abundant in grown animals which have red or black hair2 it is scarcely found at all in the lamb1 sucking pig1 chicken1 and the white meat of the largest fowls4 ,for this reason true connoisseurs always prefer the second joint2 instinct with them was the precursor of science4 ,thus a knowledge of the existence of osmazome1 caused so many cooks to be dismissed1 who insisted on always throwing away the first bouillon made from meat4 ,this made the reputation of the soupe des primes1 and induced the canon ,chevrier to invent his locked kettles4 ,the ,abbe ,chevrier was the person who never would eat until ,friday1 lobsters that had not been cooked on the previous ,sunday1 and every intervening day placed on the fire with the addition of fresh butter4 ,to make use of this subject1 though yet unknown1 was introduced the maxim1 that to make good bouillon the kettle should only smile4 ,osmazome1 discovered after having been so long the delight of our fathers1 may be compared to alcohol1 which made whole generations drunk before it was simply exhibited by distillation4 ,,principle ,,of ,,aliments4 ,the fibre is what composes the tissue of the meat1 and what is apparent after the juices have been extracted4 ,the fibres resist boiling water1 and preserve their form1 though stripped of a portion of their wrappings4 ,to carve meat properly the fibres should be cut at right angles1 or nearly so1 with the blade of the knife4 ,meat thus carved looks better1 tastes better1 and is more easily chewed4 ,the bones are composed principally of gelatine and the phosphate of lime4 ,the quantity of gelatine diminishes as we grow older4 ,at seventy the bones are but an imperfect marble1 the reason why they are so easily broken1 and why old men should carefully avoid any fall4 ,albumen is found both in the flesh and the blood4 ,it coagulates at a heat above #dj ,reaumur1 and causes the scum on the pot-au-feu4 ,gelatine is also found in the bones1 the soft and the cartilaginous parts4 ,its distinctive quality is to coagulate at the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere2 to effect this only two and a half per cent4 are needed4 ,gelatine is the basis of all jelleys1 of blanc manges1 and other similar preparations4 ,grease is a concrete oil formed in the interstices of the cellary tissue4 ,it sometimes agglomerates in animals whom art or nature has so predisposed1 such as pigs1 fowls1 ortolans and snipe4 ,in some of these animals it loses its insipidity and acquires a slight and agreeable aroma4 ,blood is composed of an albuminous serum and of fibrine1 some gelatine and a little osmazome4 ,it coagulates in warm water and is most nourishing1 7e4 g47 the blood pudding4 ,all the principles1 we have passed in review1 are common to man and to animals which feed4 ,all the principles we pass in review are common both to man and animals which he eats4 ,it is not then surprising that animal food is eminently restorative and invigorating4 ,the particles of which it is composed having a great similitude with those of which we are formed may easily be animalized when they are subjected to the vital action of our digestive organs4 ,,vegetable ,,kingdom4 ,the vegetable kingdom however presents not less varied sources of nutrition4 ,the fecula is especially nutritious1 especially as it contains fewer foreign principles4 ,by fecula we mean farina or flower obtained from cereals1 from legumes and various kinds of roots1 among which the potato holds a prominent place4 ,the fecula is the substance of bread1 pastry and purees of all kinds4 ,it thus enters to a great degree into the nourishment of almost all people4 ,such food diminishes the fibres and even the courage4 ,footnote3 ,the ,h4 ,e4 ,i4 ,co4 ,sepoys1 however1 fight well4 ,it may be doubted though if either ,ireland or ,italy will be free1 until the one gives up the potato and the other macaroni4 ,the reason why ,irishmen fight better in other countries than their own1 is possibly that abroad they are better fed than at home4 ,we must1 to sustain this1 refer to the ,indians 7,east7 who live on rice and serve every one who chosea to command them4 ,almost all domestic animals eat the fecula1 and are made by it extremely strong2 for it is a more substantial nourishment than the dry and green vegetables which are their habitual food4 ,sugar is not less important1 either as a remedy or as an aliment4 ,this substance once obtained1 either from the ,indies or from the colonies became indigenous at the commencement of this century4 ,it has been discovered in the grape1 the turnip1 the chestnut1 and especially in the beet4 ,so that speaking strictly ,europe need appeal neither to ,india or ,america for it4 ,its discovery was a great service rendered by science to humanity1 and furnishes an example which cannot but have the happiest results4 7,vide enfro ,sugar47 ,sugar1 either in a solid state or in the different plants in which nature has placed it1 is extremely nourishing4 ,animals are fond of it1 and the ,english give large quantities to their blood-horses1 and have observed that it sustained them in the many trials to which they were subjected4 ,sugar in the days of ,louis ,,xiv4 was only found in apothecary shops1 and gave birth to many lucrative professions1 such as pastry-cooks1 confectioners1 liquourists1 c4 ,mild oils also come from the vegetable kingdom4 ,they are all esculent1 but when mingled with other substances they should be looked on only as a seasoning4 ,gluten found in the greatest abundance in cheese1 contributes greatly to the fermentation of the bread with which it is united4 ,chemists assign it an animal nature4 ,they make at ,paris for children and for birds1 and in some of the departments for men also1 patisseries in which gluten predominates1 the fecula having been removed by water4 ,mucilage owes its nourishments to the many substances of which it is the vehicle4 ,gum may be considered an aliment1 not a strong thing1 as it contains nearly the same elements as sugar4 ,vegetable gelatine1 extracted from many kinds of fruits1 especially from apples1 goose-berries1 quinces1 and some others1 may also be considered a food4 ,it is more nutritious when united with sugar1 but it is far inferior in that respect to what is extracted from bones1 horns1 calves' feet and fish4 ,this food is in general light1 mild and healthy4 ,the kitchen and the pharmaceutist's laboratory therefore dispute about it4 ,,difference ,,between ,,fat ,,and ,,lean4 ,next to the ,,juice1 which1 as we have said1 is composed of asmazome and the extractus1 there are found in fish many substances which also exist in land animals1 such as fibrine1 gelatine1 albumen4 ,so that we may really say ,,juice distinguishes the flesh diet from what the church calls maigre4 ,the latter too has another peculiarity4 ,fish contains a large quantity of phosphorus and hydrogen1 that is to say of the two most combustible things in nature4 ,fish therefore is a most heating diet4 ,this might legitimate the praise once bestowed on certain religious orders1 the regime of whom was directly opposed to the commonly esteemed most fragile4 ,,individual ,,instance4 ,i will say no more on this physiological fact1 but will not omit an instance which may be easily verified4 ,some years ago ,i went to a country house1 in the vicinity of ,paris1 and on the ,seine1 near ,st4 ,denis1 near a hamlet composed chiefly of fishing huts4 ,i was amazed at the crowd of huts ,i saw swarming in the road4 ,i remarked it with amazement to the boatman who took me across the river4 ,monsieur1 said he1 we have eight families here1 have fifty- three children1 among whom are forty-nine girls and four boys4 ,that one is mine4 ,as he spoke he pointed triumphantly to a little whelp1 of about five years of age1 who was at the bow of the boat eating raw craw-fish4 ,from this observation ,i made ten years ago1 and others ,i could easily recall1 ,i have been led to think that the genesiac sense is moved by fish-eating1 and that it is rather irritating than plethoric and substantial4 ,i am inclined to maintain this opinion the more1 because ,doctor ,bailly has recently proved1 by many instances1 that when ever the number of female children exceeds the male1 the circumstance is due to some debilitating circumstances4 ,this will account to us for the jests made from the beginning of time1 whenever a man's wife bears him a daughter instead of a son4 ,i might say much about aliments considered as a tout ensemble1 and about the various modifications they undergo by mixing1 etc42 ,i hope1 though1 that the preceding will suffice to the majority of readers4 ,i recommend all others to read some book ex professo1 and will end with the things which are not without interest4 ,the first is that animalization is affected almost as vegetation is1 that is that the reparative current formed by digestion1 is inhaled in various manners by the tubes with which the organs are provided1 and becomes flesh1 nails1 hair1 precisely as earth1 watered by the same fluid1 becomes radish1 lettuce1 potato1--as the gardener pleases4 ,the second is that in the organization of life1 the same elements which chemistry produces are not obtained4 ,the organs destined to produce life and motion only act on what is subjected to them4 ,nature1 however1 loves to wrap herself in veils1 and to stop us at every advance1 and has concealed the laboratory where new transformations are affected4 ,it is difficult to explain how1 having determined that the human body contained lime1 sulphur1 and phosphorous iron1 and the other substances1 all this ,,can be renewed every ten years by bread and water4 ,,meditation ,,vi4 ,,food ,,in ,,germs4 ,,section ,,second4 ,,specialities4 ,,when ,i began to write1 my table of contents was already prepared2 ,i have advanced slowly1 however1 because a portion of my time is consecrated to serious labors4 ,during this interval of time much of my matter has escaped my memory1 or been wrested from me4 ,elementary books on chemistry or materia medica have been put into the hands of every body1 and things ,i expected to teach for the first time1 have become popular4 ,for instance1 ,i had devoted many pages to the chemistry of the pot-au-feu1 the substance of which is found in many books recently published4 ,consequently1 ,i had to revise this part of my book1 and have so condensed it that it is reduced to a few elementary principles1 to theories which cannot be too widely propagated1 and to sundry observations1 the fruits of a long experience1 which ,i trust will be new to the majority of my readers4 ,section ,i4 ,,pot-,,au-,,feu1 ,,potage1 ,,etc4 ,pot-au-feu is a piece of beef1 intended to be cooked in boiling water1 slightly salted so as to extract all the soluble parts4 ,bouillon is the fluid which remains after the operation4 ,bouilli is the flesh after it has undergone the operation4 ,water dissolves at first a portion of the osmazome2 then the albumen coagulates at #ej degrees ,reaumur1 and forms the foam we see4 ,the rest of the osmazome1 with the extractive part of juice1 and finally a portion of the wrapping of the fibres detached by the continuity of ebullition4 ,to have good bouillon1 the water must be heated slowly1 and the ebullition must be scarcely perceptible1 so that the various particles necessarily dissolved1 may unite ultimately and without trouble4 ,it is the custom to add to bouillon1 vegetable or roots1 to enhance the taste1 and bread or pates to make it more nourishing4 ,then it is what is called potage4 ,potage is a healthy food1 very nourishing1 and suits every body2 it pleases the stomach and prepares it for reception and digestion4 ,persons threatened with obesity should take bouillon alone4 ,all agree that no where is potage made so well as in ,france1 and in my travels ,i have been able to confirm this assertion4 ,potage is the basis of ,french national diet1 and the experience of centuries has perfected it4 ,section ,,ii4 ,,bouilli4 ,bouilli is a healthful food1 which satisfies hunger readily1 is easily digested1 but which when eaten alone restores strength to a very small degree1 because in ebullition the meat has lost much of its animalizable juices4 ,we include in four categories the persons who eat bouilli4 #a4 ,men of routine1 who eat it because their fathers did1 and who1 following this practice implicitly1 expect to be imitated by their children4 #b4 ,impatient men1 who1 abhorring inactivity at the table1 have contracted the habit of attacking at once whatever is placed before them4 #c4 ,the inattentive1 who eat whatever is put before them1 and look upon their meals as a labor they have to undergo4 ,all that will sustain them they put on the same level1 and sit at the table as the oyster does in his bed4 #d4 ,the voracious1 who1 gifted with an appetite which they seek to diminish1 seek the first victim they can find to appease the gastric juice1 which devours them1 and wish to make it serve as a basis to the different envois they wish to send to the same destination4 ,professors of gastronomy never eat bouilli1 from respect to the principles previously announced1 that bouilli is flesh without the juices4 ,footnote3 ,this idea which began to make its impression on bouilli has disappeared4 ,it is replaced by a roasted filet1 a turbot1 or a matelote4 ,section ,,iii4 ,,fowls4 ,i am very fond of second courses1 and devoutly believe that the whole gallinaceous family was made to enrich our larders and to deck our tables4 ,from the quail to the turkey1 whenever we find a fowl of this class1 we are sure to find too1 light aliment1 full of flavor1 and just as fit for the convalescent as for the man of the most robust health4 ,which one of us1 condemned to the fare of the fathers of the desert1 would not have smiled at the idea of a well-carved chicken's wing1 announcing his rapid rendition to civilized life8 ,we are not satisfied with the flavor nature has given to gallinaceous fowls1 art has taken possession of them1 and under the pretext of ameliorating1 has made martyrs of them4 ,they have not only been deprived of the means of reproduction1 but they have been kept in solitude and darkness1 and forced to eat until they were led to an unnatural state of fatness4 ,it is very true that this unnatural grease is very delicious1 and that this damnable skill gives them the fineness and succulence which are the delight of our best tables4 ,thus ameliorated1 the fowl is to the kitchen what the canvass is to painters4 ,to charlatans it is the cap of ,fortunatus1 and is served up boiled1 roasted1 fried1 hot1 cold1 whole or dismembered1 with or without sauce1 broiled1 stuffed1 and always with equal success4 ,three portions of old ,france disputed for the honor of furnishing the best fowls1 viz3 ,caux1 ,mans1 and ,bresse4 ,in relation to capons1 and about this there is some doubt1 the one on the table always seeming the best4 ,bresse seems1 however1 to have pre-eminence in pullets1 for they are round as an apple4 ,it is a pity they are so rare in ,paris6 ,section ,,iv4 ,,the ,,turkey4 ,the turkey is certainly one of the most glorious presents made by the new world to the old4 ,those persons who always wish to know more than others1 say that the turkey was known to the ancients1 and was served up at the wedding feast of ,charlemagne4 ,they say it is an error to attribute the importation to the ,jesuits4 ,to these paradoxes but two things can be opposed3 #ast4 ,the name of the bird proves its origin1 for at one time ,america was called the ,west ,indies4 #b;d4 ,the form of the bird is altogether foreign4 ,a well informed man cannot be mistaken about it4 ,though already perfectly satisfied1 ,i made much deep research in the matter4 ,i will not inflict my studies on my readers1 but will only give them the results3 #a4 ,the turkey appeared in ,europe about the end of the seventeenth century4 #b4 ,that it was imported by the ,jesuits who sent a large number especially to a farm they had near ,bouges4 #c4 ,that thence they spread gradually over ,france1 and in many localities a turkey to this day is called a ,jesuit4 #d4 ,only in ,america has the turkey been found in a wild state1 7it is unknown in ,africa47 #e4 ,that in the farms of ,north ,america1 where it is very common1 it has two origins1 either from eggs which have been found and hatched or from young turkeys caught in the woods4 ,the consequence is they are in a state of nature and preserve almost all their original plumage4 ,overcome by this evidence ,i bestow on the good fathers a double portion of gratitude1 for they imported the ,quinquina yet known as ,jesuit's bark4 ,the same researches informed us that the turkey gradually became acclimated in ,france4 ,well informed observers have told me that about the middle of the last century of twenty young turkeys scarcely ten lived1 while now fourteen out of every twenty mature4 ,the spring rains are most unfortunate to them2 the large drops of rain striking on their tender heads destroy them4 ,,dindonophiles4 ,the turkey is the largest1 and if not the finest1 at least the most highly flavored of the gallinaceous family4 ,it has also the advantage of collecting around it every class of society4 ,when the virgin dresses1 and farmers of our countries wish to regale themselves in the long winter evenings1 what do they roast before the fire of the room in which the table is spread8 a turkey4 ,when the mechanic1 when the artist1 collects a few friends to enjoy a relief which is the more grateful because it is the rarer2 what is one of the dishes always put on the table8 a turkey stuffed with ,lyons sausage and with chestnuts of ,lyons4 ,in the highest gastronomical circles1 in the most select reunions1 where politics yield to dissertations on the taste1 for what do people wait8 ,what do they wish for8 a dinde truffe at the second course4 ,my secret memoirs tell me that its flavor has more than once lighted up most diplomatic faces4 ,,financial ,,influence ,,of ,,the ,,turkey4 ,the importation of turkeys became the cause of a great addition to the public fortune1 and occasioned a very considerable commerce4 ,by raising turkeys the farmers were able the more surely to pay their rents4 ,young girls often acquired a very sufficient dowry1 and towns-folk who wished to eat them had to pay round prices for them4 ,in a purely financial point of view turkeys demand much attention4 ,i have reason to believe1 that between the first of ,november and the end of ,february1 three hundred dindon truffees are consumed per diem4 ,the sum total is #cj1jjj turkeys4 ,the price of every turkey in that condition is at least twenty francs1 and the sum of the whole is not less than #gbj1jjj francs-- a very pretty sum of money4 ,one must add a similar sum for the fowls1 pheasants1 pullets and partridges1 suffered in the same way1 and which are every day exhibited in the provision shops1 as a punishment for beholders who are too poor to buy them4 ,,exploit ,,of ,,the ,,professor4 ,while ,i was living at ,hartford1 in ,connecticut1 ,i was lucky enough to kill a wild turkey4 ,this exploit deserves to be transmitted to posterity1 and ,i tell it with especial complaisance as ,i am myself the hero4 ,an ,american farmer had invited me to hunt on his grounds2 he lived in the remotest part of the ,state1 ,footnote3 ,brillat-,savarin uses the ,french words derrieres de l'etat and translates them in ,english1 in parenthesis ,backwoods4 and promised me partridges1 grey squirrels and wild turkeys4 ,footnote3 ,he also translates in the same manner dindes sauvages welp cocks4 ,he also permitted me to bring a friend or two if ,i pleased4 ,one fine day in ,october1 #agid1 therefore1 with a friend1 ,i set out with the hope of reaching the farm of ,mr4 ,bulow1 five mortal leagues from ,hartford1 before night4 ,though the road was hardly traced1 we arrived there without accident1 and were received with that cordial hospitality expressed by acts1 for before we had been five minutes on the farm1 dogs1 horses and men were all suitably taken care of4 ,about two hours were consumed in the examination of the farm and its dependencies4 ,i would describe all this if ,i did not prefer to display to the reader the four buxom daughters of ,mr4 ,bulow1 to whom our arrival was a great event4 ,their ages were from sixteen to twenty-four1 and there was so much simplicity in their persons1 so much activity and abandon1 that every motion seemed full of grace4 ,after our return from walking we sat around a well furnished table4 ,a superb piece of corned beef1 a stewed goose1 and a magnificent leg of mutton1 besides an abundance of vegetables and two large jugs of cider1 one at each end of the table1 made up our bill of fare4 ,when we had proven to our host1 that in appetite at least1 we were true huntsmen1 we began to make arrangements for our sport4 ,he told us where we would find game1 and gave us land-marks to guide us on our return1 not forgetting farm-houses where we could obtain refreshments4 ,during this conversation the ladies had prepared excellent tea1 of which we drank several cups1 and were then shown into a room with two beds1 where exercise and fatigue procured us a sound sleep4 ,on the next day we set out rather late1 and having come to the end of the clearings made by ,mr4 ,bulow1 ,i found myself in a virgin forest for the first time4 ,the sound of the axe had never been heard there4 ,i walked about with delight1 observing the blessings and ravages of time which creates and destroys1 and ,i amused myself by tracing all the periods on the life of an oak since the moment when its two leaves start from the ground1 until it leaves but a long black mark which is the dust of its heart4 ,my companion1 ,mr4 ,king1 reproached me for my moodiness1 and we began the hunt4 ,we killed first some of those pretty grey partridges which are so round and so tender4 ,we then knocked down six or seven grey squirrels1 highly esteemed in ,america1 and at last were fortunate enough to find a flock of turkeys4 ,they rose one after the other1 flying rapidly and crying loudly4 ,mr4 ,king fired on the first and ran after it4 ,the others were soon out of shot4 ,the most sluggish1 of all arose at last1 not ten paces from me4 ,it flew through an opening1 ,i fired and it fell dead4 ,one must be a sportsman to conceive the extreme pleasure this shot caused me4 ,i siezed on the superb bird and turned it over and over for a quarter of an hour1 until ,i heard my companion's voice calling for assistance4 ,i hurried to him and found that he called me to aid him in looking for a turkey he claimed to have killed1 but which had disappeared4 ,i put my dog on the scent but he led us into an under growth1 so thick and thorny that a snake could scarcely penetrate it2 ,i had then to give up the search1 and my companion was in a bad humor all day long4 ,the rest of the day scarcely deserves the honors of printing4 ,on our return we lost ourselves in boundless woods1 and we were in not a little danger of having to stay out all night1 when the silvery tones of ,mr4 ,bulow's daughters1 and the deep bass of their father1 who had come to look for us1 guided us home4 ,the four sisters were fully armed with clean dresses1 new ribbons1 pretty hats1 and so carefully shod that it was evident that they had formed a high opinion of us4 ,i tried to make myself agreeable to the one of the ladies who took my arm1 a thing she did as naturally as if it had belonged to her jure conjugali4 ,when we reached the farm supper was ready1 but before we sat down to the table we drew near to a bright and brilliant fire which had been lighted for us1 though the season did not indicate that such a a precaution was necessary4 ,we found it very comfortable1 fatigued as we were1 and were rested as if by enchantment4 ,this custom doubtless comes from the ,indians who always have a fire in their huts4 ,it may be1 this is a tradition of ,st4 ,francis de ,sales1 who said that fire was good eleven months of the year 7non liquet74 ,we ate as if we were famished2 a large bowl of punch enabled us to finish the evening1 and a conversation1 which our host made perfectly free1 led us far into the night4 ,we spoke of the war of ,independence1 in which ,mr4 ,bulow ,footnote3 ,the ,m4 ,bulow of whom ,savarin speaks1 is none other than ,lieut4 ,col4 ,bellows of the ,connecticut ,line1 many of whose relations yet remain in the ,valley of the ,connecticut4 had served as a field officer of ,m4 de ,la ,fayette1 who every day becomes greater in the eyes of the ,americans1 who always designate him as the ,marquis of agriculture1 which at that time enriched the ,united ,states1 and finally of my native land1 which ,i loved the more because ,i was forced to leave it4 ,when wearied of conversation the father would say to his eldest daughter1 ,maria1 give us a song4 ,she without any embarrassment sung the ,american national airs4 ,the complaints of ,mary ,stuart and of ,andre1 all popular in ,america4 ,maria had taken a few lessons1 and in that remote country passed for a virtuosa2 her singing though1 derived its charm from the quality of her voice1 which was at once clear1 fresh and accentuated4 ,on the next day1 in spite of ,mr4 ,bulow's persuasions1 we set out4 ,i had duties to discharge2 and while the horses were being prepared1 ,mr4 ,bulow took me aside and used these remarkable words4 ,you see in me1 sir1 a happy man1 if there be one under heaven2 all that you see here is derived from my own property4 ,my stockings were knit by my daughters1 and my cloths were furnished by my flocks4 ,they also1 with my garden1 furnish me with an abundance of healthy food4 ,the greatest eulogium of our government is1 that in the ,state of ,connecticut there are a thousand farmers as well satisfied as ,i am1 the doors of whom have no locks4 ,taxes are almost nothing1 and as long as they be paid any one can sleep calmly4 ,congress favors national industry as much as it can1 and merchants are always ready to take from us whatever we wish to sell4 ,i have ready money for a long time1 for ,i have just sold at twenty-four dollars a barrel1 flour ,i usually receive eight for4 ,all this is derived from the liberty we have acquired1 and established on good laws4 ,i am master of my own house2 and you will not be astonished when you know that we never fear the sound of the drum1 and1 except on the #dth of ,july1 the glorious anniversary of our ,independence1 neither soldiers1 uniforms1 nor bayonets are seen4 ,on my way back ,i seemed absorbed by profound reflection4 ,perhaps the reader may think ,i mused on my host's parting words2 ,i had very different thoughts1 however1 for ,i was studying how ,i should cook my turkey4 ,i was in some trouble1 for ,i feared ,i would not find all ,i needed at ,hartford1 and wished to make a trophy of my spolia opima4 ,i make a painful sacrifice in suppressing the details of the profound science ,i exhibited in the preparation of an entertainment1 to which ,i invited several friends4 ,suffice it to say that the partridge wings were served en papillote1 and the grey squirrels stewed in madeira4 ,the turkey1 which was our only roast dish1 was charming to the sight1 flattering to the sense of smell1 and delicious to taste4 ,therefore1 until the last fragment was eaten1 there were heard around the table1 ,very good2 ,exceedingly good2 ,dear sir2 what a nice piece4 ,footnote3 ,the flesh of the wild turkey is more highly colored and more perfumed than the domestic fowl4 ,i am glad to learn that my amiable colleague1 ,m4 ,bosc1 had killed many in ,carolina1 which he found excellent1 and far better than those in ,europe4 ,he therefore recommends that they be allowed the largest liberty1 that they be driven into the woods and fields1 to enhance the flavor and bring it as nearly as possible back to the original species4--,annales d',agriculture cah4 du #bh ,fevr4 #ahba4 ,by game we mean all wild animals which are fit to eat1 and live in a state of natural liberty4 ,we say fit to eat1 because many animals which are in a state of nature are not fit to eat4 ,such as foxes1 crows1 pies1 wild-cats1 etc4 ,they are called in ,french ,betes puantes vermin4 ,game is divided into three series4 ,the first contains all birds1 from the grive to the smallest of the feathered tribe4 ,the second ascends from the rail to the snipe1 partridge1 and pheasant1 including the rabbit and the hare2 it is divided into three categories1 of the marsh1 hairy1 and feathered4 ,the third1 which bears the name of venison1 is composed of the wild-boar1 kid1 and all other horny-footed cattle4 ,game is one of the great luxuries of our tables2 it is a healthy1 warm1 highly-flavored and high tasted flesh1 easily digested1 whenever one is hungry4 ,these qualities1 however1 are not so inherent as not to a certain degree to depend on the skill of the cook4 ,put some water1 salt and beef into a pot1 and you can obtain from them a very good soup4 ,substitute venison for the beef1 and the result will not be fit to eat4 ,butcher's meat1 in this respect1 has the advantage4 ,under the manipulation1 however1 of a skilful cook1 game undergoes various modifications and transformations1 and furnishes the greater portions of the dishes of the transcendental kitchen4 ,game derives1 also1 a great portion of its value from the soil on which it is fed4 ,the taste of a ,perigord partridge is very different from that of one from ,sologne1 and the hare killed in the vicinity of ,paris is a very different dish from one shot on the hills of ,valromey or upper ,dauphiny4 ,the latter is probably the most perfumed of all beasts4 ,among small birds1 beyond all doubt1 the best is the beccafico4 ,it becomes at least as fat as the red-throat or the ortolan1 and nature has besides given it a slight bitterness1 and a peculiar and exquisite perfume1 which enables it to fill and delight all the gustatory organs4 ,were the beccafico as large as a pheasant1 an acre of land would be paid for it4 ,it is a pity this bird is so rare1 that few others than those who live in the southern departments of ,france1 know what it is4 ,footnote3 ,i am inclined to think the bird is utterly unknown in ,america4--,,translator4 ,few people know how to eat small birds4 ,the following method was imparted confidentially to me by the ,canon ,charcot1 a gourmand by profession1 and a perfect gastronome1 thirty years before the word gastronomy was invented3 ,take a very fat bird by the bill and sprinkle it with salt1 take out the entrailles1 ,i mean gizzard1 liver1 etc41 and put it whole in your mouth4 ,chew it quickly1 and the result will be a juice abundant enough to permeate the whole organ4 ,you will then enjoy a pleasure unknown to the vulgar4 ,odi profanum vulgus et arceo4 ,,horace4 ,the quail1 of all game properly so-called1 is the nicest and the most pleasant4 ,a very fat quail is pleasant both to eat1 see1 and smell4 ,whenever it is either roasted1 or served en papillote1 a great folly is committed1 because its perfume is very volatile1 and when ever in contact with a liquid1 its flavor is dissolved and lost4 ,the snipe is a charming bird1 but few people know all its charms4 ,it is in its glory only when it has been cooked under the huntsman's eyes2 and the huntsman must have killed it4 ,then the roast is perfected according to rule1 and the mouth is inundated with pleasure4 ,above the preceding1 and above all others1 the pheasant should be placed4 ,few mortals1 however1 know exactly how to cook it4 ,a pheasant eaten only a week after its death is not good as a partridge or a pullet1 for its merit consists in its aroma4 ,science has considered the expansion of this aroma1 experience has utilised science1 so that a pheasant ready for the spit is a dish fit for the most exalted gourmands4 ,in the varieties will be found a recipe for roasting a pheasant1 a la ,sainte ,alliance4 ,the time has come when this method1 hitherto concentrated in a small circle of friends1 should be made known for the benefit of humanity4 ,a pheasant with truffles is not good as one would be apt to think it4 ,the bird is too dry to actuate the tubercle1 and the scent of the one and the perfume of the other when united neutralize each other--or rather do not suit4 ,section ,,vi4 ,,fish4 ,savants1 in other respects orthodox1 have maintained that ocean was the common cradle of all that exists1 and that man himself sprang from the sea and owes his actual habits to the influence of the air1 and the mode of life he has been obliged to adopt4 ,be this as it may1 it is at least certain1 that the waters contain an immense quantity of beings of all forms and sizes1 which possess vitality in very different proportions1 and according to mode very different from that of warm blooded animals4 ,it is not less true that water has ever presented an immense variety of aliments1 and that in the present state of science it introduces to our table the most agreeable variety4 ,fish1 less nutritious than flesh and more succulent than vegetables1 is a mezzo termine1 which suits all temperments and which persons recovering from illness may safely eat4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans1 though they had not made as much progress as we have in the art of seasoning fish1 esteemed it very highly1 and were so delicate that they could even tell where it had been taken4 ,large fish ponds were maintained1 and the cruelty of ,vellius ,pollis who fed his lampreys on the bodies of slaves he caused to be slain is well known4 ,this cruelty ,domitian disapproved of but should have punished4 ,there has been much discussion as to which is the best fish4 ,the question will never be decided1 for as the ,spanish proverb says1 sobre los gustos no hai disputa4 ,every one is effected in his own way4 ,these fugitive sensations can be expressed by no known character1 and there is no scale to measure if a ,,cat-,,fish 7671 a sole1 or a turbot are better than a salmon1 trout1 pike1 or even tench of six or seven pounds4 ,it is well understood that fish is less nourishing than meat1 because it contains no osmazome1 because it is lighter in weight1 and contains less weight in the same volume4 ,shell-fish1 and especially oysters1 furnish little nutrition1 so that one can eat a great many without injury4 ,it will be remembered that not long ago any well arranged entertainment began with oysters1 and that many guests never paused without swallowing a gross 7#add74 ,i was anxious to know the weight of this advance guard1 and ,i ascertained that a dozen oysters1 fluid included1 weighed four ounces averdupois4 ,now look on it as certain that the same persons who did not make a whit the worse dinner1 on account of the oysters would have been completely satisfied if they had eaten the same weight of flesh or of chicken4 ,,anecdote4 ,in #agih ,i was at ,versailles as a commissary of the ,directory1 and frequently met ,m4 ,laperte1 greffier of the count of the department4 ,he was very fond of oysters1 and used to complain that he had never had enough4 ,i resolved to procure him this satisfaction1 and invited him to dine with me on the next day4 ,he came4 ,i kept company with him to the tenth dozen1 after which ,i let him go on alone4 ,he managed to eat thirty-two dozen within an hour for the person who opened them was not very skilful4 ,in the interim1 ,i was idle1 and as that is always a painful state at the table1 ,i stopped him at the moment when he was in full swing4 ,mon cher1 said ,i1 you will not to-day eat as many oysters as you meant--let us dine4 ,we did so1 and he acted as if he had fasted for a week4 ,muria-,garum ,the ancients extracted from fish two highly flavored seasonings1 muria and garum4 ,the first was the juice of the thuny1 or to speak more precisely1 the liquid substance which salt causes to flow from the fish4 ,garum was dearer1 and we know much less of it4 ,it is thought that it was extracted by pressure from the entrailles of the scombra or mackerel2 but this supposition does not account for its high price4 ,there is reason to believe it was a foreign sauce1 and was nothing else but the ,indian soy1 which we know to be only fish fermented with mushrooms4 ,certainly1 people from their locality are forced to live almost entirely upon fish4 ,they also feed their working animals with it1 and the latter from custom gradually grow to like this strange food4 ,they also manure the soil with it1 yet always receive the same quantity from the sea which surrounds them4 ,it has been observed that such nations are not so courageous as those that eat flesh4 ,they are pale1 a thing not surprising1 for the elements of fish must rather repair the lymph than the blood4 ,among ichthyophages1 remarkable instances of longevity are observed1 either because light food preserves them from plethora1 or that the juices it contains being formed by nature only to constitute cartilages which never bears long duration1 their use retards the solidification of the parts of the body which1 after all1 is the cause of death4 ,be this as it may1 fish in the hands of a skilful cook is an inexhaustible source of enjoyment4 ,it is served up whole1 in pieces1 truncated with water1 oil1 vinegar1 warm1 cold2 and is always well received4 ,it is1 however never better than when dressed en matilotte4 ,this ragout1 though made a necessary dish to the boatmen on our rivers1 and made in perfection only by the keepers of cobarets on their banks1 is incomparably good4 ,lovers of fish never see it without expressing their gratification1 either on account of its freshness of taste1 or because they can without difficulty eat an indefinite quantity1 without any fear of satiety or indigestion4 ,analytical gastronomy has sought to ascertain what are the effects of a fish diet on the animal system4 ,unanimous observation leads us to think that it has great influence on the genesiac sense1 and awakens the instinct of reproduction in the two sexes4 ,this effect being once known1 two causes were at once assigned for it3 #ast4 ,the different manner of preparing fish1 all the seasoning for it being irritating1 such as carar1 hering1 thon marine1 etc4 #b;d4 ,the various juices the fish imbibes1 which are highly inflammable and oxigenise in digestion4 ,profound analysis has discovered a yet more powerful cause3 the presence of phosphorous in all the portions1 and which decomposition soon developes4 ,these physical truths were doubtless unknown to the ecclesiastical legislators1 who imposed the lenten diet on different communities of monks1 such as ,chartreux1 ,recollets1 ,trappists1 and the ,carmelites reformed by ,saint ,theresa2 no one thinks that they wished to throw a new difficulty into the way of the observance of the already most anti-social vow of chastity4 ,in this state of affairs1 beyond doubt1 glorious