Ceres, the goddess of
agriculture.] used in the preparation of flour, such as wheat, maize,
rye, barley, &c., it will be found to consist of two parts,--the husk,
or exterior covering, which is generally of a dark colour, and the
inner, or albuminous part, which is more or less white. In grinding,
these two portions are separated, and the husk being blown away in the
process of winnowing, the flour remains in the form of a light brown
powder, consisting principally of starch and gluten. In order to render
it white, it undergoes a process called "bolting." It is passed through
a series of fine sieves, which separate the coarser parts, leaving
behind fine white flour,--the "fine firsts" of the corn-dealer. The
process of bolting, as just described, tends to deprive flour of its
gluten, the coarser and darker portion containing much of that
substance; while the lighter part is peculiarly rich in starch. Bran
contains a large proportion of gluten; hence it will be seen why brown
broad is so much more nutritious than white; in fact, we may lay it down
as a general rule, that the whiter the bread the less nourishment it
contains. Majendie proved this by feeding a dog for forty days with
white wheaten bread, at the end of which time he died; while another
dog, fed on brown bread made with flour mixed with bran, lived without
any disturbance of his health. The "bolting" process, then, is rather
injurious than beneficial in its result; and is one of the numerous
instances where fashion has chosen a wrong standard to go by. In ancient
times, down to the Emperors, no bolted flour was known. In many parts of
Germany the entire meal is used; and in no part of the world are the
digestive organs of the people in a better condition. In years of
famine, when corn is scarce, the use of bolted flour is most culpable,
for from 18 to 20 per cent, is lost in bran. Brown bread has, of late
years, become very popular; and many physicians have recommended it to
invalids with weak digestions with great success. This rage for white
bread has introduced adulterations of a very serious character,
affecting the health of the whole community. Potatoes are added for this
purpose; but this is a comparatively harmless cheat, only reducing the
nutritive property of the bread; but bone-dust and alum are also put in,
which are far from harmless.

1670. Bread-making is a very ancient art indeed. The Assyrians,
Egyptians, and Greeks, used to make bread, in w