victories were won1 and rebellious senses were subjected2 there were1 however1 many lapses and defeats4 ,they must have been well averred1 for the result was the religious orders had ultimately a reputation like that of ,hercules and the daughters of ,danaus1 or ,marshal ,saxe with ,m'lle ,lecouvreur4 ,they might also have been delighted by an anecdote1 so old as to date from the crusades4 ,sultan ,saladin being anxious to measure the continence of devises1 took two into his palace1 and for a long time fed them on the most succulent food4 ,soon all traces of fasting began to disappear1 and they reached a very comfortable embonpoint4 ,at that time they were given as companions two odalisques of great beauty1 all of whose well- directed attacks failed1 and they came from the ordeal pure as the diamond of ,visapor4 ,the ,sultan kept them in his palace1 and to celebrate their triumph fed them for several weeks on fish alone4 ,after a few days they were again submitted to the ordeal of the odalisques1 and444444444 ,in the present state of our knowledge1 it is probable that if the course of events were to establish any monastic order1 the superiors would adopt some regimen better calculated to maintain its objects4 ,,philosophical ,,reflection4 ,fish1 considered in general1 is an inexhaustible source of reflection to the philosopher4 ,the varied forms of these strange animals1 the senses they are deprived of1 and the limited nature of those they have1 their various modes of existence1 the influence exerted over them by the medium in which they live1 move1 and breathe1 extend the range of our ideas and the indefinite modifications which result from their nature1 motions and lives4 ,for my part1 ,i entertain to them a sentiment very like respect1 resulting from my belief that they belong to antediluvian races4 ,the great convulsion which doomed our ancestors1 in the eighteenth century of the world1 to fish was a season of joy1 triumph and festivity4 ,section ,,vii4 ,,truffles4 ,who ever says truffle1 pronounces a great word1 which awakens eratic and gourmand ideas both in the sex dressed in petticoats and in the bearded portion of humanity4 ,this honorable duplication results from the fact that the tubercle is not only delicious to the taste1 but that it excites a power the exercise of which is accompanied by the most delicious pleasures4 ,the origin of the truffle is unknown2 they are found1 but none know how they vegetate4 ,the most learned men have sought to ascertain the secret1 and fancied they discovered the seed4 ,their promises1 however1 were vain1 and no planting was ever followed by a harvest4 ,this perhaps is all right1 for as one of the great values of truffles is their dearness1 perhaps they would be less highly esteemed if they were cheaper4 ,rejoice1 my friend1 said ,i1 a superb lace is about to be manufactured at a very low price4 ,ah6 replied she1 think you1 if it be cheap1 that any one would wear it8 ,,eratic ,,virtue ,,of ,,truffles4 ,the ,romans were well acquainted with the truffle1 but ,i do not think they were acquainted with the ,french variety4 ,those which were their delight were obtained from ,greece and ,africa1 and especially from ,libia4 ,the substance was pale1 tinged with rose1 and the ,libian truffles were sought for as being far the most delicate and highly perfumed4 444444 ,gustus elementa per omnia quaerunt4 ,,juvenal4 ,from the ,romans to our own time1 there was a long interregnum1 and the resurrection of truffles is an event of recent occurrence4 ,i have read many old books1 in which there is no allusion to them4 ,the generation for which ,i write may almost be said to witness its resurrection4 ,about #aghj truffles were very rare in ,paris1 and they were to be had only in small quantities at the ,hotel des ,americans1 and at the ,hotel de ,province4 ,a dindon truffee was a luxury only seen at the tables of great nobles and of kept women4 ,we owe their abundance to dealers in comestibles1 the number of whom has greatly increased1 and who1 seeing that their merchandise was popular1 had it sought for throughout the kingdom4 ,sending for it by either the mail or by couriers1 they made its search general4 ,as truffles cannot be planted1 careful search alone can obtain it4 ,at the time ,i write 7#ahbe7 the glory of the truffle is at its apogee4 ,let no one ever confess that he dined where truffles were not4 ,however good any entree may be1 it seems bad unless enriched by truffles4 ,who has not felt his mouth water when any allusion was made to truffles a la provincale4 ,a saute of truffles is a dish the honors of which the mistress of the house reserves to herself2 in fine1 the truffle is the diamond of the kitchen4 ,i sought the reason of this preference2 it seemed to me that many other substances had an equal right to the honor1 and ,i became satisfied that the cause was that the truffle was supposed to excite the genesiac sense4 ,this ,i am sure is the chief quality of its perfection1 and the predilection and preference evinced for it1 so powerful is our servitude to this tyrannical and capricious sense4 ,this discovery led me to seek to ascertain if the effect were real or imaginary4 ,the ,translator here has thought it best to omit a very ,,broad dialogue1 which ,brillat-,savarin introduced into his book4 4444444444 ,i made ulterior researches1 collected my ideas1 and consulted the men who were most likely to know1 with all of whom ,i was intimate4 ,i united them into a tribunal1 a senate1 a sanhedrim1 an areopagus1 and we gave the following decision to be commented upon by the litterateures of the twenty-eighth century4 ,the truffle is a positive aphrodisiac1 and under certain circumstances makes women kinder1 and men more amiable4 ,in ,piedmont white truffles are met with1 which are very highly esteemed4 ,they have a slight flavor1 not injurious to their perfection1 because it gives no disagreable return4 ,the best truffles of ,france come from ,perigord1 and upper ,provence4 ,about the month of ,january they have their highest perfume4 ,those from ,bugey also have a high flavor1 but can not be preserved4 ,those of ,burgundy and ,dauphiny are of inferior quality4 ,they are hard1 and are deficient in farinacious matter4 ,thus1 there are many kinds of truffles4 ,to find truffles1 dogs and hogs are used1 that have been trained to the purpose4 ,there are men1 however1 with such practised eyes that by the inspection of the soil they can say whether it contains truffles or not1 and what is their quality4 ,,are ,,truffles ,,indigestibles8 ,we have only to ascertain if the truffle be indigestible or not4 ,we say no4 ,this decision is ex cathedra1 and well sustained4 #a4 ,by the nature of the substance4 ,the truffle is easily masticated1 is light1 and has nothing hard nor cartilaginous in its composition4 #b4 ,during our observations for fifty years1 we have never known any indigestion to result from truffles4 ,footnote3 ,the translator has known several such indigestions4 ,he once nearly became a martyr to a galatine de ,perdrix truffee1 at the restaurant of the late ,m4 ,dandurand4 #c4 ,the attestation of the most eminent of the faculty of ,paris1 a city eminently gourmande and trufflivorous1 sustains this idea4 #d4 ,from the daily conduct of the doctors of the law1 who1 caeteris paribus1 consume more truffles than any other class of citizens4 ,doctor ,malonet used to eat enough to give an elephant the indigestion4 ,he however lived to be eighty-six4 ,we may therefore look on it as certain1 that the truffle is a food healthy as it is agreeable1 and that when taken in moderation it passes through the system as a letter does through the post office4 ,one may easily be indisposed after a great dinner1 where other things than truffles have been eaten2 such accidents1 however1 only happen to those who1 after the first service1 were already stuffed like canons1 and who failed in the second1 leaving the luxuries offered them untouched4 ,this is not then the fault of truffles1 and we may be sure they had swallowed so many glasses of pure water or eaten the same number of potatoes4 ,let us conclude by a circumstance which shows how easily we may be mistaken without careful observation4 ,one day ,i invited ,mr4 ,s--1 a very pleasant old man1 to dine with me4 ,he was also a gourmand of the highest grade4 ,either because ,i knew his tastes1 or to satisfy all my guests that ,i wished to make them happy1 ,i was not sparing in truffles1 and they appeared under the egis of young turkeys most carefully stuffed4 ,mr4 ,s--ate with energy1 and as ,i knew he could not injure himself ,i left him alone1 persuading him not to hurry himself because no one would attack the property he had acquired4 ,all passed off very well1 and we separated at a very late hour4 ,when we reached home1 however1 ,mr4 ,s-- was attacked by a violent cholic1 a disposition to vomit1 convulsive cramp1 and general indisposition4 ,this state of things lasted some time1 and all said he suffered from the indigestion caused by truffles2 at last nature came to the patient's aid1 and ,mr4 ,s-- opened his mouth and threw up a single truffle1 which struck the wall and rebounded1 luckily without injury to the by-standers4 ,all unpleasant symptoms at once disappeared1 tranquility was restored1 digestion recommenced its course1 the patient went to sleep and awoke in the morning perfectly well4 ,the cause was easily understood1 ,mr4 ,s--had been eating a long time1 and his teeth were unable to sustain the labor imposed on them4 ,he had lost many of those precious members1 and those he had left did not always meet together4 ,a truffle had thus escaped mastication1 and almost whole had been swallowed4 ,digestion had carried it to the pylorus where it was momentarily detained1 and this mechanical detention had caused all his trouble1 as expulsion had cured it4 ,thus there was no indigestion1 but merely the interposition of a foreign body4 ,this was decided on by the consulting body1 which saw the corpus delicti1 and which selected me as its reporter4 ,mr4 ,s-- did not on this account remain a whit less fond of truffles4 ,he always attacked them with the same audacity1 but was very careful to swallow them with more prudence4 ,he used to thank ,god that this sanitary precaution had prolonged his life and his enjoyments4 ,section ,,viii4 ,,sugar4 ,in the present state of science we understand by sugar a substance mild to the taste1 crystalizable1 and which by fermentation resolves itself into carbonic acid and alcohol4 ,by sugar once was understood only the crystalized juice of the cane1 7arundo saccharifera47 ,a few pages of old authors would induce us to think the ancients had observed in certain arundines a sweet and extractible portion4 ,lucanus says3 ,qui bibunt tenera dulces ab arundine succos4 ,between water sweetened by the juice of the cane1 and the sugar we have1 there is a great difference4 ,art in ,rome was not far enough advanced to accomplish it4 ,sugar really originated in the colonies of the ,new ,world4 ,the cane was imported thither two centuries ago and prospered1 and effort was made to utilize the juice which flowed from it1 and by gradual experiments they accomplished the manufacture of all the variety of its productions we know of4 ,the culture of the sugar cane has become an object of the greatest importance2 it is a great source of wealth both to the cultivators and the vendors1 and also to the taxes of governments who levy an import on it4 ,,indigenous ,,sugar4 ,it has long been thought that tropical heat was not needed to form sugar4 ,about #agdj ,morgroff discovered that many plants of the temperate zones1 and among others the beet contained it4 ,towards the beginning of the nineteenth century1 circumstances having made sugar scarce1 and consequently dear1 the government made it an object for savants to look for it4 ,the idea was successful1 and it was ascertained that sugar was found in the whole vegetable kingdom2 that it existed in the grape1 chestnut1 potato1 and in the beet especially4 ,this last plant became an object of the greatest culture1 and many experiments proved that in this respect1 the old world could do without the new4 ,france was covered with manufactories1 which worked with different success1 and the manufacture of sugar became naturalized2 the art was a new one which may any day be recalled4 ,among the various manufactories1 the most prominent was that established at ,passy1 near ,paris1 by ,mr4 ,benjamin ,delassert1 a citizen1 the name of whom is always connected with the good and useful4 ,by means of a series of extensive operations1 he got rid of all that was doubtful in the practice1 and made no mystery of his plan of procedure1 even to those who were his rivals4 ,he was visited by the head of the government1 and was ordered to furnish all that was needed at the ,tuilleries4 ,new circumstances1 the restoration of peace1 having again reduced colonial sugar to a lower price1 the ,french manufacturers lost the advantages they had gained4 ,many1 however1 yet prosper1 and ,delassert makes some thousands every year4 ,this also enables him to preserve his processes until the time comes when they may again he useful4 ,footnote3 ,we may add1 that at the session for the general encouragement of national industry1 a medal was ordered to be presented to ,m4 ,crespel1 a manufacturer of arrus1 who manufactures every year one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of beet sugar1 which he sells at a profit1 even--when ,colonial sugar is #b francs #ej centimes the kilogramme4 ,the reason is1 that the refuse is used for distillation1 and subsequently fed out to cattle4 ,when beet sugar was in the market1 party men1 up-starts and fools1 took it into their heads that its flavor was unpleasant1 and some even said it was unhealthy4 ,many experiments have proved the contrary1 and the ,count de ,chaptal1 in his excellent book1 ,chemistry ,applied to ,agriculture1 7vol4 ii4 page #ac17 says3 ,sugars obtained from various plants1 says a celebrated chemist1 are in fact of the same nature1 and have no intrinsic difference when they are equally pure4 ,taste1 crystalization1 color1 weight1 are absolutely identical1 and the most acute observer cannot distinguish the one from the other4 ,an idea of the force of prejudice is afforded by the fact1 that out of one hundred ,british subjects1 taken at random1 not ten believe in the possibility of obtaining sugar from the beet4 ,,uses ,,of ,,sugar4 ,sugar was introduced by the apothecaries4 ,with them it was a most important article1 for when a person was greatly in want of any article1 there was a proverb1 ,like an apothecary without sugar4 ,to say that it came thence1 is to say that it was received with disfavor2 some said that it was heating1 others that it injured the chest2 some that it disposed persons to apoplexy4 ,calumny1 however1 had to give way to truth1 and for eighty years this apothegm has been current1 ,sugar hurts nothing but the purse4 ,under this impenetrable aegis the use of sugar has increased every day1 and no alimentary substance has undergone so many transformations4 ,many persons like sugar in a pure state1 and in hopeless cases the faculty recommend it as a substance which can do no possible harm1 and which is not unpleasant4 ,mixed with water1 it gives us eau sucree1 a refreshing drink1 which is healthful1 agreeable1 and sometimes salutary4 ,mingled in large quantities with water it constitutes sirops1 which are perfumed1 and from their variety are most refreshing4 ,mingled with water1 the caloric of which is artificially extracted1 it furnishes two kinds1 which are of ,italian origin1 and were introduced into ,france by ,catharine de ,medici4 ,with wine it furnishes such a restorative power that in some countries roasted meats taken to the bride and groom are covered with it1 just as in ,persia soused sheeps' feet are given them4 ,mingled with flour and eggs1 it furnishes biscuits1 maccaronies1 etc41 etc41 ad infinitum4 ,with milk it unites in the composition of creams1 blanc-mangers and other dishes of the second course1 substituting for the substantial taste of meat1 ethereal perfumes4 ,it causes the aroma of coffee to be exhaled4 ,mingled with cafe au lait1 a light1 pleasant aliment is produced1 precisely suited to those who have to go to their offices immediately after breakfast4 ,with fruits and flowers it contributes to furnish confitures1 marmalades1 preserves1 pates and candies1 and enables us to enjoy the perfume of those flowers long after they have withered4 ,it may be that sugar might be advantageously employed in embalming1 an art of which we know little4 ,sugar mingled with alcohol furnishes spirituous liquors1 such as were used1 it is said1 to warm the old blood of ,louis ,,xiv41 which1 by their energy1 seized the palate and the taste by the perfumed gas united to them1 the two qualities forming the ne plus ultra of the pleasures of the taste4 ,such is the substance which the ,french of the time of ,louis ,,xiii4 scarcely knew the name of1 and which to the people of the nineteenth century is become so important2 no woman1 in easy circumstances1 spends as much money for bread as she does for sugar4 ,m4 ,delacroix1 a man of letters1 who is as industrious as he is profound1 was one day complaining of the price of sugar1 which then cost five francs a pound1 ,ah6 said he1 if sugar should ever again be thirty sous a pound1 ,i will drink nothing but eau sucree4 ,his wishes were granted2 he yet lives1 and ,i trust he keeps his word4 ,section ,,ix4 ,,origin ,,of ,,coffee4 ,the first coffee tree was found in ,arabia1 and in spite of the various transplantations it has undergone1 the best coffee is yet obtained there4 ,an old tradition states that coffee was discovered by a shepherd of old1 who saw that his flock was always in the greatest state of excitement and hilarity when they browsed on the leaves of the coffee tree4 ,though this may be but an old story1 the honor of the discovery belongs only in part to the goat-herd4 ,the rest belongs to him who first made use of the bean1 and boiled it4 ,a mere decoction of green coffee is a most insipid drink1 but carbonization develops the aroma and forms an oil which is the peculiarity of the coffee we drink1 and which would have been eternally unknown but for the intervention of heat4 ,the ,turks excel us in this4 ,they employ no mill to torturate the coffee1 but beat it with wooden pestles in mortars4 ,when the pestles have been long used1 they become precious and are sold at great prices4 ,i had to examine and determine whether in the result one or the other of the two methods be preferable4 ,consequently1 ,i burned carefully a pound of good mocha1 and separated it into two equal portions1 the one of which was passed through the mill1 and the other beaten ,turkish fashion in a mortar4 ,i made coffee of each1 taking equal weights of each1 poured on an equal weight of boiling water and treated them both precisely alike4 ,i tasted this coffee myself1 and caused others who were competent judges to do so4 ,the unanimous opinion was that coffee which had been beaten in a mortar was far better than that which had been ground4 ,any one may repeat the experiment4 ,in the interim ,i will tell you a strange anecdote of the influence of one or the other kind of manipulation4 ,monsieur1 said ,napoleon1 one day to ,laplace1 how comes it that a glass of water into which ,i put a lump of loaf sugar tastes more pleasantly than if ,i had put in the same quantity of crushed sugar4 ,sire1 said the philosophic ,senator1 there are three substances the constituents of which are identical--,sugar1 gum and amidon2 they differ only in certain conditions1 the secret of which nature has preserved4 ,i think it possible that in the effect produced by the pestle some saccharine particles become either gum or amidon1 and cause the difference4 ,this remark became public1 and ulterior observations has confirmed it4 ,,different ,,modes ,,of ,,preparing ,,coffee4 ,some years ago all directed their attention to the mode of preparing coffee2 the reason doubtless was that the head of the government was fond of it4 ,some proposed not to burn nor to powder it1 to boil it three quarters of an hour1 to strain it1 c4 ,i have tried this and all the methods which have been suggested from day to day1 and prefer that known as a la ,dubelloy1 which consists in pouring boiling water on coffee placed in a porcelain or silver vessel pierced with a number of very minute holes4 ,this first decoction should be taken and brought to the boiling point1 then passed through the strainer again1 and a coffee will be obtained clear and strong as possible4 ,i have also tried to make coffee in a high pressure boiling apparatus2 all ,i obtained however was a fluid intensely bitter1 and strong enough to take the skin from the throat of a ,cossack4 ,,effects ,,of ,,coffee4 ,doctors have differed in relation to the sanitary properties of coffee4 ,we will omit all this1 and devote ourselves to the more important point1 its influence on the organs of thought4 ,there is no doubt but that coffee greatly excites the cerebral faculties4 ,any man who drinks it for the first time is almost sure to pass a sleepless night4 ,sometimes the effect is softened or modified by custom1 but there are many persons on whom it always produces this effect1 and who consequently cannot use coffee4 ,i have said that the effect was modified by use1 a circumstance which does not prevent its having effect in another manner4 ,i have observed persons whom coffee did not prevent from sleeping at night1 need it to keep them awake during the day1 and never failed to slumber when they had taken it for dinner4 ,there are others who are torpid all day when they have not taken their cup in the morning4 ,voltaire and ,buffon used a great deal of coffee4 ,perchance the latter was indebted to it for the admirable clearness we observe in his works1 and the second for the harmonious enthusiasm of his style4 ,it is evident that many pages of the treatise on man1 the dog1 the tiger1 lion and horse1 were written under a strange cerebral excitement4 ,the loss of sleep caused by coffee is not painful1 for the perceptions are very clear1 and one has no disposition to sleep4 ,one is always excited and unhappy when wakefulness comes from any other cause4 ,this1 however1 does prevent such an excitement1 when carried too far1 from being very injurious4 ,formerly only persons of mature age took coffee4 ,now every one takes it1 and perhaps it is the taste which forces onward the immense crowd that besiege all the avenues of the ,olympus1 and of the temple of memory4 ,the ,cordwainer1 author of the tragedy of ,zenobia1 which all ,paris heard read a few years ago1 drank much coffee2 for that reason he excelled the cabinetmaker of ,nevers1 who was but a drunkard4 ,coffee is a more powerful fluid than people generally think4 ,a man in good health may drink two bottles of wine a day for a long time1 and sustain his strength4 ,if he drank that quantity of coffee he would become imbecile and die of consumption4 ,i saw at ,leicester square1 in ,london1 a man whom coffee had made a cripple4 ,he had ceased to suffer1 and then drank but six cups a day4 ,all fathers and mothers should make their children abstain from coffee1 if they do not wish them at twenty to be puny dried up machines4 ,people in large cities should pay especial attention to this1 as their children have no exaggeration of strength and health1 and are not so hearty as those born in the country4 ,i am one of those who have been obliged to give up coffee1 and ,i will conclude this article by telling how rigorously ,i was subjected to its power4 ,the ,duke of ,mossa1 then minister of justice1 called on me for an opinion about which ,i wished to be careful1 and for which he had allowed me but a very short time4 ,i determined then to sit up all night1 and to enable me to do so took two large cups of strong and highly flavored coffee4 ,i went home at seven o'clock to get the papers which had been promised me1 but found a note telling me ,i would not get them until the next day4 ,thus in every respect disappointed1 ,i returned to the house where ,i had dined1 and played a game of piquet1 without any of the moody fits to which ,i was ordinarily subject4 ,i did justice to the coffee1 but ,i was not at ease as to how ,i would pass the night4 ,i went to bed at my usual hour1 thinking that if ,i did not get my usual allowance1 ,i would at least get four or five hours1 sufficient to carry me through the day4 ,i was mistaken4 ,i had been two hours in bed and was wider awake than ever2 ,i was in intense mental agitation1 and fancied my brain a mill1 the wheels of which revolved1 grinding nothing4 ,the idea came to me to turn this fancy to account1 and ,i did so1 amusing myself by putting into verse a story ,i had previously read in an ,english paper4 ,i did so without difficulty1 and as ,i did not sleep ,i undertook another1 but in vain4 ,a dozen verses had exhausted my poetic faculty1 and ,i gave it up4 ,i passed the night without sleep1 and without even being stupified for a moment1 ,i arose and passed the day in the same manner4 ,when on the next night ,i went to bed at my usual hour ,i made a calculation1 and found out that ,i had not slept for forty hours4 ,section ,x4 ,,chocolate--,,its ,,origin4 ,the first visiters of ,america were impelled by a thirst of gold4 ,at that time nothing was appreciated but the products of the mines4 ,agriculture and commerce were in their infancy1 and political economy was as yet unborn4 ,the ,spaniards found then the precious metals1 an almost sterile discovery1 for they decreased in value as they became more abundant4 ,we have other and better ways to increase wealth4 ,in those regions1 however1 where a genial sun confers immense fruitfulness on the soil1 the cultivation of sugar and coffee was found advantageous4 ,the potato1 indigo1 vanilla1 guano1 cocoa1 were also discovered2 these are its real treasures4 ,if these discoveries took place in spite of the barriers opposed to curiosity by a jealous nation1 we may reasonably hope that they will be multiplied ten-fold in the course of the years to come2 and that the explorations of the savants of old ,europe will enrich the three kingdoms with a multitude of substances which will give us new sensations1 as vanilla has1 or augment our alimentary resources1 as cocoa4 ,it has been determined to call chocolate the result of the paste of cocoa burnt with sugar and the bark of the cinnamon4 ,this is the technical definition of chocolate4 ,sugar is the integral part1 for without sugar the compound is cocoa and1 chocolate4 ,to sugar1 cinnamon and cocoa is joined the delicious aroma of vanilla1 and thus is obtained the ne plus ultra to which this preparation can be carried4 ,to this small number of ingredients has been reduced the number of things sought to mingle with cocoa in the manufacture of chocolate4 ,pepper1 pimento1 anise seed1 ginger and others1 have necessarily been tried4 ,the cocoa tree is a native of ,south ,america1 and is found both in the islands and on the continent4 ,it has been confessed1 however1 that the best fruit is produced by the trees which grow on the banks of ,moracaibo1 in the valleys of ,caracas1 and in the province of ,sokomusko4 ,the fruit is larger1 the sugar less bitter1 and the taste higher4 ,since these regions have become accessible1 a comparison may be made every day and the palate will never be deceived4 ,the ,spanish women of the new world are passionately fond of chocolate2 and not satisfied with taking it two or three times a day1 have it even sent after them to church4 ,this sensuality has often drawn down the censure of their bishops1 who1 however1 gradually closed their eyes to it4 ,the reverend father ,escobar1 the metaphysics of whom was subtle as his morals were accommodating1 used to declare that chocolate made with water did not break a fast2 thus for the use of his penitents reproducing the old adage1 ,liquidum non frangit jejunium4 ,chocolate was brought to ,spain about the end of the seventeenth century1 and the use became at once common4 ,women especially showed great fondness for it4 ,manners have not changed in this particular as yet1 and now throughout all the peninsula chocolate is presented on all occasions when it is usual to offer any refreshment4 ,chocolate crossed the mountains with ,anne of ,austria1 the daughter of ,philip ,,ii41 and wife of ,louis ,,xiii4 ,the ,spanish monks also made it known1 by presents to their brethren in ,france4 ,the ,spanish ambassadors also made it popular1 and during the regency it was more universally used than coffee1 because it was taken as an agreeable food1 while coffee was esteemed a luxury4 ,linnaeus calls the cocoa cacao theobroma1 7cocoa1 the drink of the gods74 ,a cause for this name has been sought4 ,some assign his passionate fondness for it1 and the other his desire to please his confessor2 there are those who attribute it to gallantry1 a ,queen having first introduced it4 7,incertum47 ,,properties ,,of ,,chocolate4 ,chocolate has given occasion to profound dissertations1 with the object of determining its nature and properties1 and to place it in the category of warm1 cold1 or temperate drinks4 ,we must own all their lucubrations have contributed but slightly to the elucidation of truth4 ,it was left for time and experience1 those two great masters1 to show that chocolate prepared with care is as healthful as it is agreeable4 ,that it is nourishing1 easily digested1 and is not so injurious to beauty as coffee said to be4 ,it is very suitable to persons who have much mental toil1 to professors and lawyers1 especially to lawyers4 ,it also suits certain feeble stomachs1 and has been thought most advantageous in chronic diseases4 ,it is the last resource in affections of the pylorus4 ,these various properties chocolate owes to nothing but an eloesaccharum4 ,few substances contain in the same volume more nutrition4 ,it becomes almost entirely animalised4 ,during the war1 cocoa was rare and very dear4 ,substitutes were sought for1 but all efforts were vain4 ,one of the blessings of peace was that it rid us of all those humbugs one was forced to taste1 but which were no more chocolate than chicory is mocha4 ,some persons complain that they cannot digest chocolate4 ,others say that it does not nourish them1 and that it passes away too quickly4 ,the probability is that the first have only to blame themselves1 and that the chocolate they use is of bad quality4 ,good and well made chocolate can be digested even by the weakest stomach4 ,the others have an easy remedy1 and they need only strengthen their stomachs by a pate1 a cotelette1 or a jerked kidney4 ,then let them take a bowl of sokomusko1 and thank ,god for such a powerful stomach4 ,here ,i have an opportunity to give two examples1 the correctness of which may be relied on4 ,after a good breakfast one may drink a full bowl of chocolate1 and digestion in three hours will be perfect1 so that one may dine at any hour that is pleasant4 444 ,in zeal for the advancement of the science1 ,i tried this experiment on many ladies who assured me they would die4 ,they did not1 though1 and lived to glorify the professor4 ,those who use chocolate1 ordinarily enjoy the most perfect health1 and are the least subject to the multitude of ailments which destroy life2 their embonpoint is stationary4 ,these two examples any one can verify in society by a scrutiny of those the regimen of whom is known4 ,this is the true place to speak of the properties of chocolate1 which ,i have verified by many examples and experiments1 which ,i am delighted to exhibit to my readers4 7,see varieties at the end of the volume47 ,now1 then1 let any man who has indulged too much in the cup of volupte2 let every man who has passed in toil too much of the time when he should have slept2 let every man of mind1 who finds his faculties temporarily decay2 every man who finds the air humid and the atmosphere painful to breathe2 let every man who has a fixed idea which would deprive him of the liberty of thought2 let them each take a demi litre of chocolate ambre1 7sixty grains of amber to the kilogramme71 and they will see wonders4 ,in my way of distinguishing things1 ,i have called this chocolate des affliges2 because in all the conditions ,i have referred to1 there is something very like affliction4 ,very good chocolate is made in ,spain2 one is indisposed to send thither for it1 for all manufacturers are not equally skillful1 and when it comes it has to be used as it is4 ,italian chocolates do not suit the ,french1 for the cocoa is burned too much4 ,this makes the chocolate bitter1 and deprives it of its nourishment4 ,a portion of the bean has been reduced to carbon4 ,chocolate having become common in ,france1 all sought to learn how to make it4 ,few1 however1 approximated to perfection for the art is not easy4 ,in the first place it was necessary to know good cocoa and to use it in all its purity4 ,there is no first quality case that has not its inferiorities1 and a mistaken interest often causes damaged beans to be put in1 which should have been rejected4 ,the roasting of the cocoa is also a delicate operation1 and requires a tact very like inspiration4 ,some have the faculty naturally1 and are never mistaken4 ,a peculiar talent is necessary to regulate the quantity of sugar which enters into the composition4 ,it is not invariable and a matter of course1 but varies in proportion to the aroma of the bean and the degree of torrefaction4 ,the trituration and mixture do not demand less care1 and on them depends the greater or less digestibility of chocolate4 ,other considerations should also preside over the choice and quantity of aromas1 which should not be the same with chocolate made for food and those taken as luxuries4 ,it should also be varied according if the mass is intended to receive vanilla or not4 ,in fine1 to make good chocolate a number of very subtle equations must be resolved1 and which we take advantage of without suspecting that they ever took place4 ,for a long time machines have been employed for the manufacture of chocolate4 ,we think this does not add at all to its perfection1 but it diminishes manipulation very materially1 so that those who have adopted it should be able to sell chocolate at a very low rate4 ,footnote3 ,one of those machines is now in operation in a window in ,broadway1 ,new ,york4 ,it is a model of mechanical appropriateness4 ,they1 however1 usually sell it more dearly1 and this fact demonstrates that the true spirit of commerce has not yet entered ,france2 the use of machines should be as advantageous to the consumer as to the producer4 ,,true ,,method ,,of ,,preparing ,,chocolate4 ,the ,americans ,footnote3 ,south ,americans4--,,translator4 make their chocolate without sugar4 ,when they wish to take chocolate1 they send for chocolate4 ,every one throws into his cup as much cocoa as it needs1 pours warm water in1 and adds the sugar and perfumes he wishes4 ,this method neither suits our habits nor our tastes1 for we wish chocolate to come to us ready prepared4 ,in this state1 transcendental chemistry has taught us that it should neither be rasped with the knife nor bruised with a pestle1 because thus a portion of the sugar is converted into starch1 and the drink made less attractive4 ,thus to make chocolate1 that is to say1 to make it fit for immediate use1 about an ounce and a half should be taken for each cup1 which should be slowly dissolved in water while it is heated1 and stirred from time to time with a spatula of wood4 ,it should be boiled a quarter of an hour1 in order to give it consistency1 and served up hot4 ,monsieur1 said madame d',arestrel1 fifty years ago1 to me at ,belley1 when you wish good chocolate make it the evening before in a tin pot4 ,the rest of the night gives it a velvet-like flavor that makes it far better4 ,god will not be offended at this little refinement1 for in himself is all excellence4 ,,meditation ,,vii4 ,,theory ,,of ,,frying4 ,it was a fine morning in ,may2 the sun shed his brightest rays on the smoky roofs of the city of enjoyments1 and the streets 7strangely enough7 were filled neither with mud nor dust4 ,the heavy diligences had long ceased to shake the streets2 the heavy wagons had ceased to pass1 and only open carriages were seen1 in which indigenous and exotic beauties under beautiful hats1 cast disdainful looks on ugly1 and smiling ones on good- looking cavaliers4 ,it was three o'clock when the professor sought his arm chair to meditate4 ,his right leg rested vertically on the floor1 his left formed a diagonal angle with1 and rested on it4 ,his back was comfortably supported1 and his hands rested on the lions' heads which terminated the arms of the venerable piece of furniture in which he sat4 ,his lofty brow indicated intense study1 and his mouth a taste for pleasant amusement4 ,his air was collected1 and any one to have seen him would have said1 that is a sage of ancient days4 ,the professor sent for his preparateur en chef1 7chief ,,cook7 and that officer arrived1 ready to receive orders1 advice or lessons4 ,,allocution4 ,master la ,planche1 said the professor with that deep grave accent which penetrates the very depth of our hearts1 all who sit at my table pronounce your potages of the first class1 a very excellent thing1 for potage is the first consolation of an empty stomach4 ,i am sorry to say though that you are uncertain as a friturier4 ,footnote3 ,anglice4 ,fryer4 ,i heard you sigh yesterday over that magnificent sole you served to us1 pale1 watery and colorless4 ,my friend ,r4 ,footnote3 ,mr4 ,r-- -1 born at ,seyssel1 in the district of ,belley1 in #ageg1 an elector of the grand college4 ,he may be considered an example of the good effects of prudence and probity4 looked disapprovingly of it1 ,m4,h4,r4 turned his gastronomical nose to the left1 and the ,president ,s4 declared such a misfortune equal to a public calamity4 ,this happened because you neglected the theory1 the importance of which you are aware of4 ,you are rather obstinate1 though ,i have1 taken the trouble to impress on you the facts1 that the operations of your laboratory are only the execution of the eternal laws of nature1 and that certain things which you do carelessly1 because you have seen others do so2 yet these are the results of the highest science4 ,listen to me1 therefore1 with attention1 that you may never again blush at your works4 ,section #a4 ,,chemistry4 ,liquids which you subject to the action of fire cannot all receive the same quantity of heat4 ,nature has formed them differently1 and this secret1 which we will call ,,capacity ,,for ,,caloric1 she has kept to herself4 ,you may1 therefore1 with impunity dip your finger in boiling spirits of wine2 you would take it very quickly from boiling brandy2 more rapidly yet from water2 while the most rapid immersion in boiling oil would heat you easily4 ,consequently warm fluids act differently on the sapid bodies presented to them4 ,those subject to water soften1 dissolve1 and reduce themselves to boilli4 ,the result is bouillon and its extracts4 ,those on the contrary treated with oil harden1 assume a color more or less deep1 and finally are carbonized4 ,in the first instance1 water dissolves and conveys away the interior juices of the alimentary substances placed in it4 ,in the second the juices are preserved1 for they are insoluble in oil4 ,if these things dry up it is because a continuous heat vaporizes the humid parts4 ,the two methods have different names1 and ,,frying is ,,boiling in oil or grease substances intended to be eaten4 ,i think ,i have told you that officially oil and grease are synonymous2 heating the latter being but a concrete oil4 ,section ,,ii4 ,,application4 ,fritures are well received in entertainments into which they introduce an agreeable variety4 ,they are agreeable to the taste1 preserve their primitive flavor1 and may be eaten with the hand1 a thing women are always fond of4 ,thus cooks are able to hide many things that have appeared on the day before1 and remedy unforeseen requisitions on them4 ,it takes no longer to fry a four pound chop than it does to boil an egg4 ,all the merit of the friture is derived from the surprise1 or the invasion of the boiling liquid which carbonizes or burns at the very instant of immersion of the body placed in it4 ,to effect a purpose1 the liquid must be hot enough to act instantaneously4 ,it does not1 however1 reach ,s this point until it has long been submitted to the action of a blazing and hot fire4 ,by the following means it may be ascertained if the friture be heated to the wished-for degree1 cut a piece of bread in the form of a cube1 and dip it in the pan for five or six seconds1 if you take it out firm and dark put in what you wish to prepare immediately4 ,if it be not1 stir the fire and begin again4 ,the surprise being once effected1 moderate the fire that the action may not be too hurried1 and that by a prolonged heat the juices it contains may be changed and the flavor enhanced4 ,you have doubtless observed that fritures dissolve neither the sugar nor salt their respective natures require4 ,you should not fail then to reduce those substances to a very fine powder in order that they may adhere the more readily1 and season the dish by juxtaposition4 ,i do not tell you about oils and greases for the different treatises ,i have put in your library give you sufficient light4 ,do not forget1 however1 when you get one of those trout which do not weigh more than half a pound1 and which come from murmuring streams1 far from the capitol1 to use the finest olive oil4 ,this delicate dish duly powdered and garnished with slices of lemon is fit for a cardinal4 ,footnote3 ,mr4 ,aulissin1 a very well informed ,neapolitan lawyer1 and a good amateur performer on the violoncello1 dining one day with me1 and eating some thing that pleased him1 said--,questo e un vero boccone di cardinale4 ,why1 said ,i1 in the same tongue1 not say boccone in ,re4 ,seignore1 said he1 we ,italians do nothing2 a king cannot be a gourmand1 for royal dinners are too short and solemn4 ,with cardinals things are very different4 ,he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke4 ,eperlans 7smelt or sprat7 should be treated in the same manner4 ,this is the becfique of the water1 and has the same perfume and excellence4 ,these two prescriptions are founded in the very nature of things4 ,experience tells us that olive oil should only be used with things which are soon cooked1 and which do not demand too high a temperature1 because prolonged ebullition developes an empyreumatic and disagreable taste produced by a few particles of pulp1 which can1 being impossible to be gotten rid of1 carbonize4 ,you tried my furnace1 and were the first person who ever succeeded in producing an immense fried turbot4 ,on that day there was great rejoicing among the elect4 ,continue to be coeval in all you attempt1 and never forget that from the moment guests enter the salon ,,we are responsible for their happiness4 ,,meditation ,,viii4 ,,on ,,thirst4 ,,thirst is the internal feeling of a wish to drink4 ,a heat of about #cb degrees ,reaumur1 constantly vaporizing the different fluids the circulation of which sustains life1 the diminution they undergo would unfit them for their purposes1 if they were not renewed and refreshed4 ,the necessity of this renewal is what we call thirst4 ,we think the seat of thirst is in the digestive system4 ,when athirst 7we have often felt the sensation when hunting7 we feel distinctly that all the inhaling portions of the nostrils1 mouth and throat are benumbed and hardened1 and that if thirst be sometimes appeased by the application of fluids to other parts of the body1 as in the bath1 the reason is that as soon as they are absorbed they hurry rapidly to the seat of the evil and become remedies4 ,,varieties ,,of ,,thirst4 ,looking at the subject in all its bearings we may count three varieties of thirst3 latent1 factitious and permanent4 ,latent or habitual thirst1 is the insensible equilibrium established between transpiratory vaporization and the necessity of supplying what is lost4 ,thus1 though we experience no pain1 we are invited to drink while we eat1 and are able to drink at almost every moment of the day4 ,this thirst accompanies us every where1 and is almost a portion of our existence4 ,factitious thirst is peculiar to man1 and results from the instinct which impels him to seek in drink the strength he needs4 ,it is an artificial enjoyment rather than a natural want4 ,this thirst is really governless1 because the fluids we take have the faculty of reviving it1 and this thirst becomes habitual1 makes drunkards in every country4 ,the consequence is1 that they drink as long as liquor lasts1 or until they are utterly overcome4 ,when1 on the other hand1 thirst is appeased by pure water1 which seems the most natural remedy1 we never drink more than we actually need4 ,hardening thirst is the result of the increase of the want1 and of the impossibility to satisfy latent thirst4 ,it is so called because it is accompanied by hardness of the tongue1 dryness of the palate1 and a devouring heat in all the body4 ,the sensation of thirst is so intense1 that in all tongues it is synonymous with excessive desire1 and irrepressible longing3 thus we thirst for gold1 wealth1 power1 science1 c41 expressions which never would have become common had men not have been athirst and aware of their vengeance4 ,appetite is pleasant when it does not reach the point of hunger4 ,thirst is not so1 and as soon as we feel it we are uncomfortable and anxious4 ,when there is no possibility of appeasing it1 the state of mind is terrible4 ,to compensate us for this1 the sense of thirst procures us great pleasure2 and when great thirst is appeased1 or a delicious drink is offered to one moderately athirst1 the whole papillary system is aroused1 from the tip of the tongue to the extremity of the stomach4 ,we die of thirst more rapidly than of hunger4 ,men with an abundance of water1 have lived for eight days without bread4 ,without water1 the system succumbs on the fifth4 ,the reason is that in starving1 man dies more of weakness2 in thirst of a burning fever4 ,people are not always able to resist thirst so long3 in #aghg1 one of the hundred ,swiss of ,louis ,,xvi41 died from having been twenty- four hours without drink4 ,he was at a cabaret with some of his comrades1 and as he was about to carry his glass to his lips1 he was reproached with drinking oftener than the rest1 and with not being able to do a moment without it4 ,he then made a bet of ten bottles of wine1 that he would not drink for twenty-four hours4 ,he ceased at once1 and sat by1 for two hours1 seeing the others drink4 ,the night passed well enough1 but at dawn he found it difficult to do without his habitual glass of brandy4 ,all the morning he was uneasy and troubled2 he went hither and thither without reason1 and seemed not to know what he was about4 ,at one o'clock he laid down1 fancying he would be calmer3 he was really sick1 but those about him could not induce him to drink4 ,he said he could get on till evening3 he wished to gain his bet1 and it is probable also1 that some military pride was mingled in the matter1 which prevented him from yielding to pain4 ,he kept up until seven o'clock1 but at half-after seven was very sick and soon died1 without being able to swallow a glass of wine which was presented to him4 ,i was informed of all these details that very night1 by the ,sieur ,schneider1 the fifer of the hundred ,swiss1 in the house of whom ,i lived at ,versailles4 ,,causes ,,of ,,thirst4 ,many circumstances1 either united or separate1 contribute to thirst4 ,we shall mention some which are not without influence on our habits4 ,heat augments thirst4 ,whence comes the disposition men have always had to build their habitations near the sea4 ,corporeal labor augments thirst4 ,persons who employ labourers1 always gratify them by drink--hence the proverb that wine given them is always well sold4 ,dancing increases thirst1 and for this reason the ball-room is always supplied with invigorating drinks4 ,declamation also increases thirst1 which accounts for the glass of water readers always seek to drink with grace1 and which is always beside the white handkerchief on the desk4 ,genesiac pleasure excites thirst1 and accounts for the poetical descriptions of ,cyprus1 ,amathonte1 ,gnidus1 and other homes of ,venus1 in which there are always shady groves and murmuring streamlets4 ,song augments thirst1 and therefore all vocalists are said to be such huge drinkers4 ,a musician myself1 ,i protest against this assertion1 which has neither rhyme nor reason4 ,the artists in our saloons drink with as much prudence as sagacity2 what they lose in this1 however1 they atone for on the other side2 if not given to drink1 they are untiring gourmands1 so much so1 that ,i am told at the ,circle of ,transcendental ,harmony1 ,footnote3 ,a well known ,musical ,society4 the festivals of ,st4 ,cecile lasted twenty-four hours4 ,,example4 ,exposure to a rapid current of air1 causes a rapid augmentation of thirst1 and ,i think the following observations will be read with pleasure by all the lovers of the chase4 ,it is well known that quail are fond of huge mountains1 where their broods are in more safety1 from the fact that the harvests are later4 ,when the rye is cut1 they go into the barley and oats2 and when the latter is being harvested1 they go into that portion which is less matured4 ,this is the time to shoot them2 because in a small number of acres1 are found all the birds which a few months before were strewn through a whole commune and are at that time fat as possible4 ,i went with some friends for the purpose of shooting to a mountain in the arrondissiment of ,nantua1 in the canton known as plan d',hotonne1 where we were about to commence the day's work under a brighter sun than any ,parisian badaud ever saw4 ,while we were at breakfast a violent north wind arose which was much in the way of our sport3 we however continued4 ,we had scarcely been out a quarter of an hour1 when the most effeminate of the party said he was thirsty4 ,we now1 doubtless1 would have laughed at him1 had we not all experienced the same sensation4 ,we all drank1 for an ass loaded with refreshments followed us1 but the relief afforded was of brief duration4 ,the thirst soon appeared with increased intensity1 so that some fancied themselves sick1 and others were becoming so1 and all talked of returning4 ,to do so was to have travelled ten leagues for no purpose4 ,i had time to collect my ideas1 and saw the reason of this strange thirst2 and told them we suffered from the effects of three causes4 ,the dimunition of atmospheric pressure made our circulation more rapid4 ,the sun heated us1 and walking had increased transpiration4 ,more than all these--the wind dried up this transpiration1 and prevented all moistness of the skin4 ,i told them that there was no danger1 that the enemy was known1 and that we must oppose it4 ,precaution however was ineffectual1 for their thirst was quenchless4 ,water1 wine and water1 and brandy1 all were powerless4 ,we suffered from thirst even while we drank1 and were uncomfortable all day4 ,we got through the day1 however2 the owner of the domain of ,latour entertaining us1 joining the provisions we had1 to his own stores4 ,we dined very well and got into the hay-loft1 where we slept soundly4 ,the next day's experience showed my theory to be true4 ,the wind lulled1 the sun was not so warm1 and we experienced no inconvenience from thirst4 ,but a great misfortune had befallen us4 ,we had very prudently filled our canteens1 but they had not been able to resist the many assaults made on them4 ,they were bodies without souls1 and we all fell into the hands of the cabaret-keepers4 ,we had to come to that point1 not however without murmuring4 ,i addressed an allocution full of reproaches to the wind1 when ,i saw a dish fit to be set before a king1 ,d'epinards a la graisse de cailles1 destined to be eaten with a wine scarcely as good as that of ,surene4 ,footnote3 ,a village two leagues from ,paris1 famous for its bad wine4 ,there is a proverb which says that to get rid of a glass of ,surene1 three things are needed1 a drinker and two men to hold him in case his courage fail4 ,the same may be said of ,perieux1 which people however will drink4 ,,meditation ,,ix4 ,,on ,,drinks4 ,footnote3 ,this chapter is purely philosophical3 a description of different kinds of wine does not enter into the plan ,i have marked out for myself4 ,if it was1 ,i would never have finished my book4 ,by drinks we mean all liquids which mingle with food4 ,water seems to be the natural drink4 ,wherever there is animal life it is found1 and replaces milk4 ,for adults it is as necessary as air4 ,,water4 ,water is the only fluid which really appeases thirst1 and for that reason only a small quantity of it can be drank4 ,the majority of other fluids that man drinks are only palliatives1 and had he drank nothing else he never would have said that he drank without being thirsty4 ,,quick ,,effect ,,of ,,drinks4 ,drinks are absorbed by the animal economy with the most extreme facility4 ,their effect is prompt and the relief they furnish is almost instantaneous4 ,give the most hungry man you can meet with the richest possible food1 he will eat with difficulty4 ,give him a glass of wine or of brandy1 and at once he will find himself better4 ,i can establish this theory by a very remarkable circumstance ,i received from my nephew1 ,colonel ,guigard1 a man not disposed to tell long stories4 ,all may rely upon the accuracy of what he has said4 ,he was at the head of a detachment returning from the siege of ,jaffa1 and was but a few hundred paces from the place where he expected to find water1 and where he met many of the advanced guard already dead with heat4 ,among the victims of this burning climate was a carabinier who was known to many persons of the detachment4 ,many of his comrades who approached him for the last time1 either to inherit what he had left1 or to bid him adieu1 were amazed to find his limbs flexible and something flexible around his heart4 ,give him a drop of sacre chien said the lustig of the troupe4 ,if he is not too far gone into the other world1 he will come back to taste it4 ,at the reception of the first spoonful of spirits he opened his eyes3 they then rubbed his temples and gave him a drop or two4 ,after about an hour he was able to sit up in the saddle4 ,he was taken to a fountain1 nursed during the night1 and carefully attended to4 ,on the next day he reached ,cairo4 ,,strong ,,drinks4 ,there is one thing very worthy of attention2 the instinct which leads us to look for intoxicating drinks4 ,wine1 the most pleasant of all drinks1 whether due to ,noah who planted the vine1 or to ,bacchus who expressed the juice of the grape1 dates back to the infancy of the world4 ,beer1 which is attributed to ,osiris1 dates to an age far beyond history4 ,all men1 even those we call savages1 have been so tormented by the passion for strong drinks1 that limited as their capacities were1 they were yet able to manufacture them4 ,they made the milk of their domestic animals sour3 they extracted the juice of many animals and many fruits in which they suspected the idea of fermentation to exist4 ,wherever men are found1 strong liquors are met with1 and are used in festivities1 sacrifices1 marriages1 funeral rites1 and on all solemn occasions4 ,for many centuries wine was drank and sung before any persons had an idea that it was possible to extract the spirituous portion1 which is the essence of its power4 ,the ,arabs1 however1 taught us the art of distillation1 invented by them to extract the perfume of flowers1 and especially of the rose1 so celebrated in their poems4 ,then persons began to fancy that in wine a source of excitement might be found to give taste a peculiar exaltation4 ,by gradual experiments alcohol1 spirits of wine1 and brandy were discovered4 ,alcohol is the monarch of liquids1 and takes possession of the extreme tastes of the palate4 ,its various preparations offer us countless new flavors1 and to certain medicinal remedies1 it gives an energy they could not well do without4 ,it has even become a formidable weapon3 the natives of the new world having been more utterly destroyed by brandy than by gunpowder4 ,the method by which alcohol was discovered1 has led to yet more important results1 as it consisted in the separation and exhibition of the constituent parts of a body1 it became a guide to those engaged in analogous pursuits1 and made us acquainted with new substances1 such as quinine1 morphine1 strychnine and other similar ones4 ,be this as it may1 the thirst for a liquid which nature has shrouded in veils1 the extraordinary appetite acting on all races of men1 under all climates and temperatures1 is well calculated to attract the attention of the observer4 ,i have often been inclined to place the passion for spirituous liquors1 utterly unknown to animals1 side by side with anxiety for the future1 equally strange to them1 and to look on the one and the other as distinctive attributes of the last sublunary revolution4 ,,meditation ,x4 ,,an ,,episode ,,on ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,i said--last sublunary revolution1 and this idea awakened many strange ideas4 ,many things demonstrate to us that our globe has undergone many changes1 each of which was1 so to say1 an end of the world4 ,some instinct tells us many other changes are to follow4 ,more than once1 we have thought these revolutions likely to come1 and the comet of ,jerome ,lalande has sent many persons to the confessional4 ,the effect of all this has been that every one is disposed to surround this catastrophe with vengeance1 exterminating angels1 trumps and other accessories4 ,alas6 there is no use to take so much trouble to ruin us4 ,we are not worth so much display1 and if ,god please1 he can change the surface of the globe without any trouble4 ,let us for a moment suppose that one of those wandering stars1 the route and mission of which none know1 and the appearance of which is always accompanied by some traditional terror2 let us suppose that it passes near enough to the sun1 to be charged with a superabundance of caloric1 and approach near enough to us to create a heat of sixty degrees ,reaumur over the whole earth 7as hot again as the temperature caused by the comet of #ahaa47 ,all vegetation would die1 all sounds would cease4 ,the earth would revolve in silence until other circumstances had evolved other germs3 yet the cause of this disaster would have remained lost in the vast fields of air1 and would never have approached us nearer than some millions of leagues4 ,this event1 which in the main1 has ever seemed to me a fit subject for reverie1 and ,i never ceased for a moment to dwell on it4 ,this ascending heat is curious to be looked after1 and it is not uninteresting to follow its effects1 expansion1 action1 and to ask3 ,how great it was during the first1 second1 and subsequent days4 ,what effect it had on the earth1 and water1 and on the formation and mingling1 and detonation of gasses4 ,what influence it had on men1 as far as age1 sex1 strength and weakness are concerned4 ,what influence it has on obedience to the laws1 submission to authority1 and respect to persons and property4 ,what one should do to escape from danger4 ,what influence it has on love1 friendship1 parental affection1 self-love and devotion4 ,what is its influence on the religious sentiments1 faith1 resignation and hope4 ,history can furnish us a few facts on its moral influence1 for the end of the world has more than once been predicted and determined4 ,i am very sorry that ,i cannot tell my readers how ,i settled all this1 but ,i will not rob them of the pleasure of thinking of the matter themselves4 ,this may somewhat shorten some of their sleepless hours1 and ensure them a few siestas during the day4 ,great danger dissolves all bonds4 ,when the yellow fever was in ,philadelphia1 in #agib1 husbands closed the doors on their wives1 children deserted their fathers1 and many similar phenomena occurred4 ,quod a nobis ,deus avertat6 ,,meditation ,,xi4 ,,on ,,gourmandise4 ,i ,,have looked through various dictionaries for the word gourmandise and have found no translation that suited me4 ,it is described as a sort of confusion of gluttony and voracity4 ,whence ,i have concluded that lexicographers1 though very pleasant people in other respects1 are not the sort of men to swallow a partridge wing gracefully with one hand1 with a glass of ,laffitte or clos de ,vougeot in the other4 ,they were completely oblivious of social gourmandise1 which unites ,athenian elegance1 ,roman luxury and ,french delicacy2 which arranges wisely1 flavors energetically1 and judges profoundly4 ,this is a precious quality which might be a virtue and which is certainly the source of many pure enjoyments4 ,,definitions4 ,let us understand each other4 ,gourmandise is a passionate preference1 well determined and satisfied1 for objects which flatter our taste4 ,gourmandise is hostile to all excesses3 any man who becomes drunk or suffers from indigestion is likely to be expunged from the lists4 ,gourmandise also comprehends1 friandise 7passion for light delicacies7 for pastry1 comfitures1 etc4 ,this is a modification introduced for the special benefit of women1 and men like the other sex4 ,look at gourmandise under any aspect you please1 and it deserves praise4 ,physically1 it is a demonstration of the healthy state of the organs of nutrition4 ,morally1 it is implicit resignation to the orders of ,god1 who made us eat to live1 invites us to do so by appetite1 sustains us by flavor1 and rewards us by pleasure4 ,,advantages ,,of ,,gourmandise4 ,considered from the points of view of political economy1 gourmandise is the common bond which unites the people in reciprocal exchanges of the articles needed for daily consumption4 ,this is the cause of voyages from one pole to the other1 for brandy1 spices1 sugars1 seasonings and provisions of every kind1 even eggs and melons4 ,this it is which gives a proportional price to things1 either mediocres1 good or excellent1 whether the articles derive them out of1 or from nature4 ,this it is that sustains the emulation of the crowd of fishermen1 huntsmen1 gardeners and others1 who every day fill the wealthiest kitchens with the result of their labours4 ,this it is which supports the multitude of cooks1 pastry-cooks1 confectioners1 etc41 who employ workmen of every kind1 and who perpetually put in circulation1 an amount of money which the shrewdest calculator cannot imagine4 ,let us observe that the trades and occupations dependent on gourmandise have this great advantage1 that on one hand it is sustained by great misfortunes and on the other by accidents which happen from day to day4 ,in the state of society we now have reached1 it is difficult to conceive of a people subsisting merely on bread and vegetables4 ,such a nation if it existed would certainly be subjected by carnivorous enemies1 as the ,hindoos were1 to all who ever chose to attack them4 ,if not it would be converted by the cooks of its neighbors as the ,beotiens were1 after the battle of ,leuctres4 ,,sequel4 ,gourmandise offers great resources to fiscality1 for it increases customs1 imports1 etc4 ,all we consume pays tribute in one degree or another1 and there is no source of public revenue to which gourmands do not contribute4 ,let us speak for a moment of that crowd of preparers who every year leave ,france1 to instruct foreign nations in gourmandise4 ,the majority succeed and obedient to the unfasting instinct of a ,frenchman's fever1 return to their country with the fruits of their economy4 ,this return is greater than one would think4 ,were nations grateful1 to what rather than to gourmandise should ,france erect a monument4 ,,power ,,of ,,gourmandise4 ,in #ahae1 the treaty of the month of ,november1 imposed on ,france the necessity of paying the allies in three years1 #gej1jjj1jjj francs4 ,added to this was the necessity of meeting the demands of individuals of various nations1 for whom the allied sovereigns had stipulated1 to the amount of more than #cjj1jjj1jjj4 ,to this must be added requisitions of all kinds by the generals of the enemies who loaded whole wagons1 which they sent towards the frontier1 and which the treasury ultimately had to pay for4 ,the total was more than #a1ejj1jjj1jjj francs4 ,one might1 one almost should have feared1 that such large payments1 collected from day to day1 would have produced want in the treasury1 a deprecation of all fictitious values1 and consequently all the evils which befall a country that has no money1 while it owes much4 ,alas1 said the rich1 as they saw the wagon going to the ,rue ,vivienne for its load2 all our money is emigrating1 next year we will bow down to a crown3 we are utterly ruined2 all our undertakings will fail1 and we will not be able to borrow4 ,there will be nothing but ruin and civil death4 ,the result contradicted all these fears2 the payments1 to the amazement of financiers1 were made without trouble1 public credit increased1 and all hurried after loans4 ,during the period of this superpurgation1 the course of exchange1 an infallible measure of the circulating of money1 was in our favor4 ,this was an arithmetical proof that more money came into ,france than left it4 ,what power came to our aid8 ,what divinity operated this miracle8 ,gourmandise4 ,when the ,britons1 ,germans1 ,teutons1 ,cimmerians1 and ,scythes1 made an irruption into ,france1 they came with extreme voracity and with stomachs of uncommon capacity4 ,they were not long contented with the cheer furnished them by a forced hospitality1 but aspired to more delicate enjoyments4 ,the ,queen ,city1 ere long1 became one immense refectory4 ,the new comers ate in shops1 cafes1 restaurants1 and even in the streets4 ,they gorged themselves with meat1 fish1 game1 truffles1 pastry and fruit4 ,they drank with an avidity quite equal to their appetite1 and always called for the most costly wine1 expecting in those unknown enjoyments1 pleasures they did not meet with4 ,superficial observers could not account for this eating1 without hunger1 which seemed limitless4 ,all true ,frenchmen1 however1 rubbed their hands1 and said1 they are under the charm2 they have spent this evening more money than they took from the treasury in the morning4 ,this epoch was favorable to all those who contributed to the gratification of the taste4 ,very made his fortune1 ,achard laid the foundation of his1 and ,madame ,sullot1 the shop of whom1 in the ,palais ,royal1 was not twenty feet square1 sold twelve thousand petits pates a day4 ,the effect yet lasts1 for strangers crowd to ,paris from all parts of ,europe1 to rest from the fatigues of war4 ,our public monuments1 it may be1 are not so attractive as the pleasures of gourmandise1 everywhere elaborated in ,paris1 a city essentially gourmand4 ,a ,,lady ,,gourmand4 ,gourmandise is not unbecoming to women3 it suits the delicacy of their organs and recompenses them for some pleasures they cannot enjoy1 and for some evils to which they are doomed4 ,nothing is more pleasant than to see a pretty woman1 her napkin well placed under her arms1 one of her hands on the table1 while the other carries to her mouth1 the choice piece so elegantly carved4 ,her eyes become brilliant1 her lips glow1 her conversation is agreeable and all her motions become graceful4 ,with so many advantages she is irresistible1 and even ,cato1 the censor1 would feel himself moved4 ,,anecdote4 ,i will here record what to me is a bitter reflection4 ,i was one day most commodiously fixed at table1 by the side of the pretty ,madame ,m----d1 and was inwardly rejoicing at having obtained such an advantageous position1 when she said your health4 ,i immediately began a complimentary phrase1 which however1 ,i did not finish1 for turning to her neighbor on the right1 she said ,trinquons1 they touched each others glasses4 ,this quick transition seemed a perfidy1 and the passage of many years have not made me forget it4 ,,are ,,women ,,gourmands8 ,the penchant of the fair sex for gourmandise is not unlike instinct2 for gourmandise is favorable to beauty4 ,a series of exact and rigorous examinations1 has shown that a succulent and delicate person on careful diet1 keeps the appearance of old age long absent4 ,it makes the eyes more brilliant1 and the color more fresh4 ,it makes the muscles stronger1 and as the depression of the muscles causes wrinkles1 those terrible enemies of beauty1 it is true that other things being equal1 those who know how to eat1 are ten years younger than those ignorant of that science4 ,painters and sculptors are well aware of this1 for they never represent those to whom abstinence is a matter of duty1 such as anchorites and misers1 except as pale1 thin1 and wrinkled4 ,,the ,,effects ,,of ,,gourmandise ,,on ,,sociability4 ,gourmandise is one of the principle bonds of society4 ,it gradually extends that spirit of conviviality1 which every day unites different professions1 mingles them together1 and diminishes the angles of conviviality4 ,this it is1 which induces every amphitryon to receive his guests well1 and also excites the gratitude of the latter when they see themselves well taken care of3 here is the place to reprobate those stupid masticators1 who with the most guilty indifference to the greatest luxuries1 and who with sacrilegious indifference inhale the odorous perfume of nectar4 ,,general ,,law4--,every display of high intelligence1 makes explicit praise necessary4 ,delicate praise is necessary1 wherever a wish to please is evident4 ,,influence ,,of ,,gourmandise ,,on ,,conjugal ,,happiness4 ,when gourmandise is shared with another1 it has the greatest influence on conjugal happiness4 ,a gourmand couple have at least once a day a pleasant occasion to meet1 for even those who sleep apart 7and there are many7 dine together4 ,they talk of what they have eaten1 of what they have seen elsewhere1 of fashionable dishes and of new inventions1 etc41 etc4 ,we all know how full of charms this ,,chit ,,chat is4 ,music1 doubtless1 has many charms for those who love it2 but to succeed1 one must make a business of it4 ,besides1 sometimes one has a cold1 misplaces the score1 has the sick headache or feels inert4 ,one necessity calls each of the couple to the table1 where the same feeling retains them4 ,they exhibit naturally slight attentions to each other1 which evinces a desire to please1 and the manner in which they act to each other speaks loudly of the manner of their lives4 ,this observation1 though new in ,france1 has not escaped the attention of the ,english novelist1 ,fielding1 who in ,pamela gives the well-known instance of the manner in which the heroine and her husband lived on the one hand1 and the more magnificent but unhappy life of the elder brother and his wife4 ,honour then to gourmandise as we present it to our readers1 inasmuch as it diverts man neither from occupation nor from duty2 for as the dissoluteness of ,sardanapulus did not cause the world to look on woman with horror1 neither did ,vitellius' excesses induce the world to turn aside from a well-ordered entertainment4 ,when gourmandise becomes gluttony1 voracity or debauchery1 it loses its name and attributes1 falling into the hands of the moralist who will treat it by advice1 or the medical man who will treat it by remedy4 ,gourmandise1 as the professor has described it1 has a name only in ,french2 neither the ,latin gula1 ,english gluttony nor ,german lusternheit1 expresses it1 and we recommend all who attempt a translation of this instructive book to preserve the word1 changing the article which produces it only4 ,thus they did with coquetterie4 ,,note ,,of ,a ,,patriot ,,gastronomer4 ,i observe with pride1 that gourmandise and coquettery1 the two great modifications which society has effected in our imperious wants1 are both of ,french origin4 ,,meditation ,,xii4 ,,gourmands4 ,,all ,,who ,,wish ,,to ,,be ,,are ,,not ,,gourmands4 ,,there are individuals to whom nature has refused a fineness of organs and a degree of attention1 without which the most succulent food passes unperceived4 ,physiology has already recognized the first of these varieties1 by exhibiting the tongue of those unfortunate men who are badly provided with the means of appreciating flavors and tastes4 ,such persons have but an obtuse sensation1 for to them taste is what light is to the blind4 ,the second of these varieties is composed of absent minded men1 of ambitious persons1 and others1 who wish to attend to two things at once1 and who eat only to eat4 ,,napoleon4 ,such was ,napoleon2 he was irregular in his meals and ate quickly4 ,when hungry1 his appetite had to be satisfied at once1 and he was so completely served1 that at any hour he could have fowl1 game or coffee4 ,,gourmands ,,by ,,destiny4 ,there is however1 a privileged class1 which organic and material organization invites to the enjoyments of the taste4 ,i was always a disciple of ,lavater and ,gall1 and believe in innate ideas4 ,as persons have been born who see1 walk1 and hear badly1 because they are near-sighted1 lame1 or deaf1 why may there not be others inclined to peculiar sensations4 ,to the most careless observer there will ever be presented faces which bear the undeniable expression of some dominant sentiment1 such as disdainful impertinence1 self-satisfaction1 misanthropy1 sensuality1 c4 ,a very meaningless face may express all this1 but when the face has a determined expression1 one is rarely mistaken4 ,passions agitate the muscles1 and often when a man is silent1 the various feelings which agitate him may be read on his face4 ,this tension1 though habitual leave sensible traces1 and give the face a permanent and well defined character4 ,,sensual ,,predestination4 ,the persons predestined to gourmandise are in general of medium stature4 ,their faces are either round or square1 and small1 their noses short and their chins rounded4 ,the women are rather pretty than beautiful1 and they have a slight tendency to obesity4 ,those who are fondest of friandises have delicate features1 smaller1 and are distinguished by a peculiar expression of the mouth4 ,agreeable guests should be sought for among those who have this appearance4 ,they receive all that is offered them1 eat slowly1 and taste advisedly4 ,they do not seek to leave places too quickly where they have been kindly received4 ,they are always in for all the evening1 for they know all games1 and all that is neccessary for a gastronomical soiree4 ,those1 on the contrary1 to whom nature has refused a desire for the gratifications of taste1 have a long nose and face4 ,whatever be their statures1 the face seems out of order4 ,their hair is dark and flat1 and they have no embonpoint4 ,they invented pantaloons4 ,women whom nature has thus afflicted1 are very angulous1 are uncomfortable at the table1 and live on lenten fare4 ,this physiological theory will1 ,i trust1 meet with not many contradictions3 any one may verify the matter4 ,i will1 however1 rely on facts4 ,i was sitting one day at a great entertainment1 and saw opposite to me a very pretty woman with a very sensual face4 ,i leaned towards my neighbor and said1 that the lady with such features must be gourmande4 ,bah6 said he1 she is not more than fifteen2 she is not old enough--let us see though4 ,the beginning was not favorable1 and ,i was afraid of being compromised4 ,during the first two courses1 the young woman ate with a discretion which really amazed me4 ,the dessert came1 it was brilliant as it was abundant1 and gave me some hopes4 ,i was not deceived1 for she not only ate what was set before her1 but sent for dishes which were at the other end of the table4 ,she tasted every thing1 and we were surprised that so small a stomach could contain so much4 ,my diagnostics succeeded and science triumphed4 ,two years after ,i met this same lady1 who had been married a week4 ,she had become far more beautiful1 was something of a coquette1 for fashion permitted her to exhibit her charms4 ,her husband was a man worth looking at1 but he was like one of those ventriloquists who laugh on one side of the face and weep on the other4 ,he was very fond of his wife1 but when any one spoke to her1 quivered with jealousy4 ,the latter sentiment prevailed1 for he took his wife to one of the most remote departments of ,france1 and ,i1 at least1 can write no more of her biography4 ,i made a similar observation about the ,duke of ,decres1 long minister of marine4 ,we knew that he was large1 short1 dark and square2 that his face was round1 that his chin protruded1 that his lips were thick1 and that he had a giant's mouth4 ,i therefore had no hesitation in proclaiming him fond of good cheer and of women4 ,this physiognomical remark ,i whispered to a woman ,i thought very pretty and very discreet4 ,i was mistaken though1 for she was a daughter of ,eve1 and my secret was made known4 ,one evening his excellency was informed of the idea ,i had deduced from his face4 ,i ascertained this the next day1 by a pleasant letter which ,i received from the ,duke1 in which he insisted that he had not the two qualities ,i had attributed to him4 ,i confessed myself beaten4 ,i replied that nature does nothing in vain2 that she had evidently formed him for certain duties1 and that if he did not fulfil them he contradicted his appearance4 ,that besides1 ,i had no right to expect such confidence1 etc41 etc4 ,there the correspondence terminated1 but a few days after all ,paris was amused by the famous encounter between the minister and his cook1 in which his excellency did not get the best of the matter4 ,if after such an affair the cook was not dismissed1 7and he was not17 ,i may conclude that the duke was completely overcome by the artist's talents1 and that he could not find another one to suit his taste so exactly1 otherwise he would have gotten rid of so warlike a servant4 ,as ,i wrote these lines1 during a fine winter evening1 ,mr4 ,cartier1 once first violinist of the opera1 entered my room and sat by the fire4 ,i was full of my subject1 and looked attentively at him4 ,i said1 ,my dear ,professor1 how comes it that you1 who have every feature of gourmandise1 are not a gourmand8 ,i am1 said he1 but ,i make abstinence a duty4 ,is that an act of prudence8 ,he did not reply1 but he uttered a sigh1 a la ,walter ,scott4 ,,gourmands ,,by ,,profession4 ,if there be gourmands by predestination1 there are also gourmands by profession4 ,there are four classes of these3 ,financiers1 men of letters1 doctors1 and devotees4 ,,financiers4 ,financiers are the heroes of gourmandise4 ,hero is here the proper name1 for there was some contention1 and the men who had titles crowd all others beneath their titles and escutcheons4 ,they would have triumphed1 but for the wealth of those they opposed4 ,cooks contended with genealogists2 and though dukes did not fail to laugh at their amphitryon1 they came to the dinner1 and that was enough4 ,those persons who make money easily must be gourmands4 ,the inequality of wealth produces inequality of wants4 ,he who can pay every day for a dinner fit for an hundred persons1 is often satisfied after having eaten the thigh of a chicken4 ,art then must use well its resources to revive appetite4 ,thus ,mondar became a gourmand1 and others with the same tastes collects around him4 ,,physicians4 ,causes of another nature1 though far less baneful1 act on physicians1 who1 from the nature of things1 are gourmands4 ,to resist the attractions set before them they must necessarily be made of bronze4 ,one day ,i ventured to say1 7,doctor ,corvisart was at the end of the table--the time was about #ahjf73-- ,you are1 said ,i1 with the air of an inspired puritan1 the last remnant of a composition which once covered all ,france4 ,the members of it are either annihilated or dispersed4 ,no longer do we see farmers general1 abbes1 chevaliers1 c4 ,bear the burden they have bequeathed to you1 even if you take the three hundred ,spartans who died at ,thermopylae2 such a fate should be yours4 ,nobody contradicted me4 ,at dinner ,i made a remark which was worthy of notice3-- ,doctor ,corvisart was a very pleasant man when he pleased1 and was very fond of iced champagne4 ,for this reason1 while all the rest of the company were dull and idle1 he dealt in anecdotes and stories4 ,on the contrary1 when the dessert was put on1 and conversation became animated1 he became serious and almost morose4 ,from this and other observations1 ,i deduced the following conclusion3 ,champagne1 the first effect of which is exhilarating1 in the result is stupefying1 on account of the excessant carbonic gases it contains4 ,,objugation4 ,as ,i measure doctors by their diplomatu1 ,i will not reproach them for the severity with which they treat their invalids4 ,as soon as one has the misfortune to fall into their hands1 one has to give up all we have previously thought agreeable4 ,i look on the majority of these prohibitions as useless4 ,i say useless1 because patients never desire what is injurious to them4 ,a reasonable physician should never lose sight of the natural tendency of our inclinations1 nor forget to ascertain if our penchants are painful in themselves1 or improving to health4 ,a little wine1 or a few drops of liquor1 brings the smiles to the most hypochondriac faces4 ,besides1 they know that their severe prescriptions are almost always without effect1 and the patient seeks to avoid him4 ,those who are around him1 never are in want of a reason to gratify him4 ,people1 however1 will die4 ,the ration of a sick ,russian1 in #ahae1 would have made a porter drunk4 ,there was no retrenchment to be made1 for military inspectors ran from day to day through the hospitals1 and watched over the furnishment and the service of the various houses4 ,i express my opinions with the more confidence1 because it is sustained by much experience1 and that the most fortunate practitioners rely on my system4 ,the canon ,rollet who died about fifty years ago1 was a great drinker2 and the first physician he employed1 forbid him to use wine at all4 ,when1 however1 he came again1 the doctor found his patient in bed1 and before him the corpus delicti1 i4e41 a table covered with a white cloth1 a chrystal cup1 a handsome bottle1 and a napkin to wipe his lips with4 ,the doctor at once became enraged1 and was about to withdraw1 when the canon said in a lamentable voice1 doctor1 remember1 if you forbade my drinking1 you did not prohibit my looking at the bottle4 ,the physician who attended ,m4 ,montlusin de ,point de ,veyle was far more cruel1 for he not only forbid his patient to touch wine1 but made him drink large quantities of water4 ,a short time after the doctor had left1 ,mme4 de ,montlusin1 anxious to fulfil the requisition of the prescription1 and contribute to her husband's recovery1 gave him a great glass of water1 pure and limpid as possible4 ,the patient received it kindly and sought to drink it with resignation4 ,at the first swallow1 however1 he stopped1 and giving the glass back to his wife1 said1 ,take this1 dear1 and keep it for the next dose2 ,i have always heard1 one should never trifle with remedies4 ,men of letters in the world of gastronomy1 have a place nearly equal to that of men of medical faculty4 ,under the reign of ,louis ,,xiv41 men of letters were all given to drink4 ,they conformed to fashion and the memoirs of the day1 in this respect1 are very defying4 ,they are now gourmands1--a great amelioration4 ,i am far from agreeing with the cynic ,geoffroy1 who used to say that modern works were deficient in power because authors now drank only eau sucree4 ,i think he made two mistakes1 both in the fact and the consequences4 ,the age we live in is rich in talents2 they injure each other perhaps by their multitude2 but posterity1 judging with more calmness1 will see much to admire4 ,thus we do justice to the great productions of ,racine and ,moliere which when written were coldly received4 ,the social position of men of letters was never more agreeable4 ,they no longer live in the garrets they used to inhabit1 for the field of literature has become fertile4 ,the stream of ,hippocrene rolls down golden sands3 equals of all1 they never hear the language of protection1 and gourmandise overwhelms them with its choicest favours4 ,men of letters are courted on account of their talent1 and because their conversation is in general piquant1 and because it has for some time been established1 that every society should have its man of letters4 ,these gentlemen always come a little too late3 they are not however received the most on that account1 for they have been anxiously expected3 they are petted up to induce them to come again1 are flattered to make them brilliant1 and as they find all this very natural1 they grow used to it and become genuine gourmands4 ,,devotees4 ,among the friends of gourmandise are many very devout persons4 ,by the word devotee1 we understand what ,louis ,,xiv4 and ,moliere did1 persons the piety of whom consists in external observances2 pious and charitable persons have nothing to do with this class4 ,let us see how they effect this--among those who work out their salvation1 the greatest number seek the mildest method4 ,those who avoid society1 sleep on the ground and wear hair cloth1 are always exceptions4 ,now there are to them certain damnable things never to be permitted1 such as balls1 plays1 and other amusements4 ,while they and those who enjoy them are abominated1 gourmandise assumes an altogether different aspect1 and becomes almost theological4 ,jure divino1 man is the king of nature and all that earth creates was produced for him4 ,for him the quail becomes fat1 the mocha has its perfume1 and sugar becomes beneficial to the health4 ,why then should we not use with suitable moderation the goods which ,providence offers us1 especially as we continue to look on them as perishable things1 and as they exalt our appreciation of the ,creator4 ,other not less weighty reasons strengthen these--can we receive too kindly those persons who take charge of our souls8 ,should we not make a meeting with them pleasant and agreeable8 ,sometimes the gifts of ,comus come unexpectedly4 ,an old college companion1 an old friend1 a penitent who humbles himself1 a kinsman who makes himself known or a protege recalls them4 ,this has ever been the case4 ,convents were the true ware-houses of the most adorable delacies3 for that reason they have been so much regretted4 ,footnote3 ,the best liquors in ,france were made of the ,visitandines4 ,the monks of ,niort invented the conserve of ,angelica1 and the bread flavoured with orange flowers by the notes of ,chiteau-,thierry is yet famous4 ,the nuns of ,belley used also to make a delicious conserve of nuts4 ,alas1 it is lost1 ,i am afraid4 ,many monastic orders1 especially the ,bernardins paid great attention to good cheer4 ,the cooks of the clergy reached the very limits of the art1 and ,m4 de ,pressigny 7who died ,archbishop of ,besancon7 returned from the conclave which elected ,pro ,sesto1 he said the best dinner he ate in ,rome was given by the ,general of the ,capuchins4 ,,chevaliers ,,and ,,abbes4 ,we cannot bring this article to a better end than to make an honourable mention of two corporations we saw in all their glory3 we mean the ,chevaliers and the ,abbes4 ,how completely gourmand they were4 ,their expanded nostrils1 their acute eyes1 and coral lips could not he mistaken1 neither could their gossiping tongue2 each class1 however1 ate in a peculiar manner4 ,there was something military in the bearing of the ,chevaliers4 ,they ate their delicacies with dignity1 worked calmly1 and cast horizontal looks of approbation at both the master and mistress of the house4 ,the ,abbes however1 used to come to the table with more care1 and reached out their hands as the cat snatches chestnuts from the fire4 ,their faces were all enjoyment1 and there was a concentration about their looks more easy to conceive of1 than to describe4 ,as three-fourths of the present generation have seen nothing like either the ,abbes1 or ,chevaliers1 and as it is necessary to understand them1 to be able to appreciate many books written in the eighteenth century1 we will borrow from the author of the ,historical ,treatise on ,duels1 a few pages which will fully satisfy all persons about this subject4 7,see ,varieties1 ,no4 #bj47 ,,longevity ,,of ,,gourmands4 ,i am happy1 ,i cannot be more so1 to inform my readers that good cheer is far from being injurious1 and that all things being equal1 gourmands live longer than other people4 ,this was proved by a scientific dissertation recently read at the academy1 by ,doctor ,villermet4 ,he compares the different states of society1 in which good cheer is attended to1 with those where no attention is paid to it1 and has passed through every scale of the ladder4 ,he has compared the various portions of ,paris1 in which people were more or less comfortable4 ,all know that in this respect there is extreme difference1 as for instance between the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine and the ,chaussee d' ,antin4 ,the doctor extended his research to the departments of ,france1 and compared the most sterile and fertile together1 and always obtained a general result in favor of the diminution of mortality1 in proportion universally as the means of subsistence improve4 ,those who cannot well sustain themselves will be at least wise1 to know that death will deliver them soon4 ,the two extremes of this progression are1 that in the most highly favored ranks of life but one individual in fifty dies1 while of those who are poorer four do4 ,those who indulge in good cheer1 are rarely1 or never sick4 ,alas6 they often fall into the domain of the faculty1 who call them good patients3 as however they have no great degree of vitality1 and all portions of their organization are better sustained1 nature has more resources1 and the body incomparably resists destruction4 ,this physiological truth may be also sustained by history1 which tells us that as often as impervious circumstances1 such as war1 sieges1 the derangement of seasons1 etc41 diminish the means of subsistence1 such times have ever been accompanied by contagious disease and a great increase of mortality4 ,the idea of ,lafarge would beyond a doubt have succeeded in ,paris1 if those who had advanced it had introduced into their calculations the truths developed by ,doctor ,villermet4 ,they calculated mortality according to ,buffoon's tables1 and those of ,parcieux and others1 all of which were based on the aggregate of all classes and conditions4 ,those who made the estimate1 however1 forgot the dangers of infancy1 indulged in general calculations1 and the speculation failed4 ,this may not have been the only1 hut it was the principal cause4 ,for this observation1 we are indebted to the ,professor ,pardessus4 ,m4 de ,belloy1 archbishop of ,paris1 had a slight appetite1 but a very distinct one4 ,he loved good cheer and ,i have often seen his patriarchal face lighten up at the appearance of any choice dish4 ,napoleon always on such occasions paid him deference and respect4 ,,meditation ,,xiii4 ,,gastronomical ,,tests4 ,,in the preceding chapter1 we have seen that the distinctive characteristics of those who have more pretension than right to the honors of gourmandise1 consists in the fact1 that1 at the best spread table1 their eyes are dull and their face inanimate4 ,they are not worthy of having treasures1 when they do not appreciate what is exhibited to them4 ,it1 however1 was very interesting for us to point them out1 and we have sought every where for information on so important a matter1 as who should be our guests and our hosts4 ,we set about this with an anxiety which ensures success1 and1 in consequence of our perseverance1 we are able to present to the corps of amphitryon1 gastronomical tests1 a discovery which will do honor to the nineteenth century4 ,by gastronomical tests1 we mean dishes of so delicious a flavor that their very appearance excites the gustatory organs of every healthy man4 ,the consequence is1 that all those who do not evince desire1 and the radiancy of ecstasy1 may very properly be set down as unworthy of the honours of the society and the pleasures attached to them4 ,the method of ,,tests duly deliberated on1 and examined in the great council1 has been described in the golden book1 in words of an unchangeable tongue1 as follows3 ,utcumque ferculum1 eximii et bene noti saporis appositum fuerit1 fiat autopsia convivoe2 et nisi facies ejus ae oculi vertantur ad ecstasim1 notetur ut indignus4 ,this was rendered into the vernacular1 by the translator of the grand council1 as follows3 ,whenever a dish of a distinguished and good flavor is served1 the guests should be attentively watched1 and those1 the faces of whom do not express pleasure1 should be marked as unworthy4 ,tests are relative1 and should be proportioned to the various classes of society4 ,all things considered1 it should be arranged so as to create admiration and surprise4 ,it is a dynameter1 the power of which should increase as we ascend in society4 ,the test for a householder in ,la ,rue ,coquenard1 would not suit a second clerk1 and would be unnoticed at the table of a financier1 or a minister4 ,in the enumeration of the dishes we think worthy of being considered as tests1 we will begin at the lowest grade1 and will gradually ascend so as to elucidate the theory1 so that all may not only use it with benefit1 but also invent a new series calculated for the sphere in which they chance to be placed4 ,we will now give a list of the dishes we think fit to be served as tests2 we have divided them into three series of gradual ascents1 following the order indicated above4 ,,gastronomical ,,tests4 ,,first ,,series4--,,income ,,of #e1jjj ,,francs4 ,a breast of veal baked in its own juice4 ,a turkey stuffed with ,lyons chestnuts4 ,baked pigeons4 ,eggs a la neige4 ,sourkrout1 with sausages dressed with lard1 fume de ,strasburg4 ,,expression4 ,peste2 that looks well2 let us pay our devoirs to it4 ,,second ,,series4--,,income #ae1jjj ,,francs4 ,a filet de boeuf pique1 and baked in its juice1 with pickles4 ,a quarter of ,chevreuil4 ,turbot plain4 ,a ,turkey ,truffee4 ,petits pois4 ,,exclamation4 ,my dear sir1 this is pleasant indeed6 ,,third ,,series4--,,income #cj1jjj ,,francs1 ,,or ,,more4 ,a fowl weighing seven pounds1 stuffed with truffles1 so that it has become a spheroid4 ,a patte perigord in the form of a bastion4 ,a cask a la ,chambord richly dressed and decorated4 ,a pike stuffed with craw-fish secundum artum4 ,a pheasant dressed a la sainte alliance4 ,asparagus1 large as possible1 served up in osmazome4 ,two dozen ortolans a la provencale1 as the dish is described in the ,cook's ,secretary4 ,a pyramid of sweet meats1 flavored with rose and vanilla4 ,,expression4 ,monsieur1 or ,monseigneur1 your cook is a man of mind4 ,such dishes we eat only at your house4 ,,meditation ,,xiv4 ,,on ,,the ,,pleasures ,,of ,,the ,,table4 ,,man of all the animals who live on the earth1 is beyond doubt1 the one who experiences most suffering4 ,nature condemned him to suffering by robbing him of hair1 by giving him such a peculiar formation of his feet1 also by the instinct of destruction1 and of war which has followed man every where4 ,animals have never been stricken with this curse1 and with the exception of a few contests1 caused by the instinct of reproduction1 harm would be absolutely unknown to the lower animals of creation4 ,man1 though he cannot appreciate pleasure except by a small number of organs1 may yet be liable to intense agony4 ,this decree of destiny was engraved by a crowd of maladies1 which originated in the social system4 ,the result is that the most intense pleasure one can imagine1 cannot atone for certain pains1 such as the gout1 the tooth-ache1 etc41 acute rheumatisms1 strictures1 and many other diseases we might mention4 ,this practical fear of pain has had the effect1 that without even perceiving it1 man has rushed into an opposite direction1 and has devoted himself to the small number of pleasures nature has placed at his disposal4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,pleasures ,,of ,,the ,,table4 ,meals1 as we understand the word1 began at the second stage of the history of humanity4 ,that is to say as soon as we ceased to live on fruits alone4 ,the preparation and distribution of food made the union of the family a necessity1 at least once a day4 ,the heads of families then distributed the produce of the chase1 and grown children did as much for their parents4 ,these collections1 limited at first to near relations1 were ultimately extended to neighbors and friends4 ,at a later day when the human species was more widely extended1 the weary traveler used to sit at such boards and tell what he had seen in foreign lands4 ,thus hospitality was produced1 and its rights were recognized everywhere4 ,there was never any one so ferocious as not to respect him who had partaken of his bread and salt4 ,,difference ,,between ,,the ,,pleasure ,,of ,,eating ,,and ,,the ,,pleasures ,,of ,,the ,,table4 ,such from the nature of things1 should be the elements of the pleasures of the table which1 where eating is a necessity1 of course takes the precedence4 ,the pleasure of eating is a peculiar sensation directed to the satisfaction of a necessity4 ,the pleasures of the table is a reflected sensation1 originating in various facts1 places1 things and persons4 ,we share with animals in the pleasure of eating4 ,they and we have hunger which must he satisfied4 ,it is peculiar to the human race1 for it supposes a predisposition for food1 for the place of meeting1 and for guests4 ,the pleasures of the table exact1 if not hunger1 at least appetite4 ,the table is often independent of hoth the one and the other4 ,this we may see at every entertainment4 ,at the first course every one eats and pays no attention to conversation2 all ranks and grades are forgotten together in the great manufacture of life4 ,when1 however1 hunger begins to be satisfied1 reflection begins1 and conversation commences4 ,the person who1 hitherto1 had been a mere consumer1 becomes an amiable guest1 in proportion as the master of all things provides him with the means of gratification4 ,,effects4 ,the pleasures of the table afford neither ravishing pleasure1 ecstasy1 nor transport1 but it gains in intensity what it loses in duration4 ,it is the more valuable because it exposes us to all other gratifications and even consoles us for their loss4 ,after a good dinner body and soul enjoy a peculiar happiness4 ,physically1 as the brain becomes refreshed1 the face lightens up1 the colors become heightened1 and a glow spreads over the whole system4 ,morally1 the mind becomes sharpened1 witticisms circulate4 ,if ,la ,farre and ,saint ,aulaire descend to posterity with the reputation of spiritual authors1 they owe it especially to the fact that they were pleasant guests4 ,besides1 there are often found collected around the same table1 all the modifications of society which extreme sociability has introduced among us3 love1 friendship1 business1 speculation1 power1 ambition1 and intrigue1 all enhance conviviality4 ,thus it is that it produces fruits of all imaginable flavors4 ,,accessories4 ,an immediate consequence of all these antecedents is that human industry has toiled to augment the duration of the gratifications of the table4 ,poets complain that the throat is too short for the uses of degustation1 and others lament the want of capacity of the stomach4 ,some even regret that digestion is accomplished in a single act and not divided into two4 ,this was but an extreme effort to amplify the enjoyments of taste2 in this respect1 however1 it is impossible to exceed the limits imposed by nature1 and an appeal was made to accessories1 which offered more latitude4 ,vases and goblets were crowned with flowers2 crowns were distributed to the guests1 and dinners served beneath the vault of heaven1 in groves1 and amid all the wonders of nature4 ,music and song were made to increase the pleasures of the table4 ,thus while the king of the ,pheacians ate1 the singer ,phemius sang the praises of the wars and warriors of other days4 ,often dancers and pantomimists of both sexes1 in all possible costumes1 occupied the attention without injuring the pleasure of the meal4 ,the most exquisite perfumes were diffused in the air1 and guests were often waited on by unveiled beauty1 so that every sense was appealed to4 ,i might consume many pages in proving what ,i advance4 ,the ,greek authors and our old chroniclers only need to be copied4 ,these researches1 however1 only need to be made to be evident1 and my erudition would be of little value ,,the #ah,,th ,,and #ai,,th ,,century4 ,we have adopted to a greater or less degree various methods of enjoyment1 and have1 by new discoveries1 somewhat enhanced the number4 ,the delicacy of our tastes would not permit the vomitoria of the ,romans to remain4 ,we did better1 however1 and accomplished the same object in a more pleasant manner4 ,dishes of such an attractive flavor have been increased that they perpetually reproduce the appetite4 ,they are so light that they flatter the appetite without loading the stomach4 ,seneca would have called them ,,nubes ,,esculentas4 ,we have advanced so far in alimentation that if business called us from the table1 or if it became necessary for us to sleep1 the duration of the meal would have been almost indeterminable4 ,one must not1 however1 believe that all of these accessories are indispensable to the pleasures of the table4 ,pleasure is enjoyed in almost all its extent when the following conditions are united3 good cheer1 good wine1 a pleasant company1 and time4 ,i have often1 therefore1 wished to have been present at one of those pleasant repasts which ,horace invited one of his neighbors to share1 viz3 a good chicken1 a lamb 7doubtless fat17 and as a desert1 grapes1 figs and nuts4 ,uniting these to wine1 made when ,manlius was consul1 and the delicious conversation of the poet1 ,i fancy ,i could have supped very pleasantly4 ,at mihi cum longum post tempus venerat hospes ,sive operum vacuo1 longum conviva per imbrem ,vicinus1 bene erat non piscibus urbe petitis1 ,sed pullo atque hasdo1 tum ,footnote3 ,le dessert se trouve precisement designe et distingue par l'adverbe ,,tum et par les mots ,,secundas ,,mensas4 pensilis uva secundas ,et nux ornabat mensas1 cum duplice ficu4 ,thus it was only yesterday ,i regaled six friends with a boiled leg of mutton and a kidney ,a ,l',,pontoise4 ,they indulged in the pleasures of conversation so fully that they forgot that there were richer meats or better cooks4 ,on the other hand1 let persons make as much research as possible for good cheer2 there is no pleasure at the table if the wine be bad1 and the guests collected without care4 ,faces will then be sure to seem sad1 and the meal will be eaten without1 consideration4 ,,summary4 ,but perhaps the impatient reader will ask how1 in the year of grace #ahbe1 can any table be spread which will unite all of these conditions8 ,i will answer this question4 ,be attentive1 readers4 ,gasterea1 the most attractive of the muses1 inspires me4 ,i will be as clear as an oracle1 and my precepts will live for centuries3-- ,let the number of guests never exceed twelve1 so that the conversation may be general4 ,let them he so chosen that their occupations may be varied1 their tastes analogous1 and that they may have such points of contact that introduction may be useless4 ,let the dining-room be furnished with luxury1 the table clean1 and the temperature of the room about #af degrees ,reaumur4 ,let the men be intelligent1 but not pedantic--and the women pretty1 but not coquettes4 ,let the dishes be of exquisite taste1 but few in number at the first course2 let those of the second be as pleasant and as highly perfumed as possible4 ,let the coffee be hot1 and let the master select his own wines4 ,let the reception-room be large enough to permit those who cannot do without the amusement1 to make up a card party1 and also for little ,,coteries of conversation4 ,let the guests be retained by the pleasures of society1 and by the hope that the evening will not pass without some ulterior enjoyment ,the tea should not be too strong1 the roast dishes should be loaded artistically1 and the punch made carefully4 ,none should begin to retire before eleven o'clock1 and at midnight all should have gone to bed4 ,if any one has been present at an entertainment uniting all these conditions1 he may boast of having witnessed his own apotheosis4 ,he will enjoy it the more1 because many other apotheosis have been forgotten or mistaken4 ,i have said that the pleasure of the table1 as ,i have described it1 was susceptible of long duration1 and ,i am about to prove it by the history of the longest meal ,i ever was present at4 ,it is a ,,bonbon ,i give the reader as a reward for patient attention to me4 ,here it is3- ,i had a family of kinsfolk in the ,rue de ,bac1 constituted as follows3 a doctor1 who was seventy-eight2 a captain1 who was seventy-six2 and their sister1 ,jeannette1 who was sixty-four4 ,i used to visit them sometimes1 and they always received me kindly4 ,,parbleu6 said ,doctor ,dubois1 rising on his toes one day to tap me on the shoulder2 you have a long time been bragging about your ,,fondues1 7eggs and cheese17 and you always make our mouths water4 ,the captain and ,i will come to dine with you1 and we will see what your famous dish is4 7,this took place about #ahja47 ,willingly1 said ,i1 and to enable you to see it in all its glory1 ,i will cook it myself4 ,i am delighted with your proposition1 and wish you to come punctually at ten to-morrow4 ,at the appointed time my guests came1 clean shaved1 and with their heads powdered4 ,they were two little old men2 yet fresh1 however1 and well4 ,they smiled with pleasure when they saw the table ready1 set with three covers1 and with two dozen oysters by each plate4 ,at the two ends of the table were bottles of ,sauterne1 carefullly wiped1 except the cork1 which indicated that it had been long bottled4 ,alas6 ,i have gradually seen oysters disappear from breakfast1 though they were once so common4 ,they disappeared with the ,,abbes1 who never ate less than a gross2 and the ,,chevaliers1 who ate quite as many4 ,i regret them but as a philosopher4 ,if time modifies governments1 how great must be its influence over simple usages4 ,after the oysters1 which were very good1 grilled kidneys1 a ,,pate of ,,foie ,,gras with truffles1 and then the ,,fondue4 ,the elements had been put in a chafing-dish1 and brought to the table with spirits of wine4 ,i set at once to work1 and my two cousins watched every motion ,i made4 ,they were delighted1 and asked for the recipe1 which ,i promised1 telling them two anecdotes1 which the reader will perhaps meet with elsewhere4 ,after the ,,fondue we had the various fruits which were in season1 and a cup of real mocha1 made ,a ,,la ,,du ,,belloy1 which was then becoming fashionable4 ,we ended with two kinds of ,,liqueurs4 ,breakfast being over1 ,i invited my two kinsmen to take a little exercise1 and to accompany me through my lodgings1 which are far from being elegant1 and which my friends1 in consequence of their size and splendor1 prefer to the gilding and ,,or ,,molu of the reign of ,louis ,,xv4 ,i showed them the original bust of my pretty cousin1 ,mme4 ,recamier by ,chinard1 and her miniature by ,augustin4 ,they were so much pleased1 that the ,doctor kissed the latter with his thick lips1 and the ,captain took a liberty with the bust of the first1 for which ,i reproved him4 ,were all the admirers of the original to do as he did1 the bust would soon be in the condition of the famous statue of ,st4 ,peter at ,borne1 which the kisses of pilgrims have worn away4 ,i showed them afterwards1 casts of old statuary1 some pictures1 which are not without merit1 my guns1 my musical instruments1 and several fine editions of the ,french and foreign classics4 ,they did not forget the kitchen in their voyage of discovery4 ,i showed them my economical furnace1 my turnspit by clock-work1 my roasting apparatus1 and my vaporiser4 ,they were much surprised1 as every thing in their house was done in the style of the regency4 ,just as we were about to enter the room1 the clock struck two4 ,peste6 said the ,doctor1 the dinner time and ,jeannette awaits us2 we must go1 not because ,i wish to eat1 but ,i must have my bowl of soup like ,titus ,,diem ,,perdidi4 ,my dear ,doctor1 said ,i1 why go so far8 what is here8 ,send some to my cousin and remain here1 if you will1 and accept my apology for a somewhat hasty dinner and you will delight me4 ,there was an ocular consultation on the matter between the two brothers1 and ,i at once sent a messenger to the ,faubourg ,st4 ,germain4 ,i also told my cook what ,i wished4 ,after a time1 in part with his own resources and from the neighboring restaurants1 he served us up a very comfortable little dinner4 ,it was a great gratification to me1 to see the ,,sang ,,froid and quiet nerve with which my kinsmen sat down1 unfolded their napkins and began4 ,they met with two surprises which ,i did not anticipate2 ,i gave them ,,parmesan with soup1 and a glass of dry ,madeira4 ,these two novelties had just been introduced by ,m4 ,de ,tallyrand1 the first of our diplomatists1 to whom we are indebted for so many shrewd expressive words1 and whom public attention has always followed with marked interest even when he had retired4 ,dinner passed very comfortably1 and as far as the substantiate and the accessories were concerned1 my friends were as agreeable as they were merry4 ,after dinner1 ,i proposed a game of ,,piquet1 which they refused1 preferring1 as the ,captain said1 ,,il ,,far ,,niente of the ,italians1 and we sat around the fireplace4 ,in spite of the pleasures of the ,,far ,,niente1 ,i have often thought that nothing enlivens conversation more than any occupation which distracts but does not absorb all coversation4 ,tea was a novelty to the ,french at that time4 ,they however took it2 ,i made it in their presence1 and they took it with greater pleasure1 because1 hitherto they had only looked on it as a remedy4 ,long observation had informed me1 that one piece of complaisance ever brings on another1 and that after one step there is no choice but to continue in the same route4 ,you will kill me1 said the ,doctor4 ,you will make me drunk1 said the ,captain4 ,i made no reply1 but rang for rum1 sugar1 and lemons4 ,i made some punch1 and while ,i was preparing some1 excellent well buttered toast was also prepared4 ,my cousins protested that they could not eat a morsel more2 but1 as ,i was familliar with the attraction of this simple preparation1 ,i insisted1 and the ,captain having taken the first slice1 ,i had no hesitation in ordering more4 ,time rolled on1 and the clock was on the stroke of eight4 ,let us go1 said the worthies1 for we must eat a salad with our sister1 who has not seen us to day4 ,i did not object1 and accompanied the two pleasant old men to their carriage1 and saw them leave4 ,perhaps1 the question may be asked1 if their long visit did not annoy me4 ,i answer1 no4 ,the attention of my guests was sustained by the preparation of the ,,fondue1 by their examination of my rooms1 by a few novelties after dinner1 by the tea1 and especially by the punch1 which was the best they had ever tasted4 ,the ,doctor1 too1 knew all the genealogy and history of the people of ,paris4 ,the ,captain had passed a portion of his life in ,italy1 either as a soldier or as envoy to the ,court of ,parma4 ,i had travelled much1 and conversation pursued its natural bent4 ,under such circumstances time could not but fly rapidly4 ,on the next day1 a letter from the ,doctor informed me1 that their little debauch had done them no harm1 but that after a quiet night's rest1 they awoke convinced that they could go over the whole matter again4 ,,meditation ,,xv4 ,,haltes ,,de ,,chasse4 ,,amid all the circumstances in life1 when eating is considered valuable1 one of the most agreeable is1 doubtless1 when there is a pause in the chase4 ,it alone may be prolonged the most without ennui4 ,after a few hours exercise1 the most eager huntsman feels a necessity for rest4 ,his face needs caressing by the morning breeze3 he halts1 however1 not from necessity1 but by that instinctive impulse which tells him that his activity is not indefinite4 ,shade attracts him1 the turf receives him1 the murmur of the rivulet advises him to open the flask he has brought to revive himself ,i with4 ,footnote3 ,for such purposes1 ,i prefer white wine2 it resists heat better than any other4 ,thus placed1 he takes out the little well baked loaves1 uncovers the cold chicken some kind hand has placed in his havresack1 and finds the piece of gruyere or roquefort1 which is to represent a dessert4 ,while he makes these preparations1 he is accompanied by the faithful animal ,god has created for him2 co-operation has overcome distance4 ,they are two friends1 and the servant is at once happy and proud to be the guest of his master4 ,it is an appetite equally unknown to the worldly and devotees3 the first do not allow hunger time to come3 the second never indulge in exercises which produce it4 ,the repast being prepared1 each has its portion2 why not sleep for a while8 ,noon is an hour of rest for all creation4 ,the pleasures are decuples by being shared with friends4 ,in this case1 a more abundant meal is brought in military chests now employed for both purposes4 ,all speak of the prowess of one1 the messes at the other1 and of the anticipations of the evening4 ,what if one should come provided with one of those vases consecrated to ,bacchus1 where artificial cold ices the madrin1 the strawberry1 and pine-apple juice1 those delicious flavors which spread through the whole system a luxury unknown to the profane4 ,we have not1 however1 reached the last term of progression of pleasure4 ,,ladies4 ,there are times when our wives1 sisters1 and cousins are invited to share in these amusements4 ,at the appointed hour1 light carriages1 prancing horses1 etc41 hearing ladies collect4 ,the toilette of the ladies is half military1 and half coquette4 ,the professor will1 if he be observant1 catch a glimpse of things not intended for his eye4 ,the door of the carriages will soon be opened1 and a glimpse will be had of pates de ,perigord1 the wonders of ,strasburg1 the delicacies of d',achard1 and all that the best laboratories produce that is transportable4 ,they have not forgotten foaming champagne1 a fit ornament for the hand of beauty4 ,they sit on the grass--corks fly1 all laugh1 jest1 and are happy4 ,appetite1 this emenation of heaven1 gives to the meal a vivacity foreign to the drawing-room1 however well decorated it may be4 ,all1 however1 must end2 the oldest person present gives the signal2 all arise1 men take their guns1 and the ladies their hats- -all go1 and the ladies disappear until night4 ,i have hunted in the centre of ,france1 and in the very depths of the departments4 ,i have seen at the resting places carriage loads of women of radiant beauty1 and others mounted on a modest ass1 such as composes the fortunes of the people of ,montmorency4 ,i have seen them first laugh at the inconveniences of the mode of transportation1 and then spread on the lawn a turkey1 with transparent jelly1 and a salad ready prepared4 ,i have seen them dance around a fire lighted for the occasion1 and have participated in the pleasures of this gypsy sport4 ,i am sure so much attraction with so little luxury is never met with elsewhere4 ,les haltes de la chasse are a yet virgin subject which we have only touched1 we leave the subject to any one who pleases to take a fancy to it4 ,,meditation ,,xvi4 ,,on ,,digestion4 ,we never see what we eat1 says an old adage1 except what we digest4 ,how few1 however1 know what digestion is1 though it is a necessity equalizing rich and poor1 the shepherd and the king4 ,the majority of persons who1 like ,m4 ,jourdan1 talked prose without knowing it1 digest without knowing how2 for them ,i make a popular history of digestion1 being satisfied that ,m4 ,jourdan was much better satisfied when his master told him that he wrote prose4 ,to he fully acquainted with digestion1 one must know hoth its antecedents and consequents4 ,,ingestion4 ,appetite1 hunger1 and thirst1 warn us that the hody needs restoration2 pain1 that universal monitor1 never ceases to torment us if we do not obey it4 ,then comes eating and drinking which are ingestion1 an operation which begins as soon as the food is in the mouth1 and enters the oesophagus4 ,during its passage1 through a space of a few inches much takes place4 ,the teeth divide solid food1 the glands which line the inside of the mouth moisten it1 the tongue mingles the food1 presses it against the palate so as to force out the juice1 and then collects the elements in the centre of the mouth1 after which1 resting on the lower jaw1 it lifts up the central portion forming a kind of inclined plane to the lower portion of the mouth where they are received by the pharynx1 which itself contracting1 forces them into the oesophagus4 ,one mouthful having thus been treated1 a second is managed in the same way1 and deglutition continues until appetite informs us that it is time to stop4 ,it is rarely1 though1 that it stops here1 for as it is one of the attributes of man to drink without thirst1 cooks have taught him to eat without hunger4 ,to ensure every particle of food reaching the stomach1 two dangers must be avoided4 ,it must not pass into the passage behind the nose1 which luckily is covered by a veil4 ,the second is that it must not enter the trachea4 ,this is a serious danger1 for any particle passing into the trachea1 would cause a convulsive cough1 which would last until it was expelled4 ,an admirable mechanism1 however1 closes the glottis while we swallow1 and we have a certain instinct which teaches us not to breathe during deglutition4 ,in general1 therefore1 we may say1 that in spite of this strange conformation1 food passes easily into the stomach1 where the exercise of the will ceases1 and digestion begins4 ,,duty ,,of ,,the ,,stomach4 ,digestion is a purely mechanical operation and the digestive apparatus1 may be considered as a winnowing mill1 the effect of which is1 to extract all that is nutritious and to get rid of the chaff4 ,the manner in which digestion is effcted has been so long a question for argument1 and persons have sought to ascertain if it were effected by coction1 fermentation1 solution1 chemical1 or vital action4 ,all of these modes have their influence1 and the only error was that many causes were sought to be attributed to one4 ,in fact food impregnated by all fluids which fill the mouth and oesophagus1 reaches the stomach where it is impregnated by the gastric juices1 which always fill it4 ,it is then subjected for several hours to a heat of #cj degrees ,reaumer2 it is mingled by the organic motion of the stomach1 which their presence excites4 ,they act on each other by the effect of this juxtaposition and fermentation must take place4 ,all that is nourishing ferments4 ,in consequence of all of these operations1 chyle is elaborated and spread over the food1 which then passes the pylorus and enters the intestines4 ,portion after portion succeeds until the stomach is empty1 thus evacuating itself as it was filled4 ,the pylorus is a kind of chamber between the stomach and the intestines1 so constructed that food once in it can ascend only with great difficulty4 ,this viscera is sometimes obstructed when the sufferer1 after long and intense agony1 dies of hunger4 ,the next intestine beyond the pylorus is the duodenum4 ,it is so called because it is twelve fingers long4 ,when chyle reaches the duodenum1 it receives a new elaboration by being mingled with bile and the panchreatic juice4 ,it loses the grey color and acidity it previously possessed1 becomes yellow and commences to assume a stercoral odor1 which increases as it advances to the rectum4 ,the various substances act reciprocally on each other2 there must1 consequently1 be many analagous gasses produced4 ,the impulse which ejected chyle from the stomach1 continues and forces the food towards the lower intestines1 there the chyle separates itself and is absorbed by organs intended for the purpose1 whence it proceeds to the liver1 to mingle with the blood1 which it revives1 and thus repairs the losses of the vital organs and of transpiration4 ,it is difficult to explain how chyle1 which is a light and almost insipid fluid1 can be extracted from a mass1 the color of which1 and the taste1 are so deeply pronounced4 ,be that as it may1 the preparation of chyle appears to be the true object of digestion1 and as soon as it mingles with the circulation1 the individual becomes aware of a great increase of physical power4 ,the digestion of fluids is less complicated than that of solids1 and can be explained in a few words4 ,the purely liquid portion is absorbed by the stomach1 and thrown into circulation2 thence it is taken to the veins by the arteries and filtered by urethras1 ,footnote3 ,these urethras are conduits of the size of a pea1 which start from the kidneys1 and end at the upper neck of the bladder4 which pass them as urine1 to the bladder4 ,when in this last receptacle1 and though restrained by the spinchter muscle1 the urine remains there but a brief time2 its exciting nature causes a desire to avoid it1 and soon voluntary constriction emits it through canals1 which common consent does not permit us to name4 ,digestion varies in the time it consumes1 according to the temperament of individuals4 ,the mean time1 however1 is seven hours1 viz41 three hours for the stomach1 and the rest of the time for the lower intestines4 ,from this expose which ,i have selected from the most reliable authors1 ,i have separated all anatomical rigidities1 and scientific abstractions4 ,my readers will thence be able to judge where the last meal they ate is3 viz41 during the first three hours in the stomach1 later in the intestinal canal1 and after seven hours1 awaiting expulsion4 ,,influence ,,of ,,digestion4 ,of all corporeal operations1 digestion is the one which has the closest connection with the moral condition of man4 ,this assertion should amaze no one2 things cannot be otherwise4 ,the principles of physiology tells us that the soul is liable to impressions only in proportion as the organs subjected to it have relation to external objects1 whence it follows that when these organs are badly preserved1 badly restored1 or irritated1 this state of degradation exerts a necessary influence on sensations1 which are the intermediates of mental operations4 ,thus the habitual manner in which digestion is performed or affected1 makes us either sad1 gay1 taciturn1 gossiping morose or melancholy1 without our being able to doubt the fact1 or to resist it for a moment4 ,in this respect1 humanity may be arranged under three categories2 the regular1 the reserved1 and the uncertain4 ,each of the persons who belong to each of the series1 not only have similar dispositions1 and propensities1 but there is something analagous and similar in the manner in which they fulfill the mission from which chance during their lives has separated them4 ,to exhibit an example1 ,i will go into the vast field of literature4 ,i think men of letters frequently owe all their characteristics to their peculiar mode of life4 ,comic poets must be of one kind1 tragic poets of another1 and elegiac1 of the uncertain class4 ,the most elegiac and the most comic are only separated by a variety of digestive functions4 ,by an application of this principle to courage1 when ,prince ,eugene of ,savoy1 was doing the greatest injury to ,france1 some one said1 ,ah1 why can ,i not send him a pate de foie gras1 three times a week ,i would make him the greatest sluggard of ,europe4 ,let us hurry our men into action1 while a little beef is left in their bowels1 said an ,english general4 ,digestion in the young is very often accompanied by a slight chill1 and in the old1 by a great wish to sleep4 ,in the first case1 nature extracts the coloric from the surface to use it in its laboratory4 ,in the second1 the same power debilitated by age cannot at once satisfy both digestion and the excitement of the senses4 ,when digestion has just begun1 it is dangerous to yield to a disposition for mental work4 ,one of the greatest causes of mortality is1 that some men after having dined1 and perhaps too well dined1 can neither close their eyes nor their ears4 ,this observation contains a piece of advice1 which should even attract the most careless youth1 usually attentive to nothing4 ,it should also arrest the attention of grown men1 who forget nothing1 not even that time never pauses1 and which is a penal law to those on the wrong side of fifty4 ,some persons are fretful while digestion is going on4 ,at that time1 nothing should be suggested to and no favors asked of them4 ,among these was marshal ,augereau1 who1 during the first hour after dinner1 slaughtered friends and enemies indiscriminately4 ,i have heard it said1 that there were two persons in the army1 whom the general-in-chief always wished to have shot1 the commissary-in-chief and the head of his general staff4 ,they were both present4 ,cherin the chief of staff1 talked back to him1 and the commissary1 though he said nothing1 did not think a bit the less4 ,at that time1 ,i was attached to his general staff1 and always had a plate at his table4 ,i used1 however1 to go thither rarely1 being always afraid of his periodical outbreaks1 and that he would send me to dinner to finish my digestion4 ,i met him afterwards at ,paris1 and as he testified his regret that he had not seen me oftener1 ,i did not conceal the reason4 ,we laughed over the matter and he confessed that ,i was not wrong4 ,we were then at ,offenbourg1 and a complaint was made by the staff that we ate no game nor fish4 ,this complaint was well founded1 for it is a maxim1 of public law1 that the conquerors should always live at the expense of the conquered4 ,on that very day ,i wrote a letter to the master of the forests to point out a remedy4 ,this official was an old trooper1 who doubtless was unwilling to treat us kindly lest we should take root in this territory4 ,his answer was negative and evasive4 ,the game keepers1 afraid of our soldiers1 had gone1 the fishermen were insubordinate1 the water muddy1 etc4 ,to all this1 ,i said nothing1 but ,i sent him ten grenadiers to be lodged and fed until further orders4 ,the remedy was effective2 for early on the next day after1 ,i saw a heavily loaded wagon come4 ,the game-keepers had come back1 the fishermen were submissive2 we had game and fish enough to last for a week4 ,we had kid1 snipe1 lark1 pike1 etc4 ,when ,i received the offering1 ,i freed the superintendent from his troublesome guests1 and during the whole time we remained in that part of the country1 we had nothing to complain of4 ,,meditation ,,xvii4 ,,repose4 ,,man is not made to enjoy an indefinite activity2 nature has destined him to a variable existence1 and his perceptions must end after a certain time4 ,this time of activity may be prolonged1 by varying the nature of the perceptions to be experienced1 and a continuity of life brings about a desire for repose4 ,repose leads to sleep1 and sleep produces dreams4 ,here we find ourselves on the very verge of humanity1 for the man who sleeps is something more than a mere social being3 the law protects1 but does not command him4 ,here a very singular fact told me by ,dom ,duhaget1 once prior of the ,chartreuse convent of ,pierre ,chatel1 presents itself4 ,dom ,duhaget was a member of a very good family in ,gascogne1 and had served with some distinction as a captain of infantry4 ,he was a knight of ,st ,louis4 ,i never knew any one1 the conversation of whom was more pleasant4 ,there was1 said he1 before ,i went to ,pierre ,chatel1 a monk of a very melancholy humor1 whose character was very sombre1 and who was looked upon as a somnambulist4 ,he used often to leave his cell1 and when he went astray1 people were forced to guide him back again4 ,many attempts had been made to cure him1 but in vain4 ,one evening ,i had not gone to bed at the usual hour1 but was in my office looking over several papers1 when ,i saw this monk enter in a perfect state of somnambulism4 ,his eyes were open but fixed1 and he was clad in the tunic in which he should have gone to bed1 but he had a huge knife in his hand4 ,he came at once to my bed1 the position of which he was familiar with1 and after having felt my hand1 struck three blows which penetrated the mattrass on which ,i laid4 ,as he passed in front of me his brows were knit1 and ,i saw an expression of extreme gratification pervaded his face4 ,the light of two lamps on my desk made no impression1 and he returned as he had come1 opening the doors which led to his cell1 and ,i soon became satisfied that he had quietly gone to bed4 ,you may1 said the ,prior1 fancy my state after this terrible apparition2 ,i trembled at the danger ,i had escaped1 and gave thanks to ,providence4 ,my emotion1 however1 was so great that during the balance of the night ,i could not sleep4 ,on the next day ,i sent for the somnambulist and asked him what he had dreamed of during the preceding night4 ,when ,i asked the question he became troubled4 ',father1' said he1 ',i had so strange a dream that it really annoys me2 ,i fear almost to tell you for ,i am sure the devil has had his hand in it4' ',i order you to tell me1' said ,i1 'dreams are involuntary and this may only be an illusion4 ,speak sincerely to me4' ',father1' said he1' ,i had scarcely gone to sleep when ,i dreamed that you had killed my mother1 and when her bloody shadow appeared to demand vengeance1 ,i hurried into your cell1 and as ,i thought stabbed you4 ,not long after ,i arose1 covered with perspiration1 and thanked ,god that ,i had not committed the crime ,i had meditated4' ',it has been more nearly committed1' said ,i1 with a kind voice1 'than you think4' ,i then told him what had passed1 and pointed out to him the blows he had aimed at me4 ,he cast himself at my feet1 and all in tears wept over the involuntary crime he had thought to commit1 and besought me to inflict any penance ,i might think fit4 ',no1' said ,i1 ',i will not punish you for an involuntary act4 ,henceforth1 though ,i excuse you from the service of the night1 ,i inform you that your cell will be locked on the outside and never be opened except to permit you to attend to the first mass4' ,if in this instance1 from which a miracle only saved him1 the ,prior had been killed1 the monk would not have suffered1 for he would have committed a homicide not a murder4 ,,time ,,of ,,rest4 ,the general laws of the globe we inhabit have an influence on the human race4 ,the alternatives of day and night are felt with certain varieties over the whole globe1 but the result of all this is the indication of a season of quiet and repose4 ,probably we would not have been the same persons had we lived all our lives without any change of day or night4 ,be this as it may1 when one has enjoyed for a certain length of time a plentitude of life a time comes when he can enjoy nothing2 his impressibility gradually decreases1 and the effects on each of his senses are badly arranged4 ,the organs are dull and the soul becomes obtuse4 ,it is easy to see that we have had social man under consideration1 surrounded by all the attractions of civilization4 ,the necessity of this is peculiarly evident to all who are buried either in the studio1 travel1 as soldiers1 or in any other manner4 ,in repose our mother nature especially luxuriates4 ,the man who really reposes1 enjoys a happiness which is as general as it is indefinable2 his arms sink by their own weight1 his fibres distend1 his brain becomes refreshed1 his senses become calm1 and his sensations obtuse4 ,he wishes for nothing1 he does not reflect1 a veil of gauze is spread before his eyes1 and in a few moments he will sink to sleep4 ,,meditation ,,xviii4 ,,sleep4 ,,though some men be organized that they may be said not to sleep1 yet the great necessity of the want of sleep is well defined as is hunger or thirst4 ,the advanced sentinels of the army used often to sleep though they filled their eyes with snuff4 ,,definition4 ,sleep is a physical condition1 during which man separates himself from external objects by the inactivity of his senses1 and has only a mechanical life4 ,sleep1 like night1 is preceded and followed by two twilights4 ,the one leads to inertion1 the other to activity4 ,let us seek to elucidate these phenomena4 ,when sleep begins1 the organs of the senses fall almost into inactivity4 ,taste first disappears1 then the sight and smell4 ,the ear still is on the alert1 and touch never slumbers4 ,it ever warns us of danger to which the body is liable4 ,sleep is always preceded by a more or less voluptuous sensation4 ,the body yields to it with pleasure1 being certain of a prompt restoration4 ,the soul gives up to it with confidence1 hoping that its means of fiction will he retempered4 ,from the fact of their not appreciating this sensation1 savants of high rank have compared sleep to death1 which all living beings resist as much as possible1 and which even animals show a horror of4 ,like all pleasures1 sleep becomes a passion4 ,persons have been known to sleep away three-quarters of their life4 ,like all other passions it then exerts the worst influences1 producing idleness1 indolence1 sloth and death4 ,the school of ,salernum granted only seven hours to sleep without distinction to sex or age4 ,this maxim was too severe1 for more time is needed by children1 and more should1 from complaisance1 be granted to women4 ,though whenever more than ten hours is passed in bed there is abuse4 ,in the early hours of crepuscular sleep1 will yet exists4 ,we can rouse ourselves1 and the eye has not yet lost all its power4 ,non omnibus dormio1 said ,mecenes1 and in this state more than one husband has acquired a sad certainty4 ,some ideas yet originate but are incoherent4 ,there are doubtful lights1 and see indistinct forms flit around4 ,this condition does not last long1 for sleep soon becomes absolute4 ,what does the soul do in the interim8 ,it lives in itself1 and like a pilot in a calm1 like a mirror at night1 a lute that no one touches1 awakes new excitement4 ,some psycologists1 among others the count of ,redern1 say that the soul always acts4 ,the evidence is1 that a man aroused from sleep always preserves a memory of his dreams4 ,there is something in this observation1 which deserves verification4 ,this state of annihilation1 however1 is of brief duration1 never exceeding more than five or six hours3 losses are gradually repaired1 an obscure sense of existence manifests itself1 and the sleeper passes into the empire of dreams4 ,,meditation ,,xix4 ,,dreams4 ,dreams are material impressions on the soul1 without the intervention of external objects4 ,these phenomena1 so common in ordinary times1 are yet little known4 ,the fault resides with the savants who did not allow us a sufficiently great number of instances4 ,time will however remedy this1 and the double nature of man will be better known4 ,in the present state of science1 it must be taken for granted that there exists a fluid1 subtle as it is powerful1 which transmits to the brain the impressions received by the senses4 ,this excitement is the cause of ideas4 ,absolute sleep is the deperdition or inertia of this fluid4 ,we must believe that the labors of digestion and assimulation do not cease during sleep1 but repair losses so that there is a time when the individual having already all the necessities of action is not excited by external objects4 ,thus the nervous fluid--movable from its nature1 passes to the brain1 through the nervous conduits4 ,it insinuates itself into the same places1 and follows the old road4 ,it produces the same1 but less intense effects4 ,i could easily ascertain the reason of this4 ,when man is impressed by an external object1 sensation is sudden1 precise1 and involuntary4 ,the whole organ is in motion4 ,when on the contrary1 the same impression is received in sleep1 the posterior portion of the nerves only is in motion1 and the sensation is in consequence1 less distinct and positive4 ,to make ourselves more easily understood1 we will say that when the man is awake1 the whole system is impressed1 while in sleep1 only that portion near the brain is affected4 ,we know1 however1 that in voluptuous dreams1 nature is almost as much gratified as by our waking sensations2 there is1 however1 this difference in the organs1 for each sex has all the elements of gratification4 ,when the nervous fluid is taken to our brain1 it is always collected in vats1 so to say1 intended for the use of one of our senses1 and for that reason1 a certain series of ideas1 preferable to others1 are aroused4 ,thus we see when the optic nerve is excited1 and hear when those of the ear are moved4 ,let us here remark that taste and smell are rarely experienced in dreams4 ,we dream of flowers1 but not of their perfume2 we see a magnificently arranged table1 but have no perception of the flavor of the dishes4 ,this is a subject of enquiry worthy of the most distinguished science4 ,we mean1 to ascertain why certain senses are lost in sleep1 while others preserve almost their full activity4 ,no physiologist has ever taken care of this matter4 ,let us remark that the influences we are subject to when we sleep1 are internal4 ,thus1 sensual ideas are nothing after the anguish we suffer at a dream of the death of a loved child4 ,at such moments we awake to find ourselves weeping bitterly4 ,,nature ,,of ,,dreams4 ,whimsical as some of the ideas which visit us in dreams may be1 we will on examination find they are either recollections1 or combinations of memory4 ,i am inclined to say that dreams are the memory of sensations4 ,their strangeness exists only in the oddity of association which rejects all idea of law and of chronology1 of propriety and time4 ,no one1 however1 ever dreamed of any thing absolutely unknown to him4 ,no one will be amazed at the strangeness of our dreams1 when we remember1 that1 when awake1 our senses are on the alert1 and respectively rectify each other4 ,when a man sleeps1 however1 every sensation is left to his own resources4 ,i am inclined to compare these two conditions of the brain1 to a piano at which some great musician sits1 and who as he throws his fingers over the keys recalls some melody which he might harmonize if he use all his power4 ,this comparison may be extended yet further1 when we remember that reflection is to ideas1 what harmony is to sounds2 that certain ideas contain others1 as a principle sound contains the others which follow it1 etc4 etc4 ,,system ,,of ,,dr4 ,,gall4 ,having followed thus far a subject which is not without interest1 ,i have come to the confines of the system of ,dr4 ,gall who sustains the multiformity of the organs of the brain4 ,i cannot go farther1 nor pass the limits ,i have imposed on myself3 yet from the love of science1 to which it may be seen ,i am no stranger1 ,i cannot refrain from making known two observations ,i made with care1 and which are the more important1 as many persons will be able to verify them4 ,,first ,,observation4 ,about #agij there was in a little village called ,gevrin1 in the arrondissement of ,belley a very shrewd tradesman named ,landot1 who had amassed a very pretty fortune4 ,all at once he was stricken with paralysis4 ,the ,doctors came to his assistance1 and preserved his life1 not however without loss1 for all of his faculties especially memory was gone4 ,he however got on well enough1 resumed his appetite and was able to attend to his business4 ,when seen to be in this state1 all those with whom he ever had dealings1 thought the time for his revenge was come1 and under the pretext of amusing him1 offered all kinds of bargains1 exchanges1 etc4 ,they found themselves mistaken1 and had to relinquish their hopes4 ,the old man had lost none of his commercial faculties4 ,though he forgot his own name and those of his servants1 he was always familiar with the price-current1 and knew the exact value of every acre and vineyard in the vicinity4 ,in this respect his judgment had be en uninjured1 and the consequence was1 that many of the assailants were taken in their own snares4 ,,second ,,observation4 ,at ,belley1 there was a ,m4 ,chirol1 who had served for a long time in the gardes du corps of ,louis ,,xv4 and ,,xvi4 ,he had just sense enough for his profession1 but he was passionately fond of all kinds of games1 playing l'hombre1 piquet1 whist1 and any new game that from time to time might be introduced4 ,m4 ,chirol also became apoplectic and fell into a state of almost absolute insensibility4 ,two things however were spared1 his faculty for digestion1 and his passion for play4 ,he used to go every day to a house he had been used to frequent1 sat in a corner and seemed to pay no attention to any thing that passed around him4 ,when the time came to arrange the card parties1 they used to invite him to take a hand4 ,then it became evident that the malady which had prostrated the majority of his faculties1 had not affected his play4 ,not long before he died1 ,m4 ,chirol gave a striking proof that this faculty was uninjured4 ,there came to ,belley1 a banker from ,paris1 the name of whom ,i think was ,delins4 ,he had letters of introduction1 he was a ,parisian1 and that was enough in a small city to induce all to seek to make his time pass agreeably as possible4 ,delins was a gourmand1 and was fond of play4 ,in one point of view he was easily satisfied1 for they used to keep him1 every day1 five or six hours at the table4 ,it was difficult1 however1 to amuse his second faculty4 ,he was fond of piquet and used to talk of six francs a fiche1 far heavier play than we indulged in4 ,to overcome this obstacle1 a company was formed in which each one risked something4 ,some said that the people of ,paris knew more than we2 and others that all ,parisians were inclined to boasting4 ,the company was however formed1 and the game was assigned to ,m4 ,chirol4 ,when the ,parisian banker saw the long pale face1 and limping form opposed to him1 he fancied at first1 that he was the butt of joke3 when1 however1 he saw the artistic manner with which the spectre handled the cards1 he began to think he had an adversary worthy of him1 for once4 ,he was not slow in being convinced that the faculty yet existed1 for not only in that1 but in many other games was ,delins so beaten that he had to pay more than six hundred francs to the company1 which was carefully divided4 ,,result4 ,the consequences of these two observations are easily deduced4 ,it seems clear that in each case1 the blow which deranged the brain1 had spared for a long time1 that portion of the organ employed in commerce and in gaming4 ,it had resisted it beyond doubt1 because exercise had given it great power1 and because deeply worked impressions hatf exerted great influence on it4 ,,age4 ,age has great influence on the nature of dreams4 ,in infancy we dream of games1 gardens1 flowers1 and other smiling objects2 at a later date1 we dream of pleasure1 love1 battles1 and marriages2 later still we dream of princely favors1 of business1 trouble and long departed pleasures4 ,,phenomena ,,of ,,dreams4 ,certain strange phenomena accompany sleep and dreams4 ,their study may perhaps account for anthropomania1 and for this reason ,i record here1 three observations1 selected from a great many made by myself during the silence of night4 ,,first ,,observation4 ,i dreamed one night1 that ,i had discovered a means to get rid of the laws of gravitation1 so that it became as easy to ascend as descend1 and that ,i could do either as ,i pleased4 ,this estate seemed delicious to me2 perhaps many persons may have had similar dreams4 ,one curious thing however1 occurs to me1 which ,i remember1 ,i explained very distinctly to myself the means which led me to such a result1 and they seemed so simple1 that ,i was surprised ,i had not discovered it sooner4 ,as ,i awoke1 the whole explanation escaped my mind1 but the conclusion remained2 since then1 ,i will ever be persuaded of the truth of this observation4 ,,second ,,observation4 ,a few months ago while asleep ,i experienced a sensation of great gratification4 ,it consisted in a kind of delicious tremor of all the organs of which my body was composed1 a violet flame played over my brow4 ,lambere flamma comas1 et circum temporo pasci4 ,i think this physical state did not last more than twenty seconds1 and ,i awoke with a sensation of something of terror mingled with surprise4 ,this sensation ,i can yet remember very distinctly1 and from various observations have deduced the conclusion that the limits of pleasure are not1 as yet1 either known or defined1 and that we do not know how far the body may be beatified4 ,i trust that in the course of a few centuries1 physiology will explain these sensations and recall them at will1 as sleep is produced by opium1 and that posterity will be rewarded by them for the atrocious agony they often suffer from when sleeping4 ,the proposition ,i have announced1 to a degree is sustained by analogy1 for ,i have already remarked that the power of harmony which procures us such acute enjoyments1 was totally unknown to the ,romans4 ,this discovery is only about five hundred years old4 ,,third ,,observation4 ,in the year ,,viii 7#ahjj17 ,i went to bed as usual and woke up about one1 as ,i was in the habit of doing4 ,i found myself in a strange state of cerebral excitement1 my preception was keen1 my thoughts profound2 the sphere of my intelligence seemed increased1 ,i sat up and my eyes were affected with a pale1 vaporous1 uncertain light1 which1 however1 did1 not enable me to distinguish objects accurately4 ,did ,i only consult the crowd of ideas which succeeded so rapidly1 ,i might have fancied that this state lasted many hours2 ,i am satisfied1 however1 that it did not last more than half an hour1 an external accident1 unconnected with volition1 however1 aroused me from it1 and ,i was recalled to the things of earth4 ,when the luminous apparition disappeared1 ,i became aware of a sense of dryness1 and1 in fact1 regained my waking faculties4 ,as ,i was now wide awake1 my memory retained a portion of the ideas 7indistinctly7 which crossed my mind4 ,the first ideas had time as their subject4 ,it seemed to me that the past1 present and future1 became identical1 were narrowed down to a point1 so that it was as easy to look forward into the future1 as back into the past4 ,this is all ,i remember of this first intuition1 which was almost effaced by subsequent ones4 ,attention was then directed to the senses1 which ,i followed in the order of their perfection1 and fancying that those should be examined which were internal as well as external1 ,i began to follow them out4 ,i found three1 and almost four1 when ,i fell again to earth4 #a4 ,compassion is a sensation we feel about the heart when we see another suffer4 #b4 ,predilection is a feeling which attracts us not only to an object1 but to all connected with it4 #c4 ,sympathy is the feeling which attracts two beings together4 ,from the first aspect1 one might believe that these two sentiments are one1 and the same4 ,they cannot1 however1 be confounded2 for predilection is not always reciprocal1 while sympathy1 must be4 ,while thinking of compassion1 ,i was led to a deduction ,i think very just1 and which at another time ,i would have overlooked4 ,it is the theory on which all legislation is founded4 ,,do ,,as ,,you ,,will ,,be ,,done ,,by4 ,alteri ne facias1 quod tibi fieri non vis4 ,such is an idea of the state in which ,i was1 and to enjoy it again1 ,i would willingly relinquish a month of my life4 ,in bed we sleep comfortably1 in a horizontal position and with the head warm3 ,thoughts and ideas come quickly and abundantly2 expressions follow1 and as to write one has to get up1 we take off the night cap and go to the desk4 ,things all at once seem to change4 ,the examination becomes cold1 the thread of our ideas is broken2 we are forced to look with trouble1 for what was found so easily1 and we are often forced to postpone study to another day4 ,all this is easily explained by the effect produced on the brain by a change of position4 ,the influence of the physic and moral is here experienced4 ,following out this observation1 ,i have perhaps gone rather far1 but ,i have been induced to think that the excitability of oriental nations1 was1 in a manner1 due to the fact1 that1 in obedience to the religion of ,mahomet1 they used to keep the head warm1 for a reason exactly contrary to that which induced all monastic legislators to enjoin shaven crowns4 ,,meditation ,,xx4 ,,influence ,,of ,,diet ,,on ,,rest1 ,,sleep ,,and ,,dreams4 ,,whether man sleeps1 eats1 or dreams1 he is yet subject to the laws of nutrition and to gastronomy4 ,theory and experience1 both admit that the quantity and quality of food have a great influence on our repose1 rest1 and dreams4 ,,effects ,,of ,,diet ,,on ,,labor4 ,a man who is badly fed1 cannot bear for a long time1 the fatigues of prolonged labor2 his strength even abandons him1 and to him rest is only loss of power4 ,if his labor be mental1 his ideas are crude and undecided4 ,reflection contributes nothing to them1 nor does judgment analyze them4 ,the brain exhausts itself in vain efforts and the actor slumbers on the battlefield4 ,i always thought that the suppers of ,auteuil and those of the hotels of ,rambouillet and ,soissons1 formed many of the authors of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,geoffrey was not far wrong when he characterised the authors of the latter part of the eighteenth century as eau sucree4 ,that was their habitual beverage4 ,according to these principles1 ,i have examined the works of certain well known authors said to have been poor and suffering1 and ,i never found any energy in1 them1 except when they were stimulated by badly conceived envy4 ,on the eve of his departure for ,boulogne1 the ,emperor ,napoleon fasted for thirty hours1 both with his council and with the various depositories of his power1 without any refreshment other than two very brief meals1 and a few cups of coffee4 ,brown1 mentions an admiralty clerk1 who1 having lost his memorandum1 without which he could not carry on his duty1 passed fifty-two consecutive hours in preparing them again4 ,without due regimen1 he never could have borne the fatigue and sustained himself as follows3--,at first1 he drank water1 then wine1 and ultimately took opium4 ,i met one day a courier1 whom ,i had known in the army1 on his way from ,spain1 whither he had been sent with a government dispatch4 7,correo ganando horas47 ,he made the trip in twelve days1 having halted only four hours in ,madrid1 to drink a few glasses of wine1 and to take some soup4 ,this was all the nourishment he took during this long series of sleepless nights and fatigues4 ,he said that more solid sustenance would have made it impossible for him to continue his journey4 ,,dreams4 ,diet has no trifling influence on sleep and dreams4 ,a hungry man cannot sleep1 for the pain he suffers keeps him awake4 ,if weakness or exhaustion overcome him1 his slumber is light1 uneasy and broken4 ,a person1 however1 who has eaten too much1 sinks at once to sleep4 ,if he dreams1 he remembers nothing of it1 for the nervous fluid has been intercepted in the passages4 ,he awakes quickly1 and when awake is very sensible of the pains of digestion4 ,we may then lay down1 as a general rule1 that coffee rejects sleep4 ,custom weakens and even causes this inconvenience entirely to disappear4 ,europeans1 whenever they yield to it1 always feel its power4 ,some food1 however1 gently invites sleep2 such as that which contains milk1 the whole family of letuces1 etc41 etc4 ,,consequence4 ,experience relying on a multitude of observations1 has informed us that diet has an influence on dreams4 ,in general1 all stimullkt food excites dreams1 such as flock game1 ducks1 venison and hare4 ,this quality is recognised in asparagus1 celery1 truffles1 perfume1 confectioneries and vanilla4 ,it would be a great mistake to think that we should banish from our tables all somniferous articles4 ,the dreams they produce are in general agreeable1 light1 and prolong our existence even when it is suspended4 ,there are persons to whom sleep is a life apart1 and whose dreams are serial1 so that they end in one night a dream begun on the night before4 ,while asleep they distinguish faces they remember to have seen1 but which they never met with in the real world4 ,,result4 ,a person who reflects on his physical life and who does so according to the principles we develop1 is the one who prepares sagaciously for rest1 sleep and dreams4 ,he distributes his labor so that he never over-tasks himself1 he lightens it and refreshes himself by brief intervals of rest1 which relieve him1 without interrupting its continuity1 sometimes a duty4 ,if longer rest is required during the day1 he indulges in it only in a sitting attitude2 he refuses sleep unless he be forced irresistibly to use it1 and is careful not to make it habitual4 ,when night brings about the hour of repose1 he retires to an airy room1 does not wrap himself up in curtains1 which make him breathe the same air again and again1 and never closes the blinds so that when he wakes he will meet with at least one ray of light4 ,he rests in a bed with the head slightly higher than the feet4 ,his pillow is of hair2 his night cap of cloth and his breast unincumbered by a mass of coverings2 he is careful1 however1 to keep his feet warm4 ,he eats with discretion1 and never refuses good and excellent cheer4 ,he drinks prudently1 even the best wine4 ,at dessert he talks of gallantry more than of politics1 makes more madrigals than epigrams4 ,he takes his coffee1 if it suits his constitution1 and afterwards swallows a spoonful of liquor1 though it he only to perfume his breath4 ,he is1 in all respects1 a good guest1 and yet never exceeds the limits of discretion4 ,in this state1 satisfied with himself and others1 he lies down and sinks to sleep4 ,mysterious dreams then give an agreeable life2 he sees those he loves1 indulges in his favorite occupations1 and visits places which please him4 ,then he feels his slumber gradually pass away1 and does not regret the time he has lost1 because even in his sleep1 he has enjoyed unmixed pleasure and an activity without a particle of fatigue4 ,,meditation ,,xxi4 ,,obesity4 ,were ,i a physician with a diploma1 ,i would have written a whole book on obesity2 thus ,i would have acquired a domicil in the domain of science1 and would have had the double satisfaction of having1 as patients1 persons who were perfectly well1 and of being besieged by the fairer portion of humanity4 ,to have exactly fat enough1 not a bit too much1 or too little1 is the great study of women of every rank and grade4 ,what ,i have not done1 some other person will do1 and if he be learned and prudent1 7and at the same time a good-fellow17 ,i foretell that he will have wonderful success4 ,exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus hoeres6 ,in the intereim1 ,i intend to prepare the way for him4 ,a chapter on obesity is a necessary concomitant of a book which relates so exclusively to eating4 ,obesity is that state of greasy congestion in which without the sufferer being sick1 the limbs gradually increase in volume1 and lose their form and harmony4 ,one kind of obesity is restricted to the stomach1 and ,i have never observed it in women4 ,their fibres are generally softer1 and when attacked with obesity nothing is spared4 ,i call this variety of obesity ,,gastrophoria4 ,those attacked by it1 ,i call ,,gastrophorous4 ,i belong to this category1 yet1 though my stomach is rather prominent1 ,i have a round and well turned leg4 ,my sinews are like those of an ,arab horse4 ,i always1 however1 looked on my stomach as a formidable enemy3 ,i gradually subdued it1 but after a long contest4 ,i am indebted for all this to a strife of thirty years4 ,i will begin my treatise by an extract from a collection of more than five hundred dialogues1 which at various times ,i have had with persons menaced with obesity4 ,,an ,,obese4--,what delicious bread6 where do you get it8 ,i4--,from ,limet1 in the ,rue ,richelieu1 baker to their ,royal ,highness1 the ,due d',orleans1 and the ,prince de ,conde4 ,i took it from him because he was my neighbour1 and have kept to him because he is the best bread maker in the world4 ,,obese4--,i will remember the address4 ,i eat a great deal of bread1 and with such as this could do without any dinner4 ,,obese ,no4 #b4--,what are you about8 ,you are eating your soup1 but set aside the ,carolina rice it contains6 ,i4--,ah3 that it is a regimen ,i subject myself to4 ,,obese4--,it is a bad regimen4 ,i am fond of rice pates and all such things4 ,nothing is more nourishing4 ,,an ,,immense ,,obese4--,do me the favor to pass me the potatoes before you4 ,they go so fast that ,i fear ,i shall not be in time4 ,i4--,there they are1 sir4 ,,obese4--,but you will take some8 ,there are enough for two1 and after us the deluge4 ,i4--,not ,i4 ,i look on the potatoe as a great preservative against famine2 nothing1 however1 seems to me so pre-eminently fade4 ,,obese4--,that is a gastronomical heresy4 ,nothing is better than the potatoe2 ,i eat them in every way4 ,,an ,,obese ,,lady4--,be pleased to send me the ,soissons haricots ,i see at the other end of the table4 ,i4--7,having obeyed the order1 hummed in a low tone1 the well known air37 ,les ,soissonnais sont heureux1 ,les haricots font chez eux4 ,,obese4--,do not laugh3 it is a real treasure for this country4 ,paris gains immensely by it4 ,i will thank you to pass me the ,english peas4 ,when young they are food fit for the gods4 ,i8--,anathema on beans and peas4 ,,obese4--,bah1 for your anathema2 you talk as if you were a whole council4 ,i4--7,to another47 ,i congratulate you on your good health1 it seems to me that you have fattened somewhat1 since ,i last saw you4 ,,obese4--,i probably owe it to a change of diet4 ,i4--,how so8 ,,obese4--,for some time ,i eat a rich soup for breakfast1 and so thick that the spoon would stand up in it4 ,i4--7,to another47 ,madame1 if ,i do not mistake1 you will accept a portion of this charlotte8 ,i will attack it4 ,,obese4--,no1 sir4 ,i have two things which ,i prefer4 ,this gateau of rice and that ,savoy biscuit--,i am very fond of sweet things4 ,i4--,while they talk politics1 madame1 at the other end of the table1 will you take a piece of this tourte a la frangipane8 ,,obese4--,yes2 ,i like nothing better than pastry4 ,we have a pastry- cook in our house as a lodger1 and ,i think my daughter and ,i eat up all his rent4 ,i4--7,looking at the daughter47 ,you both are benefitted by the diet4 ,your daughter is a fine looking young woman4 ,,obese ,,lady4--,yes2 but there are persons who say she is too fat4 ,i4--,ah6 those who do so are envious1 etc41 etc4 ,by this and similar conversations ,i elucidate a theory ,i have formed about the human race1 viz3 ,greasy corpulence always has1 as its first cause1 a diet with too much farinacious or feculent substance4 ,i am sure the same regime will always have the same effect4 ,carniverous animals never become fat4 ,one has only to look at the wolf1 jackal1 lion1 eagle1 etc4 ,herbiverous animals do not either become fat until age has made repose a necessity4 ,they1 however1 fatten quickly when fed on potatoes1 farinacious grain1 etc4 ,obesity is rarely met with among savage nations1 or in that class of persons who eat to live1 instead of living to eat4 ,,causes ,,of ,,obesity4 ,from the preceding observation1 the causes of which any one may verify1 it is easy to ascertain the principle causes of obesity4 ,the first is the nature of the individual4 ,almost all men are born with predispositions1 the impress of which is borne by their faces4 ,of every hundred persons who die of diseases of the chest1 ninety have dark hair1 long faces and sharp noses4 ,of every hundred obese persons1 ninety have short faces1 blue eyes1 and pug noses4 ,then there are beyond doubt persons predestined to obesity1 the digestive powers of whom elaborate a great quantity of grease4 ,this physical fact1 of the truth of which ,i am fully satisfied1 exerts a most important influence on our manner of looking at things4 ,when we meet in society1 a short1 fat1 rosy1 short-nosed individual1 with round limbs1 short feet1 etc41 all pronounce her charming4 ,better informed than others1 however1 ,i anticipate the ravages which ten years will have effected on her1 and sigh over evils which as yet do not exist4 ,this anticipated compassion is a painful sentiment1 and proves that a prescience of the future would only make man more unhappy4 ,the second of the causes of obesity1 is the fact that farinacious and feculaferous matter is the basis of our daily food4 ,we have already said that all animals that live on farinaceous substances become fat2 man obeys the common law4 ,the fecula is more prompt in its action when it is mingled with sugar4 ,sugar and grease are alike in containing large quantities of hydrogen1 and are both inflammable4 ,this combination is the more powerful1 from the fact that it flatters the taste1 and that we never eat sweet things until the appetite is already satisfied1 so that we are forced to court the luxury of eating by every refinement of temptation4 ,the fecula is not less fattening when in solution1 as in beer1 and other drinks of the same kind4 ,the nations who indulge the most in them1 are those who have the most huge stomachs4 ,some ,parisian families who in #ahag drank beer habitually1 because of the dearness of wine1 were rewarded by a degree of embonpoint1 they would be glad to get rid of4 ,,sequel4 ,another cause of obesity is found in the prolongation of sleep1 and want of exercise4 ,the human body repairs itself much during sleep1 and at the same time loses nothing1 because muscular action is entirely suspended4 ,the acquired superfluity must then be evaporated by exercise4 ,another consequence is1 that persons who sleep soundly1 always refuse every thing that looks the least like fatigue4 ,the excess of assimilation is then borne away by the torrent of circulation4 ,it takes possession1 by a process1 the secret of which nature has reserved to herself1 of some hundredths of hydrogen1 and fat is formed to be deposited in the tubes of the cellular tissue4 ,,sequel4 ,the last cause of obesity is excess of eating and drinking4 ,there was justice in the assertion1 that one of the privileges of the human race is to eat without hunger1 and drink without thirst4 ,animals cannot have it1 for it arises from reflection on the pleasures of the table1 and a desire to prolong its duration4 ,this double passion has been found wherever man exists4 ,we know savages eat to the very acme of brutality1 whenever they have an opportunity4 ,cosmopolites1 as citizens of two hemispheres1 we fancy ourselves at the very apogee of civilization1 yet we are sure we eat too much4 ,this is not the case with the few1 who from avarice or want of power1 live alone4 ,the first are delighted at the idea that they amass money1 and others distressed that they do not4 ,it is the case1 however1 with those around us1 for all1 whether hosts or guests1 offer and accept with complaisance4 ,this cause1 almost always present1 acts differently1 according to the constitution of individuals2 and in those who have badly organized stomachs1 produces indigestion1 but not obesity4 ,,anecdote4 ,this one instance1 which all ,paris will remember4 ,m4 ,lang had one of the most splendid establishments of the capital2 his table especially1 was excellent1 but his digestion was bad as his gourmandise was great4 ,he did the honors with perfect taste1 and ate with a resolution worthy of a better fate4 ,all used to go on very well1 till coffee was introduced1 but the stomach soon refused the labor to which it had been subjected1 and the unfortunate gastronomer was forced to throw himself on the sofa and remain in agony until the next day1 in expiation of the brief pleasure he had enjoyed4 ,it is very strange that he never corrected this fault3 as long as he lived1 he was subjected to this alternative1 yet the sufferings of the evening never had any influence on the next days' meal4 ,persons with active digestion1 fare as was described in the preceding article4 ,all is digested1 and what is not needed for nutrition is fixed and turned into fat4 ,others have a perpetual indigestion1 and food is passed without having left any nourishment4 ,those who do not understand the matter1 are amazed that so many good things do not produce a better effect4 ,it may be seen that ,i do not go very minutely into the matter1 for from our habits many secondary causes arise1 due to our habits1 condition1 inclinations1 pleasures1 etc4 ,i leave all this to the successor ,i pointed out in the commencement of this work1 and satisfy myself merely with the prelibation1 the right of the first comer to every sacrifice4 ,intemperance has long attracted the attention of observers4 ,princes have made sumptuary laws1 religion has moralized for gourmandise1 but1 alas1 a mouthfull less was never eaten1 and the best of eating every day becomes more flourishing4 ,i would perhaps be fortunate in the adoption of a new course1 and in the exposition of the physical causes of obesity4 ,self- preservation would perhaps be more powerful than morals1 or persuasive than reason1 have more influence than laws1 and ,i think the fair sex would open their eyes to the light4 ,,inconvenience ,,of ,,obesity4 ,obesity has a lamentable influence on the two sexes1 inasmuch as it is most injurious to strength and beauty4 ,it lessens strength because it increases the weight to be moved1 while the motive power is unchanged4 ,it injures respiration1 and makes all labor requiring prolonged muscular power impossible4 ,obesity destroys beauty by annihilating the harmony of primitive proportions1 for all the limbs do not proportionately fatten4 ,it destroys beauty by filling up cavities nature's hand itself designed4 ,nothing is so common as to see faces1 once very interesting1 made common-place by obesity4 ,the head of the last government did not escape this law4 ,towards the latter portion of his life1 he 7,napoleon7 became bloated1 and his eyes lost a great portion of their expression4 ,obesity produces a distaste for dancing1 walking1 riding1 and an inaptitude for those amusements which require skill or agility4 ,it also creates a disposition to certain diseases1 such as apoplexy1 dropsy1 ulcers in the legs1 and makes all diseases difficult to cure4 ,,examples ,,of ,,obesity4 ,i can remember no corpulent heroes except ,marius and ,john ,sobieski4 ,marius was short1 and was about as broad as he was long4 ,that probably frightened the ,cimber who was about to kill him4 ,the obesity of the ,king of ,poland had nearly been fatal to him1 for having stumbled on a squadron of ,turkish cavalry1 from which he had to fly1 he would certainly have been massacred1 if his aids had not sustained him1 almost fainting from fatigue on his horse1 while others generously sacrificed themselves to protect him4 ,if ,i am not mistaken1 the ,duc de ,vendome1 a worthy son of ,henry ,,iv41 was also very corpulent4 ,he died at an inn1 deserted by all1 and preserved consciousness just long enough to see a servant snatch away a pillow on which his head was resting4 ,there are many instances of remarkable obesity4 ,i will only speak1 however1 of my own observations4 ,m4 ,rameau1 a fellow student of mine and maire of ,chaleur1 was about five feet two inches high1 but weighed five hundred pounds4 ,the ,duc de ,luynes1 beside whom ,i often sat1 became enormous4 ,fat had effaced his handsome features1 and he slept away the best portion of his life4 ,the most remarkable case1 though1 ,i saw in ,new ,york1 and many persons now in ,paris will remember to have seen at the door of a cafe in ,broadway1 a person seated in an immense arm-chair1 with legs stout enough to have sustained a church4 ,footnote3 ,many persons in ,new ,york remember the person referred to4 ,the translator has heard1 that as late as #ahae1 he was frequently to be seen at the door of a house near where the ,atheneum ,hotel was4 ,brillat ,savarin is said scarcely to exaggerate4 ,edward was at least five feet ten inches1 and was about eight feet 7,french7 in circumference4 ,his fingers were like those of the ,roman ,emperor1 who used to wear his wife's bracelets as rings4 ,his arms and legs were nearly as thick as the waist of a man of medium size1 and his feet were elephantine1 covered by fat pendant from his legs4 ,the fat on his cheek had weighed down his lower eye-lid1 and three hanging chins made his face horrible to behold4 ,he passed his life near a window1 which looked out on the street and drank from time to time a glass of ale from a huge pitcher he kept by his side4 ,his strange appearance used to attract the attention of passers1 whom he used always to put to flight by saying in a sepulchral tone ,what are you staring at like wild cats8 ,go about your business1 you blackguards1 etc4 ,having spoken to him one day1 he told me that he was not at all annoyed and that if death did not interrupt him1 he would be glad to live till the day of judgment4 ,from the preceding1 it appears that if obesity be not a disease1 it is at least a very troublesome predisposition1 into which we fall from our own fault4 ,the result is1 that we should all seek to preserve ourselves from it before we are attacked1 and to cure ourselves when it befalls us4 ,for the sake of the unfortunate we will examine what resources science presents us4 ,,meditation ,,xxii4 ,,preservative ,,treatment ,,and ,,cure ,,of ,,obesity4 ,footnote3 ,about twenty years ago ,i began a treatise1 ex professo1 on obesity4 ,my readers must especially regret the preface which was of dramatic form4 ,i averred to a physician that a fever is less dangerous than a law suit2 for the latter1 after having made a man run1 fatigue1 and worry himself1 strips him of pleasure1 money1 and life4 ,this is a statement which might be propagated as well as any other4 ,i ,,will begin by a fact which proves that courage is needed not only to prevent but to cure obesity4 ,m4 ,louis ,greffulhe1 whom his majesty afterwards honored with the title of count1 came one morning to see me1 saying that he had understood that ,i had paid great attention to obesity1 and asked me for advice4 ,monsieur1 said ,i1 not being a doctor with a diploma1 ,i might refuse you1 but ,i will not1 provided you give me your word of honor that for one month you will rigorously obey my directions4 ,m4 ,greffulhe made the promise ,i required and gave me his hand4 ,on the next day1 ,i gave him my directions1 the first article of which demanded that he should at once get himself weighed1 so that the result might be made mathematically4 ,after a month he came to see me again1 and spoke to me nearly thus3 ,monsieur1 said he1 ,i followed your prescription as if my life depended on it1 and during the month ,i am satisfied that ,i have lost three pounds and more2 but have for that purpose to violate all my tastes and1 habits so completely1 that while ,i thank you for your advice ,i must decline to follow it1 and await quietly the fate ,god ordains for me4 ,i heard this resolution with pain4 ,m4 ,greffulhe became every day fatter and subject to all the inconveniences of extreme obesity1 and died of suffocation when he was about forty4 ,,generalities4 ,the cure of obesity should begin with three precepts of absolute theory1 discretion in eating1 moderation in sleep1 and exercise on foot or horseback4 ,these are the first resources presented to us by science4 ,i1 however1 have little faith in them1 for ,i know men and things enough to be aware that any prescription1 not literally followed1 has but a light effect4 ,now1 imprimus1 it needs much courage to be able to leave the table hungry4 ,as long as the want of food is felt1 one mouthful makes the succeeding one more palatable1 and in general as long as we are hungry1 we eat in spite of doctors1 though in that respect we follow their example4 ,in the second place to ask obese persons to rise early is to stab them to the heart4 ,they will tell you that their health will not suffer them1 that when they rise early they are good for nothing all day4 ,women will plead exhaustion1 will consent to sit up late1 and wish to fatten on the morning's nap4 ,they lose thus this resource4 ,in the third place1 riding as an exercise is expensive1 and does not suit every rank and fortune4 ,propose this to a female patient and she will consent with joy1 provided she have a gentle but active horse1 a riding dress in the height of the fashion1 and in the third place a squire who is young1 good-tempered and handsome4 ,it is difficult to fill these three requisites1 and riding is thus given up4 ,exercise on foot is liable to many other objections4 ,it is fatiguing1 produces perspiration and pleurisy4 ,dust soils the shoes and stockings1 and it is given up4 ,if1 too1 the patient have the least headache1 if a single shot1 though no larger than the head of a pin1 pierce the skin it is all charged to the exercise4 ,the consequence is that all who wish to diminish embonpoint should eat moderately1 sleep little1 and take as much exercise as possible1 seeking to accomplish the purpose in another manner4 ,this method1 based on the soundest principles of physics and chemistry1 consists in a diet suited to the effects sought for4 ,of all medical powers1 diet is the most important1 for it is constant by night and day1 whether waking or sleeping4 ,its effect is renewed at every meal1 and gradually exerts its influence on every portion of the individual4 ,the antiobesic regimen is therefore indicated by the most common causes of the diseases1 and by the fact that it has been shown that farina or fecula form fat in both men and animals4 ,in the latter1 the case is evident every day1 and from it we may deduce the conclusion that obtaining from farinaceous food will be beneficial4 ,but my readers of both sexes will exclaim1 ,oh my ,god1 how cruel the professor is4 ,he has at once prescribed all we like1 the white rolls of ,limet1 the biscuit of ,achard4 the cakes of 444 and all the good things made with sugar1 eggs1 and farina4 ,he will spare neither potatoes nor macaroni4 ,who would have expected it from a man fond of everything good8 ,what is that8 said ,i1 putting on my stern look which ,i call up but once a year4 ,well1 eat and grow fat1 become ugly1 asthmatic and die of melted fat4 ,i will make a note of your case and you shall figure in my second edition4 ,ah6 ,i see1 one phrase has overcome you1 and you beg me to suspend the thunderbolt4 ,be easy1 ,i will prescribe your diet and prove how much pleasure is in the grasp of one who lives to eat4 ,you like bread8 well1 eat barley-bread4 ,the admirable ,cadet de ,vaux long ago extolled its virtues4 ,it is not so nourishing and not so agreeable4 ,the precept will then be more easily complied with4 ,to be sure one should resist temptation4 ,remember this1 which is a principle of sound morality4 ,you like soup8 ,eat julienne then1 with green vegetables1 with cabbage and roots4 ,i prohibit soup au pain1 pates and purees4 ,eat what you please at the first course except rice aux volailles and the crust of pates4 ,eat well1 but circumspectly4 ,the second course will call for all your philosophy4 ,avoid everything farinacious1 under whatever form it appears4 ,you have yet the roasts1 salads1 and herbacious vegetables4 ,now for the dessert4 ,this is a new danger1 but if you have acted prudently so far1 you may survive it4 ,avoid the head of the table1 where things that are dangerous to you are most apt to appear4 ,do not look at either biscuits or macaronies2 you have fruits of all kinds1 confitures and much else that you may safely indulge in1 according to my principles4 ,after dinner ,i prescribe coffee1 permit you liqueurs1 and advise you to take tea and punch4 ,at breakfast barly-bread is a necessity1 and take chocolate rather than coffee4 ,i1 however1 permit strong cafe au lait4 ,one cannot breakfast too soon4 ,when we breakfast late1 dinner time comes before your digestion is complete4 ,you eat though1 and eating without appetite is often a great cause of obesity1 when we do so too often4 ,,sequel ,,of ,,the ,,regimen4 ,so far ,i have1 like a tender father1 marked out a regimen which will prevent obesity4 ,let us add a few remarks about its cure4 ,drink every summer thirty bottles of ,seltzer water1 a large glass in the morning1 two before breakfast and another at bed-time4 ,drink light white acid wines like those of ,anjon4 ,avoid beer as you would the plague4 ,eat radishes1 artichokes1 asparagus1 etc4 ,eat lamb and chicken in preference to other animal food2 eat only the crust of bread1 and employ a doctor who follows my principles1 and as soon as you begin you will find yourself fresher1 prettier1 and better in every respect4 ,having thus placed you ashore1 ,i must point out the shoals1 lest in excess or zeal1 you overleap the mark4 ,the shoal ,i wish to point out is the habitual use made by some stupid people of acids1 the bad effects of which experience has demonstrated4 ,,dangers ,,of ,,acids4 ,there is a current opinion among women1 which every year causes the death of many young women1 that acids1 especially vinegar1 are preventives of obesity4 ,beyond all doubts1 acids have the effect of destroying obesity1 but they also destroy health and freshness4 ,lemonade is of all acids the most harmless1 but few stomachs can resist it long4 ,the truth ,i wish to announce cannot be too public1 and almost all of my readers can bring forward some fact to sustain it4 ,i knew in #aggf1 at ,dijon1 a young lady of great beauty1 to whom ,i was attached by bonds of friendship1 great almost as those of love4 ,one day when she had for some time gradually grown pale and thin 7previously she had a delicious embonpoint7 she told me in confidence that as her young friends had ridiculed her for being too fat1 she had1 to counteract the tendency1 been in the habit every day of drinking a large glass of vinaigre4 ,i shuddered at the confession1 and made every attempt to avoid the danger4 ,i informed her mother of the state of things the next day1 and as she adored her daughter1 she was as much alarmed as ,i was4 ,the doctors were sent for1 but in vain1 for before the cause of her malady was suspected1 it was incurable and hopeless4 ,thus1 in consequence of having followed imprudent advice1 our amiable ,louise was led to the terrible condition of marasmus1 and sank when scarcely eighteen years old1 to sleep forever4 ,she died casting longing looks towards a future1 which to her would have no existence1 and the idea that she had involuntarily attempted her own life1 made her existence more prompt and painful4 ,i have never seen any one else die2 she breathed her last in my arms1 as ,i lifted her up to enable her to see the day4 ,eight days after her death1 her broken hearted mother wished me to visit with her the remains of her daughter1 and we saw an extatic appearance which had not hitherto been visible4 ,i was amazed1 but extracted some consolation from the fact4 ,this however is not strange1 for ,lavater tells of many such in his history of physiogomy4 ,,antiobesic ,,belt4 ,all antiobesic tendencies should be accompanied by a precaution ,i had forgotten4 ,it consists in wearing night and day1 a girdle to repress the stomach1 by moderately clasping it4 ,to cause the necessity of it to be perceived1 we must remember that the vertebral column1 forming one of the walls in the cavity containing the intestines1 is firm and inflexible4 ,whence it follows1 that the excess of weight which intestines acquire as soon as obesity causes them to deviate from the vertical line1 rests on the envelopes which compose the skin of the stomach4 ,the latter being susceptible of almost infinite distention1 would be unable to replace themselves1 when this effort diminishes1 if they did not have a mechanical art1 which1 resting on the dorsal column1 becomes an antagonist1 and restores equilibrium4 ,this belt has therefore the effect of preventing the intestines from yielding to their actual weight1 and gives a power to contract when pressure is diminished4 ,it should never be laid aside1 or the benefit it exerts in the day will be destroyed in the night4 ,it is not1 however1 in the least troublesome1 and one soon becomes used to it4 ,the belt also shows when we have eaten enough2 and it should be made with great care1 and so contrived as to diminish as the embonpoint decreases4 ,one is not forced to wear it all life long1 and it may be laid aside when the inconvenience is sufficiently reduced4 ,a suitable diet however1 should be maintained4 ,i have not worn it for six years4 ,,quinquina4 ,one substance ,i think decidedly antiobesic4 ,many observations have induced me to think so1 yet ,i leave the matter in doubt1 and submit it to physicians4 ,this is quinquina4 ,ten or twelve persons that ,i know1 have had long intermittent fevers2 some were cured by old women's remedies1 powders1 etc4 ,others by the continued use of quinquina1 which is always effective4 ,all those persons of the same category1 gradually regained their obesity4 ,those of the second1 lost their embonpoint1 a circumstance which leaves me to think the quinquina which produced the last result had the effect ,i speak of4 ,rational theory is not opposed to this deduction1 for quinquina1 exciting all the vital powers1 may give the circulation an impetus which troubles all1 and dissipates1 the gas destined to become fat4 ,it is also shown that quinquina contains a portion of tannin which is powerful enough to close the cells which contain grease4 ,it is possible that these two effects sustain each other4 ,these two ideas1 the truth of which any one may understand1 induce me to recommend quinquina to all those who wish to get rid of troublesome embonpoint4 ,thus dummodo annuerit in omni medicationis genere doctissimi ,facultatis professores4 ,i think that after the first month of any regimen1 the person who wishes to get rid of fat1 should take every day before breakfast1 a glass of white wine1 in which was placed a spoonful of coffee and red quinquina4 ,such are the means ,i suggest to overcome a very troublesome affection4 ,i have accommodated them to human weakness and to our manners4 ,in this respect the experimental truth is relied on1 which teaches that in proportion as a regime is vigorous1 it is dangerous1 for he who does not follow it literally1 does not follow it all4 ,great efforts are rare1 and if one wishes to be followed1 men must be offered things vacile1 if not agreeable4 ,,meditation ,,xxiii4 ,,thinness4 ,,definition4 ,,thinness is the state of that individual1 the muscular frame of whom is not filled up by strength1 and who exhibits all angles of the long scaffolding4 ,,varieties4 ,there are two kinds of thinness2 the first is the result of the primitive disposition of the body1 and is accompanied by health1 and a full use of the organic functions of the body4 ,the second is caused by the fact that some of the organs are more defective than others1 and give the individual an unhappy and miserable appearance4 ,i once knew young woman of moderate stature who only weighed sixty-five pounds4 ,,effects ,,of ,,thinness4 ,thinness is a matter of no great trouble to men4 ,they have no less strength1 and are far more active4 ,the father of the young woman ,i spoke of1 though1 very thin1 could seize a chair by his teeth and throw it over his head4 ,it is1 however1 a terrible misfortune to women1 to whom beauty is more important than life1 and the beauty of whom consists in the roundness and graceful contour of their forms4 ,the most careful toilette1 the most1 sublime needle-work1 cannot hide certain deficiencies4 ,it has been said that whenever a pin is taken from a thin woman1 beautiful as she may be1 she loses some charm4 ,the thin have1 therefore1 no remedy1 except from the interference of the faculty4 ,the regimen must be so long1 that the cure must be slow4 ,women1 however1 who are thin1 and who have a good stomach1 are found to be as susceptible of fat as chickens4 ,a little time1 only1 is necessary1 for the stomach of chickens is comparatively smaller1 and they cannot be submitted to as regular a diet as chickens are4 ,this is the most gentle comparison which suggested itself to me4 ,i needed one1 and ladies will excuse me for the reason for which ,i wrote this chapter4 ,,natural ,,predestination4 ,nature varies its works1 and has remedies for thinness1 as it has for obesity4 ,persons intended to be thin are long drawn out4 ,they have long hands and feet1 legs thin1 and the os coxigis retroceding4 ,their sides are strongly marked1 their noses prominent1 large mouths1 sharp chins and brown hair4 ,this is the general type1 the individual elements may sometimes vary2 this however happens rarely4 ,thin people sometimetimes eat a great deal4 ,all ,i ever even talked with1 confess that they digest badly4 ,that is the reason they remain thin4 ,they are of every class and temperament4 ,some have nothing salient either in feature or in form4 ,their eyes are inexpressive1 their lips pale1 and every feature denotes a want of energy1 weakness1 and something like suffering4 ,one might almost say they seemed to be incomplete1 and that the torch of their lives had not been well lighted4 ,,fattening ,,regimen4 ,all thin women wish to be fat2 this is a wish we have heard expressed a thousand times4 ,to render1 then1 this last homage to the powerful sex1 we seek to replace by folds of silk and cotton1 exposed in fashion shops1 to the great scandal of the severe1 who turn aside1 and look away from them1 as they would from chimeras1 more carefully than if the reality presented themselves to their eyes4 ,the whole secret of embonpoint consists in a suitable diet4 ,one need only eat and select suitable food4 ,with this regimen1 our disposition to sleep is almost unimportant4 ,if you do not take exercise1 you will be exposed to fatness4 ,if you do1 you will yet grow fat4 ,if you sleep much1 you will grow fat1 if you sleep little1 your digestion will increase1 and you will eat more4 ,we have then only to speak of the manner they who wish to grow fat should live4 ,this will not be difficult1 according to the many directions we have laid down4 ,to resolve this problem1 we must offer to the stomach food which occupies1 but does not fatigue it1 and displays to the assimilant power1 things they can turn into fat4 ,let us seek to trace out the daily diet of a sylph1 or a sylph disposed to materialize itself4 ,,general ,,rule4 ,much fresh bread will be eaten during the day1 and particular care will be taken not to throw away the crumbs4 ,before eight in the morning1 soup au pain or aux pates will be taken1 and afterwards a cup of good chocolate4 ,at eleven o'clock1 breakfast on fresh broiled eggs1 petit pates cotelettes1 and what you please2 have eggs1 coffee will do no harm4 ,dinner hour should be so arranged that one should have thoroughly digested before the time comes to sit down at the table4 ,the eating of one meal before another is digested1 is an abuse4 ,after dinner there should be some exercise2 men as much as they can2 women should go into the ,tuilleries1 or as they say in ,america1 go shopping4 ,we are satisfied that the little gossip and conversation they maintain is very healthful4 ,at times1 all should take as much soup1 potage1 fish1 etc41 and also meat cooked with rice and macaronies1 pastry1 creams1 etc4 ,at dessert such persons should eat ,savoy biscuits1 and other things made up of eggs1 fecula1 and sugar4 ,this regimen1 though apparently circumscribed1 is yet susceptible of great variety3 it admits the whole animal kingdom1 and great care is necessarily taken in the seasoning and preparation of the food presented4 ,the object of this is to prevent disgust1 which prevents any amelioration4 ,beer should be preferred--if not beer1 wines from ,bourdeaux or from the south of ,france4 ,one should avoid all acids1 except salads4 ,as much sugar as possible should be put on fruits and all should avoid cold baths4 ,one should seek as long as possible1 to breathe the pure country air1 eat many grapes when they are in season1 and never go to the ball for the mere pleasure of dancing4 ,ordinarily one should go to bed about eleven1 ,p4 ,m41 and never1 under any circumstances1 sit up more than an hour later4 ,following this regime resolutely1 all the distractions of nature will soon be repaired4 ,health and beauty will both be advanced1 and accents of gratitude will ring in the ears of the professor4 ,sheep are fattened1 as are oxen1 lobsters and oysters4 ,hence1 ,i deduce the general maxim2 viz3 ,he that eats may be made fat1 provided that the food be chosen correctly1 and according to the physiology of the animal to be fattened4 ,,meditation ,,xxiv4 ,,fasting4 ,,definition4 ,,fasting is a moral abstinence from food1 from some religious or moral influence4 ,though contrary to our tastes and habits1 it is yet of the greatest antiquity4 ,,origin4 ,authors explain the matter thus3 ,in individual troubles1 when a father1 mother1 or beloved child have died1 all the household is in mourning4 ,the body is washed1 perfumed1 enbalmed1 and buried as it should be--none then think of eating1 but all fast4 ,in public calamites1 when a general drought appears1 and cruel wars1 or contagious maladies come1 we humble ourselves before the power that sent them1 and mortify ourselves by abstinence4 ,misfortune ceases4 ,we become satisfied that the reason was that we fasted1 and we continue to have reference to such conjectures4 ,thus it is1 men afflicted with public calamities or private ones1 always yield to sadness1 fail to take food1 and in the end1 make a voluntary act1 a religious one4 ,they fancied they should macerate their body when their soul was oppressed1 that they could excite the pity of the gods4 ,this idea seized on all nations and filled them with the idea of mourning1 prayers1 sacrifice1 abstinence1 mortification1 etc4 ,christ came and sanctified fasting4 ,all ,christian sects since then have adopted fasting more or less1 as an obligation4 ,,how ,,people ,,used ,,to ,,fast4 ,the practice of fasting1 ,i am sorry to say1 has become very rare2 and whether for the education of the wicked1 or for their conversion1 ,i am glad to tell how we fast now in the ,,xviii4 century4 ,ordinarily we breakfast before nine o'clock1 on bread1 cheese1 fruit and cold meats4 ,between one and two ,p4 ,m41 we take soup or pot au feu according to our positions4 ,about four1 there is a little lunch kept up for the benefit of those people who belong to other ages1 and for children4 ,about eight there was a regular supper1 with entrees roti entremets dessert3 all shared in it1 and then went to bed4 ,in ,paris there are always more magnificent suppers1 which begin just after the play4 ,the persons who usually attend them are pretty women1 admirable actresses1 financiers1 and men about town4 ,there the events of the day were talked of1 the last new song was sung1 and politics1 literature1 etc41 were discussed4 ,all persons devoted themselves especially to making love4 ,let us see what was done on fast days3 ,no body breakfasted1 and therefore all were more hungry than usual4 ,all dined as well as possible1 but fish and vegetables are soon gone through with4 ,at five o'clock all were furiously hungry1 looked at their watches and became enraged1 though they were securing their soul's salvation4 ,at eight o'clock they had not a good supper1 but a collation1 a word derived from cloister1 because at the end of the day the monks used to assemble to comment on the works of the fathers1 after which they were allowed a glass of wine4 ,neither butter1 eggs1 nor any thing animal was served at these collations4 ,they had to be satisfied with salads1 confitures1 and meats1 a very unsatisfactory food to such appetites at that time4 ,they went to bed1 however1 and lived in hope as long as the fast lasted4 ,those who ate these little suppers1 ,i am assured1 never fasted4 ,the chef-d'oeuvre of a kitchen of those days1 ,i am assured1 was a strictly apostolic collation1 which1 however1 was very like a good supper4 ,science soon resolved this problem by the recognition of fish1 soups1 and pastry made with oil4 ,the observing of fasting1 gave rise to an unknown pleasure1 that of the ,easter celebration4 ,a close observation shows that the elements of our enjoyment are1 difficult privation1 desire and gratification4 ,all of these are found in the breaking of abstinence4 ,i have seen two of my grand uncles1 very excellent men1 too1 almost faint with pleasure1 when1 on the day after ,easter1 they saw a ham1 or a pate brought on the table4 ,a degenerate race like the present1 experiences no such sensation4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,removal ,,of ,,restriction ,,in ,,fasting4 ,i witnessed the rise of this4 ,it advanced by almost insensible degrees4 ,young persons of a certain age1 were not forced to fast1 nor were pregnant women1 or those who thought themselves so4 ,when in that condition1 a soup1 a very great temptation to those who were well1 was served to them4 ,then people began to find out that fasting disagreed with them1 and kept them awake4 ,all the little accidents man is subject to1 were then attributed to it1 so that people did not fast1 because they thought themselves sick1 or that they would be so4 ,collations thus gradually became rarer4 ,this was not all2 some winters were so severe that people began to fear a scarcity of vegetables1 and the ecclesiastical power officially relaxed its rigor4 ,the duty1 however1 was recognised and permission was always asked4 ,the priests were refused it1 but enjoined the necessity of extra alms giving4 ,the ,revolution came1 which occupied the minds of all1 that none thought of priests1 who were looked on as enemies to the state4 ,this cause does not exist1 but a new one has intervened4 ,the hour of our meals is totally changed2 we do not eat so often1 and a totally different household arrangement would be required for fasting4 ,this is so true1 that ,i think ,i may safely say1 though ,i visit none but the best regulated houses1 that1 except at home1 ,i have not seen a lenten table1 or a collation ten times in twenty- five years4 ,we will not finish this chapter without observing the new direction popular taste has taken4 ,thousands of men1 who1 forty years ago would have passed their evenings in cabarets1 now pass them at the theatres4 ,economy1 certainly does not gain by this1 but morality does4 ,manners are improved at the play1 and at cafes one sees the journals4 ,one certainly escapes the quarrels1 diseases1 and degradation1 which infallibly result from the habit of frequenting cabarets4 ,,meditation ,,xxv4 ,,exhaustion4 ,,by exhaustion1 a state of weakness1 languor or depression1 caused by previous circumstances is understood1 rendering the exercise of the vital functions more difficult4 ,there are various kinds of exhaustion1 caused by mental labor1 bodily toil and the abuse of certain faculties4 ,one great remedy is to lay aside the acts which have produced this state1 which1 if not a disease1 approximates closely to one4 ,,treatment4 ,after these indispensable preliminaries1 gastronomy is ready with its resources4 ,when a man is overcome by too long fatigue1 it offers him a good soup1 generous wine1 flesh and sleep4 ,to a savant led into debility by a too great exercise of his mental faculties1 it prescribes fresh air1 a bath1 fowl and vegetables4 ,the following observation will explain how ,i effected a cure of another kind of exhaustion4 ,the translator thinks it best not to translate this anecdote1 but merely to append the original4 ,,cure ,,by ,,the ,,professor4 ,j'allai un jour faire visite a un de mes meilleurs amis 7,m4 ,rubat72 on me dit qu'il etait malade1 et effectivement je le trouvai en robe de chambre aupres de son feu1 et en attitude d'affaissement4 ,sa physionomie m'effraya3 il avait le visage pale1 les yeux brillants et sa levre tombait de maniere a laisser voir les dents de la machoire inferieure1 ce qui avait quelque chose de hideux4 ,je m'enquis avec interet de la cause de ce changement subit2 il hesita1 je le pressai1 et apres quelque resistance3 ,mon ami1 dit- il en rougissant1 tu sais que ma femme est jalouse1 et que cette manie m'a fait passer bien des mauvais moments4 ,depuis quelques jours1 il lui en a pris une crise effroyable1 et c'est en voulant lui prouver qu'elle n'a rien perdu de mon affection et qu'il ne se fait a son prejudice aucune derivation du tribut conjugal1 que je me suis mis en cet etat4--,tu as done oublie1 lui dis-je1 et que tu as quarante-cinq ans1 et que la jalousie est un mal sans remede8 ,ne sais-tu pas furens quid femina possit8 ,je tins encore quelques autres propos peu galants1 car j'etais en colere4 ,voyons1 au surplus1 continuai-je3 ton pouls est petit1 dur1 concentre2 que vas-tu faire8--,le docteur1 me dit-il1 sort d'ici2 il a pense que j'avais une fievre nerveuse1 et a ordonne une saignee pour laquelle il doit incessamment m'envoyer le chirurgien4--,le chirurgien6 m' ecriai-je1 garde-t'en bien1 ou tu es mort2 chasse-le comme un meurtrier1 et dis lui que je me suis empare de toi1 corps et ame4 ,au surplus1 ton medecin connait-il la cause occasionnelle de ton mal8--,helas6 non1 une mauvaise honte m'a empeche de lui fairs une confession entiere4--,eh bien1 il faut le prier de passer cher toi4 ,je vais te faire une potion appropriee a ton etat2 en attendant prends ceci4 ,je lui presentai un verre d'eau saturee de sucre1 qu'il avala avec la confiance d',alexandre et la foi du charbounier4 ,alors je le quittai et courus chez moi pour y mixtionner1 fonctionner et elaborer un magister reparateur qu'on trouvera dans les ,varietes1 avec les divers modes que j'adoptai pour me hater2 car1 en pareil cas1 quelques heures de retard peuvent donner lieu a des accidents irreparables4 ,je revins bientot arme de ma potion1 et deja je trouvai du mieux2 la couleur reparaissait aux joues1 l'oeil etait detendu2 mais la levre pendait toujours avec une effrayante difformite4 ,le medecin ne tarda pas a reparaitre2 je l'instruisis de ce que j'avais fait et le malade fit ses aveux4 ,son front doctoral prit d'abord un aspect severe2 mais bientot nous regardant avec un air ou il y avait un peu d'ironie3 ,vous ne devez pas etre etonne1 dit-il a mon ami1 que je n'aie pas devine une maladie qui ne convient ni a votre age ni a votre etat1 et il y a de votre part trop de modestie a en cacher la cause1 qui ne pouvait que vous faire honneur4 ,j'ai encore a vous gronder de ce que vous m'avez expose a une erreur qui aurait pu vous etre funeste4 ,au surplus1 mon confrere1 ajouta-til en me faisant un salut que je lui rendis avec usure1 vous a indique la bonne route2 prenez son potage1 quel que soit le nom qu'il y donne1 et si la fievre vous quitte1 comme je le crois1 dejeunez demain avec une tasse de chocolat dans laquelle vous ferez delayer deux jaunes d'oeufs frais4 ,a ces mots il prit sa canne1 son chapeau et nous quitta1 nous laissant fort tentes de nous egayer a ses depens4 ,bientot je fis prendre a mon malade une forte tasse de mon elixir de vie2 il le but avec avidite1 et voulait redoubler2 mais j'exigeai un1 ajournement de deux heures1 et lui servis une seconde dose avant de me retirer4 ,le lendemain il etait sans fievre et presque bien portant2 il dejeuna suivant l'ordonnance1 continua la potion1 et put vaquer des le surlendemain a ses occupations ordinaires2 mais la levre rebelle ne se releva qu'apres le troisieme jour4 ,pen de temps apres1 l'affaire transpira1 et toutes les dames en chuchotaient entre elles4 ,quelques-unes admiraient mon ami1 presque toutes le plaignaient1 et le professeur gastronome fut glorifie4 ,,meditation ,,xxvi ,,death4 ,omnia mors poscit2 lex est1 non poena1 perire4 ,god has subjected man to six great necessities3 birth1 action1 eating1 sleep1 reproduction and death4 ,death is the absolute interruption of the sensual relations1 and the absolute annihilation of the vital powers1 which abandons the body to the laws of decomposition4 ,these necessities are all accompanied and softened by a sensation of pleasure1 and even death1 when j natural1 is not without charms4 ,we mean when a man has passed through the different phases of growth1 virility1 old age1 and decrepitude4 ,had ,i not determined to make this chapter very short1 ,i would invoke the assistance of the physicians1 who have observed every shade of the transition of a living to an inert body4 ,i would quote philosophers1 kings1 men of letters1 men1 who while on the verge of eternity1 had pleasant thoughts they decked in the graces2 ,i would recall the dying answer of ,fontinelle1 who being asked what he felt1 said1 nothing but the pain of life2 ,i prefer1 however1 merely to express my opinion1 founded on analogy as sustained by many instances1 of which the following is the last3 ,i had a great aunt1 aged eighty-three when she died4 ,though she had long been confined to her bed1 she preserved all her faculties1 and the approach of death was perceived by the feebleness of her voice and the failing of her appetite4 ,she had always exhibited great devotion to me1 and ,i sat by her bed-side anxious to attend on her4 ,this1 however1 did not prevent my observing her with most philosophic attention4 ,are you there1 nephew8 said she in an almost inaudible voice4 ,yes1 aunt6 ,i think you would be better if you would take a little old wine4 ,give it to me1 liquids always run down4 ,i hastened to lift her up and gave her half a glass of my best and oldest wine4 ,she revived for a moment and said1 ,i thank you4 ,if you live as long as ,i have lived1 you will find that death like sleep is a necessity4 ,these were her last words1 and in half an hour she had sank to sleep forever4 ,richerand has described with so much truth the gradations of the human body1 and the last moments of the individual that my readers will be obliged to me for this passage4 ,thus the intellectual faculties are decomposed and pass away4 ,reason the attribute of which man pretends to be the exclusive possessor1 first deserts him4 ,he then loses the power of combining his judgment1 and soon after that of comparing1 assembling1 combining1 and joining together many ideas4 ,they say then that the invalid loses his mind1 that he is delirious4 ,all this usually rests on ideas familiar to the individual4 ,the dominant passion is easily recognized4 ,the miser talks most wildly about his treasures1 and another person is besieged by religious terrors4 ,after reasoning and judgment1 the faculty of association becomes lost4 ,this takes place in the cases known as defaillances1 to which ,i have myself been liable4 ,i was once talking with a friend and met with an insurmountable difficulty in combining two ideas from which ,i wished to make up an opinion4 ,the syncopy was not1 however1 complete1 for memory and sensation remained4 ,i heard the persons around me say distinctly he is fainting1 and sought to arouse me from this condition1 which was not without pleasure4 ,memory then becomes extinct4 ,the patient1 who in his delirium1 recognized his friends1 now fails even to know those with whom he had been on terms of the greatest intimacy4 ,he then loses sensation1 but the senses go out in a successive and determinate order4 ,taste and smell give no evidence of their existence1 the eyes become covered with a mistful veil and the ear ceases to execute its functions4 ,for that reason1 the ancients to be sure of the reality of death1 used to utter loud cries in the ears of the dying4 ,he neither tastes1 sees1 nor hears4 ,he yet retains the sense of touch1 moves in his bed1 changes the position of the arms and body every moment1 and has motions analogous to those of the foetus in the womb4 ,death affects him with no terror1 for he has no ideas1 and he ends as he begun life1 unconsciously4 7,richerand's ,elements on ,physiology1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fjj47 ,,meditation ,,xxvii4 ,,philosophical ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,kitchen4 ,,cookery is the most ancient of arts1 for ,adam must have been born hungry1 and the cries of the infant are only soothed by the mother's breast4 ,of all the arts it is the one which has rendered the greatest service in civil life4 ,the necessities of the kitchen taught us the use of fire1 by which man has subdued nature4 ,looking carefully at things1 three kinds of cuisine may be discovered4 ,the first has preserved its primitive name4 ,the second analyzes and looks after elements3 it is called chemistry4 ,the third1 is the cookery of separation and is called pharmacy4 ,though different objects1 they are all united by the fact that they use fire1 furnaces1 etc41 at the same time4 ,thus a morsel of beef1 which the cook converts into potage or bouilli1 the chemist uses to ascertain into how many substances it may be resolved4 ,,order ,,of ,,alimentation4 ,man is an omnivorous animal3 he has incisors to divide fruits1 molar teeth to crush grain1 and canine teeth for flesh4 ,let it he remarked however1 that as man approaches the savage state1 the canine teeth are more easily distinguishable4 ,the probability was1 that the human race for a long time1 lived on fruit1 for it is the most ancient food of the human race1 and his means of attack until he had acquired the use of arms are very limited4 ,the instinct of perfection attached to his nature1 however1 soon became developed1 and the sentiment attached to his instinct was soon exhibited1 and he made weapons for himself4 ,to this he was impelled by a carniverous instinct1 and he began to make prey of the animals that surrounded him4 ,this instinct of destruction yet exists3 children always kill the animals that surround them1 and if they were hungry would devour them4 ,it is not strange that man seeks to feed on flesh3 ,he has too small a stomach1 and fruit has not nourishment enough to renovate him4 ,he could subsist on vegetables1 but their preparation requires an art1 only reached after the lapse of many centuries4 ,man's first weapons were the branches of trees1 and subsequently bows and arrows4 ,it is worthy of remark1 that wherever we find man1 in all climates and latitudes1 he has been found with and arrows4 ,none can see how this idea presented itself to individuals so differently placed3 it must be hidden by the veil of centuries4 ,raw flesh has but one inconvenience4 ,its viscousness attaches itself to the teeth4 ,it is not1 however1 disagreeable4 ,when seasoned with salt it is easily digested1 and must be digestible4 ,a ,croat captain1 whom ,i invited to dinner in #ahae1 was amazed at my preparations4 ,he said to me1 ,when in campaign1 and we become hungry1 we knock over the first animal we find1 cut off a steak1 powder it with salt1 which we always have in the sabretasche1 put it under the saddle1 gallop over it for half a mile1 and then dine like princes4 ,when the huntsmen of ,dauphiny go out in ,septemher to shoot1 they take both pepper and salt with them4 ,if they kill a very fat bird they pluck1 season it1 carry it some time in their caps and eat it4 ,they say it is the best way to serve it up4 ,if our ancestors ate raw food we have not entirely gotten rid of the habit4 ,the most delicate palates like ,aries' sausages1 etc41 which have never been cooked1 but which are not1 on that account1 the less appetising4 ,,discovery ,,of ,,fire4 ,subsequently to the ,croat mode1 fire was discovered4 ,this was an accident1 for fire is not spontaneous4 ,many savage nations have been found utterly ignorant of it4 ,,baking4 ,fire having been discovered it was made use of to perfect food2 at first it was made use of to dry it1 and then to cook it4 ,meat thus treated was found better than when raw4 ,it had more firmness1 was eaten with less difficulty1 and the osmazome as it was condensed by carbonization gave it a pleasing perfume4 ,they began1 however1 to find out that flesh cooked on the coals became somewhat befouled1 for certain portions of coal will adhere to it4 ,this was remedied by passing spits through it1 and placing it above burning coals at a suitable height4 ,thus grillades were invented1 and they have a flavor as rich as it is simple4 ,all grilled meat is highly flavored1 for it must be partially distilled4 ,things in ,homer's time had not advanced much further1 and all will be pleased here to read the account of ,achilles' reception of the three leading ,greeks1 one of whom was royal4 ,i dedicate this story to the ladies1 for ,achilles was the handsomest of all the ,greeks1 and his pride did not prevent his weeping when ,briseis was taken from him1 viz3 verse in ,greek ,the following is a translation by ,pope3 ,patroclus1 crown a larger bowl1 ,mix purer wine1 and open every soul4 ,of all the warriors yonder host can send1 ,thy friend most honours these1 and these thy friend4 ,he said3 ,patroclus o'er the blazing fire ,heaps in a brazen vase three chines entire3 ,the brazen vase ,automedon sustains1 ',which flesh of porket1 sheep1 and goat contains3 ,achilles at the genial feast presides1 ,the parts transfixes1 and with skill divides4 ,meanwhile ,patroclus sweats the fire to raise2 ,the tent is brightened with the rising blaze3 ,then1 when the languid flames at length subside1 ,he strews a bed of glowing embers wide1 ,above the coals the smoking fragments turns ,and sprinkles sacred salt from lifted urns2 ,with bread the glittering canisters they load4 ,which round the board ,menoetius' son bestow'd3 ,himself1 opposed to ,ulysses1 full in sight1 ,each portion parts1 and orders every rite4 ,the first fat offerings1 to the immortals due1 ,amid the greedy ,patroclus threw2 ,then each1 indulging in the social feast1 ,his thirst and hunger soberly repress'd4 ,that done1 to ,phoenix ,ajax gave the sign2 ,not unperceived2 ,ulysses crown'd with wine ,the foaming bowl1 and instant thus began1 ,his speech addressing to the godlike man3 ,health to ,achilles6 ,thus then a king1 a son of a king1 and three ,grecian leaders dined very comfortably on bread1 wine1 and broiled meat4 ,we cannot but think that ,achilles and ,patroclus themselves prepared the entertainment1 if only to do honor to the distinguished guests they received4 ,ordinarily the kitchen business was abandoned to slaves and women1 as ,homer tells us in ,odyssey when he refers to the entertainment of the heralds4 ,the entrails of animals stuffed with blood were at that time looked on as very great delicacies4 ,at that time and long before1 beyond doubt1 poetry and music1 were mingled with meals4 ,famous minstrels sang the wonders of nature1 the loves of the gods1 and warlike deeds of man4 ,theirs was a kind of priesthood and it is probable that the divine ,homer himself was sprung from one of those men favored by heaven4 ,he would not have been so eminent had not his poetical studies begun in his childhood4 ,madame ,dacier observes that ,homer does not speak of boiled meat anywhere in his poems4 ,the ,jews had made much greater progress in consequence of their captivity in ,egypt4 ,they had kettles4 ,esau's mess of potage must have been made thus4 ,for this he sold his birthright4 ,it is difficult to say how men learned the use of metals4 ,tubal ,cain1 it is said1 was the inventor4 ,in the present state of knowledge1 we use one metal to manufacture another4 ,we overcome them with iron pincers2 cut them with steel files1 but ,i never met with any one who could tell me who made the first file or pair of pincers4 ,,oriental ,,entertainments4--,,grecian4 ,cookery made great advances4 ,we are ignorant however of its utensils1 whether of iron1 pottery or of tin material4 ,the oldest books we know of make honorable mention of oriental festivals4 ,it is not difficult to believe that monarchs who ruled such glorious realms abounded in all that was grateful4 ,we only know that ,cadmus who introduced writing into ,greece1 was cook of the king of ,sidon4 ,the idea of surrounding the table with couches1 originated from this voluptuous prince4 ,cookery and its flavors were then highly esteemed by the ,athenians1 a people fond of all that was new4 ,from what we read in their histories1 there is no doubt but that their festivals were true feasts4 ,the wines of ,greece1 which even now we find excellent1 have been estimated by scientific gourmands the most delicious that were4 ,the most beautiful women that ever came to adorn our entertainments were ,greeks1 or of ,grecian origin4 ,the wisest men of old were anxious to display the luxury of such enjoyments4 ,plato1 ,atheneus1 and many others1 have preserved their names4 ,the works of all of them1 however1 are lost1 and if any remember them1 it is only those who have heard of a long forgotten and lost book1 the ,gastronomy ,greek word--the friend of one of the sons of ,pericles4 ,such was the cookery of ,greece1 which sent forth a few men who first established themselves in the ,tiber1 and then took possession of the world4 ,,roman ,,festivals4 ,good cheer was unknown to the ,romans as long as they thought to preserve their independence or to overcome their neighbors1 who were poor as they were4 ,their generals therefore lived on vegetables4 ,historians have never failed to praise these times1 when frugality was a matter of honor4 ,when1 however1 their conquests had extended into ,africa1 ,sicily and ,hellas1 when they had to live as people did where civilization was more advanced1 they brought back to ,rome the tastes which had attended them in foreign lands4 ,the ,romans sent to ,athens a deputation charged to bring back the laws of ,solon4 ,they also sent them thither to study belles lettres and philosophy4 ,while their manners became polished they became aware of the attractions of festivals4 ,and poets1 philosophers1 orators1 etc41 all came to ,rome at once4 ,as time advanced1 and as the series of events attracted to ,rome almost all the riches of the world1 the luxury of the table became incredible4 ,every thing was eaten--the grass-hopper and the ostrich1 the squirrel and the wild-boar--all imaginable vegetables were put in requisition4 ,armies and travellers put all the world in requisition4 ,the most distinguished ,roman citizens took pleasure1 not only in the cultivation of fruits once known1 such as pears1 apples1 etc41 but sought out things ,lucullus never dreamed of4 ,these importations which naturally had a great influence1 prove at least that the impulse was general1 that each one sought to contribute to the enjoyment of those around him4 ,our drinks were not the object of less attention1 nor of less attentive cares4 ,the ,romans were delighted with the wines of ,italy1 ,greece1 and ,sicily4 ,as they estimated their value from the year in which they were made1 we may understand ,cicero's much abused line1 ,oh tortuna tam1 natura1 me consule ,roman4 ,this was not all4 ,in consequence of an instinct hitherto referred to1 an effort was made to make them more highly perfumed1 and flowers1 aromatics1 etc41 were infused4 ,such things which the ,romans called condita1 must have had a very bad effect on the stomach4 ,thus the ,romans came to dream of alcohol1 which was not discovered until long after they were born4 ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lucullus4 ,the glorious days of old might arise again1 and nothing but a ,lucullus is needed1 to bring this about4 ,let us fancy that any man1 known to be rich1 should wish to celebrate any great act1 and give in this manner an occasion for a famous entertainment4 ,let us suppose that he appeals to every one to adorn his entertainment1 and orders every possible resource to be prepared4 ,let him make every imaginable preparation and ,lucullus would be as nothing compared with the civilized world as it is4 ,both the ,romans and the ,athenians had beds to eat on4 ,they achieved the purpose but indirectly4 ,at first they used beds only for the sacred festivals offered to the gods4 ,the magistrates and principal men1 adopted the custom1 and ere long1 it became general and was preserved until in the beginning of the fourth century4 ,these couches were at first1 only boxes filled with straw1 and covered with skins4 ,gradually1 however1 they became more luxurious1 and were made of the most precious woods1 inlaid with ivory1 and sometimes with gems4 ,their cushions were soft and their covers magnificently embroidered4 ,people only laid down on the left elbow4 ,three usually slept together4 ,this the ,romans called lectisternium4 ,it is not a very bad name4 ,in a physical point of view incubitation demands a certain exhibition of power to preserve equlibrium1 and is not without a degree of pain2 the elbow supporting an undue proportion of the weight of the body4 ,in a physiological point of view1 something also is to be said4 ,imbuccation 7swallowing7 is effected in a less natural manner4 ,the food is passed with more difficulty into the stomach4 ,the ingestion of liquids1 or drinking1 is yet more difficult4 ,it required particular attention not to spill the wine from the large cups on the tables of the great4 ,thence came the proverb3 ,between the cup and lip1 ,there is often time a slip4 ,none could eat comfortably when reclining1 especially when we remember that many of the guests had long beards1 and that fingers1 or at least only knives were used4 ,forks are an invention of modern times1 for none were found at ,herculaeneum4 ,some violations of modesty must also have occurred at repasts which frequently exceeded the bounds of temperance1 and where the two sexes have fallen asleep1 and were mingled together4 ,a poet says3 ,nam pransus1 jaceo1 et satur supinus1 ,pertimdo tunicamque1 palliumque4 ,when ,christianity had acquired some power1 its priests lifted up their voices against intemperance4 ,they declaimed against the length of meals which violated all prudence by surrounding persons by every species of voluptuousness4 ,devoted by choice to an austere regimen1 they placed gourmandise in the list of capital sins1 and rigidly commented on the mingling of sexes and the use of beds1 a habit which they said produced the luxury they deplored4 ,their menacing voice was heard2 couches disappeared1 and the old habit of eating sitting1 was restored4 ,fortunately this did not violate the demands of pleasure4 ,,poetry4 ,convivial poetry then underwent a new modification1 and in the mouths of ,horace and ,tibullus assumed a languor the ,greeks were ignorant of4 ,dulce ridentem ,lalagem amabo1 ,dulce luquentem4 ,,hor4 ,quaeris quot mihi batiationes ,tuae1 ,lesbia1 sint satis superque4 ,,cat4 ,pande1 puella1 pande capillulos ,mavos1 lucentus ut aurum nitidum4 ,pande1 puella1 collum candidum ,productum bene candidis humeris4 ,,gallus4 ,,irruption ,,of ,,the ,,barbarians4 ,the five or six centuries we shall run over in a few pages1 were glorious days for the cuisine2 the irruption however of northern men overturned and destroyed everything4 ,when the strangers appeared1 alimentary art made its appearance1 as did the others that are its companions4 ,the greater portion of the cooks were massacred in the palaces they served4 ,the foreigners came and they were able to eat as much in an hour as civilized people did in a week4 ,although that which is excessive is not durable--conquerors are always cruel4 ,they united themselves with the victors1 who received some tints of civilization1 and began to know the pleasures of civilized life4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,about the seventeenth century1 the ,dutch imported coffee into ,europe4 ,solyman ,agu1 a ,turk1 whom our great1 great grandfathers well remember1 sold the first cups in #agfj4 ,an ,american sold it in #afgj1 and dealt it out from a marble bar1 as we see now4 ,the use of coffee then dates from the eighteenth century4 ,distillation1 introduced by the crusades1 remained arcana1 with few adepts4 ,about the commencement of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv1 alambics became more common1 but not until the time of ,louis ,,xv41 did the drink become really popular4 ,about the same time the use of tobacco was introduced4 ,so that sugar1 coffee and tobacco1 the three most important articles of luxury in ,europe1 are scarcely two centuries old4 ,the translator here omits a whole ,meditation4 ,it would now be scarcely pleasant4 ,,meditation ,,xxviii4 ,,restaurateurs4 ,a restaurateur is one1 the business of whom is to offer a dinner always ready1 and with prices to suit those that consume them4 ,of all those who frequent restaurants1 few persons cannot understand that a restorateur is not necessarily a man of genius4 ,we shall follow out the affiliation of ideas which has led to the present state of affairs4 ,,establishment4 ,about #aggj1 after the glorious days of ,louis ,,xiv41 and the frolics and tranquility of the regency of ,cardinal ,fleury1 foreigners had few means of good cheer4 ,they were forced to have recourse to inn-keepers1 the cookery of whom was generally very bad4 ,a few hotels kept a table d'hote which generally contained only what was very necessary1 and which was always ready at an appointed hour4 ,the people we speak of only ordered whole joints1 or dishes1 and consequently such an order of things could not last4 ,at last a man of sense arose1 who thought that an active cause must have its effect4 ,that as the same want sent people every day to his house1 consumers would come whenever they were satisfied that they would be served4 ,they saw that if a wing was cut from a fowl for one person1 some one would be sure to taste the thigh4 ,the separation of one limb would not injure the flavor of the rest of the animal4 ,more pay the least attention to the increase of prices1 when one considers the prompt service of what was served4 ,this man thought of many things1 which we may now easily devise4 ,the one who did so was the first restaurateur and the inventor of a business which is a fortune to all who exercise it promptly and honorably4 ,the translator here omits a whole chapter4 ,from the examination of the bills of fare of different restaurants1 any one who sets down at the table1 has the choice of the following dishes3-- #ab soups4 #bd side dishes4 #ae or #bj preparations of beef4 #bj of mutton4 #cj of fowl or game4 #af or #bj of veal4 #ab of pastry4 #bd of fish4 #ae roasts4 #ej side dishes4 #ej desserts4 ,besides the fortunate gastronomer has thirty kinds of wine to select from1 passing over the whole scale from ,burgundy to ,tokay1 and ,constantia1 and twenty various kinds of essences1 without taking into consideration such mixed drinks as punch1 negus1 sillabubs and the like4 ,of the various parts of a good dinner1 many are indigenous1 such as butcher's meat1 fowl and fruits4 ,others for instance1 the beef- stake1 ,welch rare-bit1 punch1 etc41 were invented in ,england4 ,germany1 ,spain1 ,italy1 ,holland1 all contribute1 as does ,india1 ,persia1 ,arabia1 and each pay their quota1 in sour-krout1 raisins1 parmera1 bolognas1 curacao1 rice1 sago1 soy1 potatoes1 etc4 ,the consequence is1 that a ,parisian dinner is perfectly cosmopolitan4 ,the translator here omits two ,meditations1 which refer exclusively to ,paris is #ahbe4 ,few ,frenchmen ,,now would understand them1 and none but a ,frenchman could4 ,,physiology ,,of ,,taste ,,part ,,second4 ,,transition4 ,if ,i have been read with the attention ,i wished1 all must have seen that ,i had a double purpose in view4 ,the first was to establish the theoretical basis of ,gastronomy1 so as to place it among sciences where it should doubtless be4 ,the second was to define gourmandise1 and to separate this social character1 as free from gluttony and intemperance1 with which it is often confounded4 ,this equivoque has been introduced by intolerant moralists1 who1 deceived by too much zeal1 saw excesses where there was only innocent enjoyment4 ,the treasures of creation were not made to be trodden under the feet4 ,it was afterwards propagated by grammarians who defined it as blind men do1 and who swore in verba magistri4 ,it is time that such an error should cease1 for now all the world understand each other4 ,this is true1 for there never was a person who would not confess to some tincture of gourmandise1 and even would not boast of it1 none however would not look on gluttony as an insult1 just as they do on intemperance and voracity4 ,about these two cardinal points1 it seems that what ,i have described should satisfy all those who do not refuse conviction4 ,i might then lay down my pen and look on the task ,i have imposed on myself as finished4 ,as however1 ,i approached those subjects which belong to every thing1 ,i remembered many things which it did not seem to me fit to write1 such as anecdotes1 bon mots1 recipes1 and other odd things4 ,had they been put in the theoretical portion of the book they would have taken the connection2 place them all together1 they will not be disadvantageous because they contain some experimental truths and useful explanations4 ,i have also inserted personal biography1 but when ,i read them over1 ,i feel to a degree uneasy4 ,this anxiety originated in my last lectures and glossaries1 which are in the hands of every body4 ,i think1 however1 that ,i may be tranquil1 having sheltered myself under the mantle of philosophy1 ,i insist that my enemies have uneasy consciences and sleep badly4 ,,varieties4 ,i4 ,l',,omelette ,,du ,,cure4 ,all know that twenty years ago1 ,madame ,r---- was the most beautiful woman in ,paris4 ,all know that she was very charitable and took an interest in the various enterprises1 the object of which was the alleviation of misery1 perhaps greater in the capital than elsewhere4 ,having business with the cure of----1 she went thither about five ,p4 ,m41 and was surprised to find him at dinner4 ,she believed that every body dined at six ,p4 ,m41 and was not aware that ecclesiastics dined earlier1 from the fact that they were used to take light collations4 ,madame ,r---- wished to retire1 but the cure would not permit her to do so1 either because the matter under discussion would not interrupt conversation1 or that a pretty woman never disturbs any entertainment4 ,the table was very well arranged2 old wine sparkled in a chrystal flagon1 and the porcelain was faultless4 ,the plates were kept hot by boiling water1 and an old housekeeper was in attendance4 ,the meal was half way between luxury and abstinence4 ,a soup of ecrevisses was removed and a salmon trout1 an omelette1 and a salad were placed on the table4 ,my dinner tells you1 said the priest what you do not know1 that to day is a fast day4 ,my friend assented with a blush4 ,they began with the trout1 the shoulders of which were soon eaten4 ,the sauce was made by a competent person and the pastor's brow was irradiated with joy4 ,then the omelette1 which was round and done to a point1 was attached4 ,as soon as the spoon touched it1 the odor and perfume it contained escaped1 and my friend owns that it made her mouth water4 ,the curel had a sympathetic movement for he was used to watch my passions4 ,in reply to a question he saw ,madame ,r---- was about to ask1 he said1 ,it is an omelette au thon4 ,my cook understands them simply1 and few people ever taste them without complimenting her4 ,i am not amazed1 said his lady guest1 for ,i never ate anything so delightful4 ,then came the salad4 7,i recommend it to those who have confidence in me4 ,it refreshes without exciting4 ,i think it makes people younger47 ,dinner did not interrupt conversation4 ,they talked of the affair which had occasioned the visit1 of the war1 of business1 of other things which made a bad dinner passably good4 ,the dessert came4 ,it consisted of septmoncel cheese1 of apples and preserves4 ,at last the house-keeper brought forward a little round table1 such as once was called a gueridon1 on which was a cup of strong mocha1 the perfume of which filled the room4 ,having sipped it1 the cure said grace1 and arose1 adding ,i never take spirits1 though ,i offer them to my guests4 ,i reserve them as a succor for extreme old age4 ,while all this was progressing1 time had passed1 and as it was six o'clock1 ,madame ,r---- was anxious to get into her carriage1 for she had several friends to dine with her4 ,she came late1 and told her guests1 of whom ,i was one1 what she had seen4 ,the conversation passed from subject to subject1 but ,i1 as a philosopher1 thought the secret of the preparation of such a dish must be valuable4 ,i ordered my cook to obtain the recipe in its most minute details4 ,i publish it the more willingly now1 because ,i never saw it in any book4 ,,omelette ,,au ,,thon4 ,take for six persons the roe of four cash ,footnote3 the translator has followed this recipe with shad1 pike1 pickerel1 etc41 and can recommend it with a quiet conscience4 ,any fish is a substitute for tunny and steep them for a few minutes in salt water just below boiling point4 ,put in also a fresh tunny about as large as an egg1 to which you must add a charlotte minced4 ,mix the tunny and the roes together1 and put the whole in a kettle with a portion of good butter1 and keep it on the fire until the butter has melted4 ,this is the peculiarity of the omelette4 ,take then another piece of butter and mix it with parsely and sage4 ,put it in the dish intended to receive the omelette1 cover it with lemon juice and put it on hot coals4 ,then beat twelve eggs1 7fresh as possible71 pour in the fish and roe so that all may be perfectly mixed4 ,then cook the omelette as usual1 making it thin and firm4 ,serve it up hot4 ,this dish should be reserved for breakfasts1 where all the guests are connoisseurs4 ,it is caviare to the vulgar4 ,,observations4 #a4 ,the roes and fish should be warmed1 not boiled4 ,they will thus mingle more easily with the eggs4 #b4 ,the plate should be deep4 #c4 ,it should be warm1 for a cold porcelain plate would extract the caloric of the omelette and make it insipid4 ,,ii4 ,a ,,national ,,victory4 ,when ,i lived in ,new ,york ,i used every once in a while to pass the evening in a kind of tavern kept by a man named ,little1 7the old lank coffee house7 where one could always get turtle soup and all the dishes common in the ,united ,states4 ,i often went thither with the ,vicomte de la ,massue and ,m4 ,fehr1 an old broker of ,marsailles2 all three of us were emigrants1 and we used to drink ale and cider1 and pass the evening very pleasantly together4 ,there ,i became acquainted with a ,mr4 ,wilkinson1 who was a native of ,jamaica1 and a person he was very intimate with1 for he never left him4 ,the latter1 the name of whom ,i do not remember was one of the most extraordinary men ,i ever met4 ,he had a square face1 keen eyes1 and appeared to look attentively at everything1 though his features were motionless as those of a blind man4 ,when he laughed it was with what the ,english call a horse-laugh1 and immediately resumed his habitual taciturnity4 ,mr4 ,wilkinson seemed about forty1 and1 in manner and appearance1 seemed to be a gentleman4 ,the ,englishman seemed to like our company1 and more than once shared the frugal entertainment ,i offered my friends1 when ,mr4 ,wilkinson took me one evening aside and said he intended to ask us all to dine with him4 ,i accepted the invitation for three o'clock on the third day after4 ,the evening passed quietly enough1 but when ,i was about to leave1 a waiter came to me and said that the ,west ,indian had ordered a magnificent dinner1 thinking their invitation a challenge4 ,the man with the horse-laugh had undertaken to drink us ,frenchmen drunk4 ,this intelligence would have induced me1 if possible1 to decline the banquet4 ,it was1 however1 impossible1 and following the advice of the ,marshal de ,saxe1 we determined1 as the wine was uncorked1 to drink it4 ,i had some anxiety1 but being satisfied that my constitution was young1 healthy and sound1 ,i could easily get the better of the ,west ,indian1 who probably was unused to liquors4 ,i however1 went to see ,messrs4 ,fehr and ,massue1 and in an occular allocution1 told them of my plans4 ,i advised them to drink as little as possible1 and to avoid too many glasses1 while ,i talked to our antagonists4 ,above all things1 ,i advised them to keep up some appetite1 telling them that food had the effect of moderating the fumes of wine4 ,thus physically and morally armed1 we went to the old bank coffee house1 where we found our friends2 dinner was soon ready4 ,it consisted of a huge piece of beef1 a roasted turkey1 7plain7 boiled vegetables1 a salad and pastry4 ,wine was put on the table4 ,it was claret1 very good1 and cheaper than it then was in ,france4 ,mr4 ,wilkinson did the honors perfectly1 asking us to eat1 and setting us an example1 while his friend1 who seemed busy with his plate1 did nothing but laugh at the corners of his mouth4 ,my countrymen delighted me by their discretion4 ,after the claret came the port and ,madeira4 ,to the latter we paid great attention4 ,then came the dessert composed of butter1 cheese and hickory nuts4 ,then came the time for toasts1 and we drank to our kings1 to human liberty1 and to ,wilkinson's daughter ,maria1 who was1 as he said1 the prettiest woman in ,jamaica4 ,then came spirits1 viz41 rum1 brandy1 etc4 ,then came songs1 and ,i saw things were getting warm4 ,i was afraid of brandy and asked for punch4 ,little brought a bowl1 which1 doubtless1 he had prepared before4 ,it held enough for forty people1 and was larger than any we have in ,france4 ,this gave me courage2 ,i ate five or six well buttered rolls1 and ,i felt my strength revive4 ,i looked around the table and saw my compatriots apparently fresh enough1 while the ,jamaican began to grow red in the face1 and seemed uneasy4 ,his friend said nothing1 but seemed so overcome that ,i saw the catastrophe would soon happen4 ,i cannot well express the amazement caused by this denouement1 and from the burden of which ,i felt myself relieved4 ,i rang the bell2 ,little came up2 ,i said1 see these gentlemen well taken care of4 ,we drank a glass to their health4 ,at last the waiter came and bore off the defeated party feet foremost4 ,wilkinson's friend was motionless1 and our host would insist on singing1 ,rule ,britannia4 ,footnote3 ,the translator is sorry to say1 that at the time ,savarin speaks of1 ,rule ,britannia was not written4 ,the ,new ,york papers told the story the next day1 and added that the ,englishman had died4 ,this was not so1 for ,mr4 ,wilkinson had only a slight attack of the gout4 ,,iii4 ,,mystification ,,of ,,the ,,professor ,,and ,,defeat ,,of ,a ,,general4 ,several years ago the newspapers told us of the discovery of a new perfume called the emerocallis1 a bulbous plant1 which has an odor not unlike the jasmin4 ,i am very curious1 and was1 therefore1 induced in all probability to go to1 the ,foubourg ,st4 ,germain1 where ,i could find the perfume4 ,i was suitably received1 and a little flask1 very well wrapped up1 was handed me1 which seemed to contain about two ounces4 ,in exchange for it ,i left three francs4 ,an etourdi would at once have opened1 smelled and tasted it4 ,a professor1 however1 acts differently1 and ,i thought modesty would become me4 ,i took the flagon then and went quietly home1 sat on my sofa and prepared to experience a new sensation4 ,i took the package from my pocket and untied the wrappings which surrounded it4 ,they were three different descriptions of the emerocallis1 and referred to its natural history1 its flower1 and its exquisite perfume1 either in the shape of pastilles1 in the kitchen1 or in ices4 ,i read each of the wrappings4 #a4 ,to indemnify myself as well as ,i could for the price ,i have spoken of above4 #b4 ,to prepare myself for an appreciation of the new and valuable extract ,i have spoken of4 ,i then opened1 with reverence1 the box ,i supposed full of pastilles4 ,to my surprise1 however1 ,i found three other copies of the edition ,i had so carefully read4 ,inside ,i found about two dozen of the cubes ,i had gone so far for4 ,i tasted them1 and must say that ,i found them very agreeable4 ,i was sorry though1 that they were so few in number1 and the more ,i thought of the matter1 the more ,i became mystified4 ,i then arose with the intention of carrying the box back to its manufacturer4 ,just then1 however1 ,i thought of my grey hairs1 laughed at my vivacity1 and sat down4 ,a particular circumstance also recurred to me4 ,i had to deal with a druggist1 and only four days ago ,i had a specimen of one of that calling4 ,i had one day to visit my friend ,bouvier des ,eclats4 ,i found him strolling in a most excited state1 up and down the room1 and crushing in his hands a piece of poetry1 ,i thought a song4 ,he gave it to me and said1 look at this1 you know all about it4 ,i saw at once that it was an apothecary's bill4 ,i was not consulted as a poet1 but as a pharmaceutist4 ,i knew what the trade was1 and was advising him to be quiet1 when the door opened1 and we saw a man of about fifty-five enter4 ,he was of moderate stature and his whole appearance would have been stern1 had there not been something sardonic about his lips4 ,he approached the fire-place1 refused to sit down1 and ,i heard the following dialogue ,i have faithfully recorded4 ,monsieur1 said the general1 you sent me a regular apothecary's bill4 ,the man in black said that he was not an apothecary4 ,what then are you8 said the general4 ,sir1 ,i am a pharmaceutist4 ,well1 said the general1 your boy-- ,sir1 ,i have no boy4 ,who then was the young man you sent thither8 ,my pupil-- ,i wish to say1 sir1 that your drugs-- ,sir1 ,i do not sell drugs-- ,what then do you sell8 ,remedies4 ,the general at once became ashamed at having committed so many solicisms in a few moments1 and paid the bill4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,snare4 ,the chevalier de ,langeac was rich1 but his fortune was dispensed as is the fortune of all rich men4 ,he funded the remnants1 and aided by a little pension from the government1 he contrived to lead a very pleasant life4 ,though naturally very gallant1 he had nothing to do with women4 ,as his other powers passed away1 his gourmandise increased4 ,he became a professor and received more invitations than he could accept4 ,lyons is a pleasant city1 for there one can get vin de ,bourdeaux1 ,hermitage and ,burgundy4 ,the game of the neighborhood is very good1 and unexceptionable fish is taken from the lakes in the vicinity4 ,every body loves ,bresse chickens4 ,langeac was therefore welcome at all the best tables of the city1 but took especial delight in that of a certain ,m4 ,a4 ,in the winter of #aghj1 the chevalier received a letter1 inviting him to sup ten days after date1 7at that time ,i know there were suppers7 and the chevalier quivered with emotion at the idea4 ,he1 at the appointed time1 made his appearance1 and found ten guests4 ,there was at that time no such ,a grand dinner was soon served1 consisting of fish1 flesh1 and fowl4 ,all was very good1 but the chevalier was not satisfied with the hopes he had entertained4 ,another thing amazed him4 ,his guests did not seem to eat4 ,the chevalier was amazed to see that so many anti-convivial persons had been collected1 and thinking that he had to do justice to all these fasting people set to work at once4 ,the second service was solid as the first4 ,a huge turkey was dressed plain1 flavored by salads and macaroni au parmesan4 ,when he saw this1 the chevalier felt his strength revive2 all the other guests were overpowered1 excited by the changes of wines1 he triumphed over their impotence1 and drank their health again and again4 ,every time he drank their health1 he took a slice from the turkey4 ,due attention was paid to the side-dishes1 and the chevalier stuck to business longer than any one would have thought possible4 ,he only revived when the becfigues appeared1 and became fully aroused when truffles were put on the table4 ,,the ,,turbot4 ,discord one day sought to effect an entrance into one of the most harmonious houses of ,paris4 ,a turbot was to be cooked4 ,the fish was on the next day to be served to a company of which ,i was one2 it was fresh1 fat1 and glorious1 but was so large that no dish in the house could hold it4 ,let us cut it in half1 said the husband4 ,would you thus dishonor it8 said the wife4 ,we must1 my dear4 ,well1 bring the knife1 we will soon do it4 ,wait though1 our cousin1 who is a professor1 will soon be here4 ,he will relieve us from the dilemma4 ,the gordian knot was about to be released1 when ,i came in hungry1 as a man always is at seven ,p4 ,m4 ,when ,i came in ,i tried in vain to make the usual compliments4 ,no one listened1 and for that reason no one replied to me4 ,the subject in discussion was at once submitted to me4 ,i made up my mind at once1 went to the kitchen1 found a kettle large enough to boil the whole fish1 and did so4 ,there was a procession composed of the master1 mistress1 servants1 and company1 but they all approved of what ,i did4 ,with the fish we boiled bulbous root and other vegetables4 ,footnote3 ,from the above it is very clear that ,brillat ,savarin made what the late ,d4 ,webster called a chowder4 ,when the fish was cooked we sat down at the table1 our ideas being somewhat sharpened by the delay1 and sought anxiously for the time1 of which ,homer speaks1 when abundance expells hunger4 ,the translator here omits a very excellent recipe for a fish-chowder4 ,everybody knows it4 ,,vi4 ,,pheasants4 ,none but adepts know what a pheasant is4 ,they only can appreciate it4 ,everything has its apogee of excellence1 some of which1 like capers1 asparagus1 partridges1 callow-birds1 etc41 are eatable only when they are young4 ,others are edible only when they obtain the perfection of their existence1 such as melons and fruits1 and the majority of the beasts which furnish us with animal food4 ,others are not good until decomposition begins1 such as the snipe and pheasant4 ,when the pheasant is eaten only three days after its death1 it has no peculiarity2 it has not the flavor of a pullet1 nor the perfume of a quail4 ,it is1 however1 a highly flavored dish1 about half way between chicken and venison4 ,it is especially good when the pheasant begins to be decomposed-- an aroma and exciting oil is then produced1 like coffee1 only produced by torrefaction4 ,this becomes evident by a slight smell and change of color4 ,persons possessed1 however1 of the instincts of gourmandise see it at once1 just as a good cook knows whether he should take his bird from the spit or give it a turn or two more4 ,when the pheasant is in that condition it should he plucked1 and not before4 ,the bird should then he stuffed1 and in the following manner3 ,take two snipe and draw them so as to put the birds on one plate1 and the livers1 etc41 on another4 ,take the flesh and mingle it with beef1 lard and herbes fines1 adding also salt and truffles enough to fill the stomach of the pheasant4 ,cut a slice of bread larger1 considerably1 than the pheasant1 and cover it with the liver1 etc41 and a few truffles4 ,an anchovy and a little fresh butter will do no harm4 ,put the pheasant on this preparation1 and when it is boiled surround it with ,florida oranges4 ,do not be uneasy about your dinner4 ,drink burgundy after this dish1 for long experience has taught me that it is the proper wine4 ,a pheasant served in this way is a fit dish for angels1 if they visited the world as they did in ,lot's day4 ,what ,i say1 experience has already proved4 ,a pheasant thus stuffed by ,picard at ,la ,grange ,footnote3 ,does he refer to ,la ,fayette's estate8 was brought on the table by the cook himself4 ,it was looked on by the ladies as they would have looked at one of ,mary ,herbault's hats4 ,it was scientifically tasted1 and in the interim the ladies eyes shone like stars1 and their lips became coral4 ,i did more than this2 ,i gave a similar proof to the judges of the supreme court4 ,they are aware that the toga is sometimes to be laid aside1 and ,i was able to show to several that good ,,cheer was a fit companion and reward for the labors of the senate4 ,after a few moments the oldest judge uttered the word excellent4 ,all bowed1 and the court adopted the decision4 ,i had observed that the venerable old men seemed to take great delight in smelling the dish1 and that their august brows were agitated by expressions of extreme serenity1 something like a half smile hanging on their lips4 ,all this thing1 however is naturally accounted for4 ,the pheasant1 itself1 a very good bird1 had imbibed the dressing and the flavor of the truffle and snipe4 ,it thus becomes thrice better4 ,thus of all the good things collected1 every atom is appreciated and the consequence is1 ,i think the pheasant fit for the table of a prince4 ,parve1 nec invideo1 sine me liber1 ibis in aulam4 ,,vii4 ,,gastronomical ,,industry ,,of ,,the ,,emigres4 ,toute ,francaise1 a ce que j'imagine1 ,salt1 bien ou mal faire1 un peu de cuisine4 ,belle ,arsene1 ,act4 ,,iii4 ,in a chapter written for the purpose1 the advantages ,france derived from gourmandise in #ahae1 were fully explained4 ,this was not less useful to emigres2 all those1 who had any alimentary resources1 received much benefit from it4 ,when ,i passed through ,boston1 ,i taught a cook1 named ,julien1 who in #agid was in his glory1 how to serve eggs with cheese4 ,julien was a skilful lad1 and had1 he said1 been employed by the ,archbishop of ,bourdeaux4 ,this was to the ,americans a new dish1 and ,julien in return1 sent me a beautiful deer he had received from ,canada1 which those ,i invited to do honour to it1 thought admirable4 ,captain ,collet also1 in #agid and #agie earned much money by the manufacture of ices and sherbets4 ,women always take care to enjoy any pleasures which are new to them4 ,none can form an idea of their surprise4 ,they could not understand how it could remain so cold1 when the thermometer was at #bf degrees ,reaumur4 ,when ,i was at ,cologne1 ,i found a ,breton nobleman1 who thought himself very fortunate1 as the keeper of a public house2 and ,i might multiply these examples indefinitely4 ,i prefer however to tell of a ,frenchman1 who became very rich at ,london1 from the skill he displayed in making salad4 ,he was a ,limousin1 and if ,i am not mistaken1 was named ,aubignac1 or ,albignac4 ,poor as he was1 he went1 however1 one day to dine at one of the first restaurants of ,london4 ,he could always make a good dinner on a single good dish4 ,while he was discussing a piece of roast beef1 five or six dandies sat at the next table1 and one of them advanced and said1 ,sir1 they say your people excel in the art of making a salad4 ,will you be kind enough to oblige us8 ,after some hesitation d',albignac consented1 and having set seriously to work1 did his best4 ,while he was making his mixture1 he replied frankly to questions about his condition1 and my friend owned1 not without a little blushing1 that he received the aid of the ,english government1 a circumstance which doubtless induced one of the young men to slip a ten pound bank bill into his hand4 ,he gave them his address1 and not long after1 was much surprised to receive a letter inviting him to come to dress a salad at one of the best houses in ,grosvenor square4 ,d',albignac began to see that he might draw considerable benefit from it1 and did not hesitate to accept the offer4 ,he took with him various preparations which he fancied would make his salad perfect as possible4 ,he took more pains in this second effort1 and succeeded better than he had at first4 ,on this occasion so large a sum was handed to him that he could not with justice to himself refuse to accept it4 ,the young men he met first1 had exaggerated the salad he had prepared for them1 and the second entertainment was yet louder in its praise4 ,he became famous as the fashionable salad-maker1 and those who knew anything of satirical poetry remembered3 ,desir do nonne est un feu pui devore1 ,desir d',anglaise est cent fois piri encore4 ,d',albignac1 like a man of sense1 took advantage of the excitement1 and soon obtained a carriage1 that he might travel more rapidly from one part of the town to the other4 ,he had in a mahogany case all the ingredients he required4 ,subsequently he had similar cases prepared and filled1 which he used to sell by the hundred4 ,ultimately he made a fortune of #hj1jjj francs1 which he took to ,france when times became more peaceful4 ,when he had returned to ,france1 he did not hurry to ,paris1 but with laudable precaution1 placed #fj1jjj francs in the funds1 and with the rest purchased a little estate1 on which1 for aught ,i know1 he now lives happily4 ,his funded money paid him fifty per cent4 ,these facts were imparted to me by a friend1 who had known ,d ',albignac in ,london1 and who had met him after his return4 ,,viii4 ,,recollections ,,of ,,the ,,emigration4 ,,the ,,weaver ,in #agid1 ,m4 de ,rostaing1 my cousin and friend1 now military intendant at ,lyons1 a man of great talent and ability1 and myself were in ,switzerland4 ,we went to ,mondon1 where ,i had many relations1 and was kindly received by the family of ,troillet4 ,i will never forget their hospitality4 ,i was there shown a young ,french officer who was a weaver1 and who became one thus3-- ,this young man1 a member of a very good family1 was passing through ,mondon1 to join ,condes army1 and chanced to meet an old man with one of the animated heads usually attributed by painters to the companions of the famous ,tell4 ,at their dessert1 the officer did not conceal his situation1 and received much sympathy from his new friend4 ,the latter complained that at such an age1 he had now to renounce all that was pleasant1 and that every man should1 as ,jean ,jacques1 says1 have some trade to support themselves in adversity4 ,the conversation paused there2 and a short time after1 he joined the army of ,conde4 ,from what he saw there1 however1 he saw he never could expect to enter ,france in that way4 ,then he remembered the words of the weaver2 and finally making up his mind1 left the army1 returned to ,mondon1 and begged the weaver to receive him as an apprentice4 ,on the next day the officer set to work1 dining and sleeping with the weaver1 and was so assiduous1 that after six months1 his master told him1 he had nothing to teach him1 thought himself repaid for the care he had bestowed1 and that all he earned henceforth was his own profit4 ,when ,i was at ,mondon1 the new artisan had earned money enough to purchase a shop and a bed4 ,he worked with great assiduity1 and such interest was taken in him1 that some of the first houses of the city enquired after him every day4 ,on ,sunday1 he wore his uniform1 and resumed his social rights4 ,as he was very well read1 all took pleasure in his company1 and he did not seem discontented with his fate4 ,,the ,,starving4 ,to this picture of the advantage of industry1 ,i am about to add an altogether different one4 ,i met at ,lausanne1 an emigre from ,lyons1 who to avoid work used to eat but twice a week4 ,he would have died beyond a doubt1 if a merchant in the city had not promised to pay for his dinner every ,sunday1 and ,wednesday of the week4 ,the emigre came always at the appointed time1 and always took away a large piece of bread4 ,he had been living in this manner some three months1 when ,i met him2 he had not been sick1 but he was so pale that it was sad to see him4 ,i was amazed that he would suffer such pain rather than work4 ,i asked him once to dine with me1 but did not repeat the invitation because ,i believe in obeying that divine precept1 ,by the sweat of thy brow shalt thou earn thy bread4 ,,sojourn ,,in ,,america4 ,from ,switzerland ,i went to ,america4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,asparagus4 ,passing one day in ,february1 by the ,palais ,royal1 ,i paused before the shop of ,mme ,chevet1 the largest dealer in comestibles in ,paris1 who always wished me well4 ,seeing a large box of asparagus1 the smallest of which was large as my finger1 ,i asked the price4 ,forty francs1 said she4 ,they are very fine1 but only a king or prince could eat at such a rate4 ,you are wrong sir1 said she1 such things never go to palaces1 but ,i will sell the asparagus4 ,there are now in this city at least three hundred rich men1 capitalists and financiers1 retained at home by gout1 colds1 and doctors4 ,they are always busy to ascertain what will revive them and send their valets out on voyages of discovery4 ,some one of them will remark this asparagus1 and it will be bought4 ,it may be1 some pretty woman will pass with her lover1 and say1 'what fine asparagus4 ,how well my servant dresses it4' ,the lover then does not hesitate1 and ,i will tell you a secret1 that dear things are sold more easily than cheap ones4 ,as she spoke two fat ,englishmen passed us4 ,they seemed struck at once4 ,one seized hold of the asparagus and without asking the price paid for it1 and as he walked away whistled ,god save the ,king4 ,monsieur1 said ,madame ,chevet1 a thousand things like this happen every day4 ,,fondue4 ,fondue is a soup dish1 and consists only in frying eggs in cheese in proportions revealed by experience4 ,i will give the recipe4 ,it is a pleasant dish1 quickly made and easily prepared for unexpected guests4 ,i refer to it here only for my peculiar pleasure1 and because it preserves the memory of things which the old men of ,belley recollect4 ,towards the end of the #agth century ,m4 ,madot became bishop of ,belley1 and took possession of the diocese4 ,those to whom his reception had been confided had provided an entertainment worthy of the occasion1 and made use of all the preparations then known in the kitchen1 to welcome my lord4 ,there was an immense fondue1 to which the prelate paid great attention2 to the surprise of all he ate it with a spoon1 instead of a fork1 as people had been used to do4 ,all the guests looked at each other with a perceptible smile on every face4 ,a bishop from ,paris1 however1 must know how to eat4 ,on the next day there was a great deal of gossip1 and people that met at the corners1 said ,well did you see how our bishop ate his fondue8 ,i heard from a person who was present that he used a spoon6 ,the bishop had some followers1 innovators who preferred the spoon1 but the majority preferred the fork1 and an old grand-uncle of mine used to laugh as if he would die1 as he told how ,m4 de ,madot ate fondue with a spoon4 ,,recipe ,,for ,,fondue1 ,,copied ,,from ,,the ,,papers ,,of ,m4 ,,trollet1 ,,bailli ,,of ,,mondon ,,in ,,berne4 ,calculate the number of eggs in proportion to the guests4 ,take one-third of the weight of ,gruyere and one-sixth of the weight of butter4 ,beat the eggs and mingle them with the butter and cheese in a casserole4 ,put the kettle on a hot fire and stir it until the mixture is perfect4 ,put in more or less salt in proportion as the cheese is old or new4 ,serve it hot1 with good wine1 of which one should drink much4 ,the feast will see sights4 ,,disappointment4 ,all one day was quiet at the ,ecu de ,france1 between ,bourg and ,bresse1 when the sound of wheels was heard1 and a superb ,english berline drove up1 on the box of which were two pretty ,abigails1 wrapped in blue and red cloths4 ,at the sight1 which announced a nobleman on his travels1 ,chicot1 that was his name1 hurried to the door of the equipage4 ,the wife stood at the door1 the girls near by1 while the boys from the stable hurried forward satisfied that they would receive a handsome gratuity4 ,the women were unpacked and there came from the berline1 #ast1 a fat ,englishman1 #b;d1 two thin1 pale1 red-haired girls1 and #c;d1 a lady1 apparently in the first stage of consumption4 ,the last spoke3 ,landlord1 said she1 take care of the horses1 give us a room and the women refreshments4 ,all must cost only six francs2 act accordingly4 ,chicot put on his bonnet1 madame went into the house1 and the girls to their garrets4 ,the horses were1 however1 put into the stable1 the ,englishman read the papers1 and the women had a pitcher of pure water4 ,the ladies went up stairs4 ,the six francs were received as a poor compensation for the trouble caused4 ,,wonderful ,,effects ,,of ,a ,,classical ,,dinner4 ,alas6 how much ,i am to be pitied1 said the elegiac voice of a gastronomer of the royal court of the ,seine4 ,hoping to be soon able to return home1 ,i left my cook there2 business detains me at ,paris1 and ,i have to depend on an old women the preparations of whom make me sick4 ,anything satisfies my wife and children1 but ,i am made a martyr of the spit and pot4 ,luckily a friend heard the complaint1 who said1 ,you will not1 my friend1 be a martyr4 ,deign to accept a classical dinner to-morrow1 and after a game of piquet we will bury all in the abyss of the past4 ,the invitation was accepted1 the mystery was solved1 and since the #bc;d ,june1 #ahbe1 the professor has been delighted at having one of his best friends in royal court4 ,,effect ,,and ,,danger ,,of ,,strong ,,drinks4 ,the artificial thirst we previously alluded to1 is that which for the moment appeals to strong drinks as a momentary relief4 ,it gradually becomes so habitual that those who grow used to it cannot do without it even through the night1 and have to leave their bed to appease it4 ,this thirst then becomes a real disease1 and when he has reached that point1 it may safely be said that he has not two years to live4 ,i travelled in ,holland with a rich ,dantzick merchant1 who had for fifty years kept the principal house for the sale of brandy4 ,monsieur1 said he none in ,france are aware of the importance of the trade in brandy1 which for nearly a century my father and myself have carried on4 ,i have watched with attention the workmen who yield to it as too many ,germans do1 and they generally die in the same manner4 ,at first they take simply a glass in the morning1 and for many years this suffices4 ,it is a common habit with all workmen1 and any one who did not indulge in it would be ridiculed by his companions4 ,then they double the dose1 that is to say1 take a glass at morning and night4 ,thus things continue about three years1 when they begin to drink three times a day1 and will only taste spirits in which highly scented herbs have been infused4 ,having reached that point1 one may be sure they have not more than six months to live1 for they go to the hospital and are seen no more4 ,,chevaliers ,,and ,,abbes4 ,i have already referred to these categories of gourmandise destroyed by time4 ,as they disappeared thirty years since1 few of the present generation ever saw them4 ,about the end of the century they will probably reappear1 but as such a phenomenon demand the coincidence of many future contingencies1 ,i think few who live will ever witness this palingenesia4 ,as a painter of manners ,i must give the last touch to my portrait1 and will borrow the following passage from an author1 who1 ,i know1 will refuse me nothing4 ,the title of ,chevalier was only correctly granted to persons who had been decorated1 or to the younger sons of noble houses4 ,many of the ,chevaliers of other families would take the title for themselves1 and if they had education and good manners1 none doubted the accolade4 ,they were generally young1 wore the sword vertically and kept a stiff upper lip4 ,they gamed and fought and were a portion of the train of any fashionable beauty4 ,at the commencement of the revolution many of the ,chevaliers joined the army of the emigres1 enlisted or dispersed4 ,the few who survive can yet be recognized by their military air2 almost all of them1 however1 have the gout4 ,when any noble family had many children1 one was dedicated to the church2 at first some benefice1 barely sufficient to pay for the expenses of education1 was obtained1 and ultimately he became ,prince1 ,abbe1 or ,bishop1 as circumstances dictated4 ,this was the real ,abbe2 but many young men who disliked the perils of the ,chevalier1 called themselves ,abbes when they came to ,paris4 ,nothing was so convenient1 for1 with a slight change of dress1 they could appear as priests and the equals of anybody4 ,there was a great advantage in this for every house had its ,abbe ,they were generally small1 round1 well dressed and agreeable4 ,they were gourmands1 active and pleasant4 ,the few that remain have became very devout and very fat4 ,none could be more comfortable than a rich prior or abbot4 ,they had no superiors and nothing to do4 ,if there be a long peace1 the priors will turn up again1 but unless there be a great change in the ecclesiastical organization1 the ,abbes are lost for ever4 ,,miscellany4--,,wine4 ,monsieur1 said an old marquise to me one day1 which do you like best1 ,burgundy or ,bordeaux8 ,madame1 said ,i1 ,i have such a passion for examining into the matter1 that ,i always postpone the decision a week4 ,,strawberries4 ,the ,count de la ,place recommends that strawberries should always be dressed with orange juice4 ,,judgment4 ,he is not a man of mind1 said the ,count de ,m---- ,why8 ,ah6 he does not eat pudding a la ,richelieu1 nor cutlets a la ,soubise4 ,,raisins4 ,take a raisin-- ,no ,i thank you2 ,i do not like wine in pills4 ,a ,,day ,,with ,,the ,,bernardines4 ,it was about one ,a4 ,m41 on a fine summer night1 and ,i set out after having been serenaded by many who took an interest in us4 ,this was about #aghb4 ,i then was the chief of a troop of amateur musicians ,all of whom were young and healthy4 ,monsieur1 said the abbe of ,saint ,sulpice to me one day1 and he drew me into a window recess1 you would enjoy yourself very much if you come some day to play for us at ,saint ,bernard's4 ,the ,saints would be delighted4 ,i accepted the offer at once1 for it seemed to promise us an agreeable evening4 ,i nodded assent1 and all were amazed4 ,annuit1 et totum nutu tremefecit olympum4 ,every precaution had previously been taken1 for we had yet to go four leagues1 a distance sufficient to terrify the persons who had ascended ,mont ,martre4 ,the monastery was in a valley1 enclosed on the west side by a mountain1 and on the east by a hill that was not so high4 ,the eastern peak was crowned by a forest of immense pines4 ,the valley was one vast prairie1 and the beech grows much like the arrangements of an ,english garden4 ,we came about evenfall1 and were received by the cellarer who had a nose very rich-like an obelisk4 ,gentlemen1 said he1 our abbe will be glad when he hears you have come4 ,he is yet in bed2 but come with me1 and you will see whether we have expected you or not4 ,we followed him1 and besought him to take us to the refectory4 ,amid the display of the table arose a pate like a cathedral2 on one side was a quarter of cold veal1 artichokes1 etc41 were also on the eastern range4 ,there were various kinds of fruits1 napkins1 knives and plate2 at the foot of the table were many attentive servants4 ,at one corner of the refrectory was seen more than an hundred bottles1 kept cool by a natural fountain4 ,we could snuff the aroma of mocha1 though in those venerable days none ever drank mocha so early in the morning4 ,the reverend cellarer for a time laughed at our emotion1 and then spoke to us as follows3 ,gentlemen1 said he1 ,i would be pleased to keep you company1 but as yet ,i have not kept my mass4 ,i ought to ask you to drink1 but the mountain air dispenses the necessity4 ,receive1 then1 what we offer you4 ,i must to matins4 ,he went to matins4 ,we did our best to eat up the abbe's dinner1 but could not4 ,people from ,sirius might1 but it was too much for us4 ,after dinner we dispersed4 ,i crept into a good bed until mass2 like the heroes of ,rocroy1 who slept until the battle began4 ,i was aroused by a great fat friar1 who had nearly pulled my arm out of its socket1 and went to the church where ,i found all at their posts4 ,we played a symphony at the offertory and sung a motet at the elevation1 concluding with four wind instruments4 ,we contrived1 in spite of the jests usually expended on amateurs1 to get out of the difficulty very well4 ,we received with great benignity the praises heaped on us1 and having received the abbot's thanks went to the table4 ,the dinner was such as people used to eat in the fifteenth century4 ,there were few superfluities1 but the choice of dishes was admirable4 ,we had plain1 honest1 substantial stews1 good meats1 and dishes of vegetables1 which made one regret they were not more general4 ,the dessert was the more remarkable1 as it was composed of fruits not produced at that altitude4 ,the gardens of ,machuras1 of ,morflent and other places had contributed4 ,there was no want of liqueurs1 but coffee needs a particular reference4 ,it was clear1 perfumed and strong1 but was not served in what are called tasses on the ,seine1 but in huge bowls1 into which the monks dipped their lips and smacked them with delight4 ,after dinner we went to vespers1 and between the psalms executed antiphones ,i prepared for the purpose4 ,that style of music was then fashionable4 ,i cannot say if mine was good or bad4 ,our ,,day being over1 my orchestra was enabled to look and walk around4 ,on my return the abbe said1 ,i am about to leave you1 and will suffer you to finish the night4 ,i do not think my presence at all importunate to the fathers2 but ,i wish them to do as they please4 ,when the abbot had left1 the monks drew more closely together1 and a thousand jokes were told1 not the less funny because the world knows nothing of them4 ,about nine a glorious supper was served1 long in advance of the dinner4 ,they laughed1 sang1 told stories1 and one of the fathers recited some very good verses he had himself composed4 ,at last a monk arose1 and said1 ,father ,cellarer1 what have you to say8 ,true1 said the father1 ,i am not cellarer for nothing4 ,he left1 and soon returned with three servitors1 the first of whom brought some glorious fresh buttered toast4 ,the others had a table on which was a sweetened preparation of brandy and water--vulgo1 punch4 ,the new comers were received with acclamation2 the company ate the toasts1 drank the toddy1 and when the abbey clock struck twelve1 all went to their cells to enjoy a repose they had richly earned4 ,,prosperity ,,en ,,route4 ,one day ,i rode a horse ,i called la ,joie through the ,it was at the worst era of the revolution1 and ,i went to see ,mr4 ,prot to obtain a passport which1 probably1 might save me from prison or the scaffold4 ,at about #aa ,p4 ,m41 ,i reached a little bourg or village called ,mont ,st4 ,vaudrey1 and having first attended to my horse1 was struck by a spectacle no traveller ever saw without delight4 ,before a fire was a spit covered with cock quails and the rails that are always so fat4 ,all the juice from the quails fell on an immense rotie so built up that the huntsman's hand was apparent4 ,then came one of those leverets1 the perfume of which ,parisians have no faith in though they fill the room4 ,ah ha6 said ,i2 ,providence has not entirely deserted me4 ,let us scent this perfume and die afterwards4 ,speaking to the landlord who1 while ,i was making my examinations1 walked up and down the room1 ,i said1 ,mon cher1 what can you give us for dinner8 ,nothing very good1 ,monsieur4 ,you can have potatoes4 ,the beans are awful4 ,i never had a worse dinner4 ,the landlord seemed to suspect the cause of my disappointment4 ,i said1 however1 for whom is all this game kept8 ,alas1 ,monsieur1 said he1 it is not mine but belongs to some lawyers and judges who have been here several days on a business which concerns a very rich old lady4 ,they finished yesterday1 and wish to celebrate the event by a revolt4 ,monsieur1 said ,i1 be pleased to say that a gentleman asks the favor of being permitted to dine with them1 that he will pay his portion of the expense1 and also be much obliged to them4 ,he left me and did not return1 but after a few minutes a little fat man entered1 who hovered around the kitchen1 lifted up the covers and disappeared4 ,ah1 ha6 said ,i4 ,the tiler has come to look at me4 ,i began to hope1 for ,i knew my appearance was not repulsive4 ,my heart beat quickly as a candidate's does after the ballot-box is opened1 and before he knows the result1 when the landlord told me the gentlemen only waited for me to sit down4 ,i went at once1 and was received in the most flattering manner4 ,the dinner was glorious1 ,i will not describe it1 but only refer to an admirable fricassee of chicken not often seen in such perfection in the country4 ,it had so many truffles that it would have revived an old ,titan4 ,we sang1 danced1 etc41 and passed the evening pleasantly4 ,the translator here omits half a dozen songs1 which are essentially ,french1 and which no one can do justice to in another tongue4 ,h4 444 ,,de ,p 444 ,i believe ,i am the first person who ever conceived the idea of a gastronomical academy4 ,i am afraid1 however1 ,i was a little in advance of the day1 as people may judge by what took place fifteen years afterwards4 ,the ,president1 ,h4 de ,p41 the ideas of whom braved every age and era1 speaking to three of the most enlightened men of his age1 7,laplace1 ,chaptal1 and ,berthollet17 said ,i look in the history of the discovery of a new dish1 which prolongs our pleasures1 as far more important than the discovery of a new star4 ,i shall never think science sufficiently honored until ,i see a cook in the first class of the institute4 ,the good old ,president was always delighted when he thought of his labor4 ,he always wished to furnish me an epigraph1 not like that which made ,montesquieu a member of the academy4 ,i therefore1 wrote several verses about it1 but to be copied4 ,dans ses doctes travaux il fut infatigable2 ,il eut de grands emplois1 qu'il remplit dignement3 ,et quoiqu'il filt profond1 erudit et savant1 ,il ne se crut jamais dispense d'etre aimable4 ,,conclusion4 ,my work is now done1 yet ,i am not a bit out of breath4 ,i could give my readers countless stories1 but all is now over1 and as my book is for all time1 those who will read it now will know nothing of those for whom ,i write4 ,let the ,professor here end his work4