carbonate of lime from the hard water we drink.
Both are required for the bones and teeth. The salts of potash, which
assist in purifying the blood, are obtained from vegetables and fruits. An
iron salt is found in most foods, and sulphur in the yolk of eggs.

106. Water. Water is of use chiefly as a solvent, and while not
strictly a food, is necessary to life. It enters into the construction of
every tissue and is constantly being removed from the body by every
channel of waste[17].

As a solvent water aids digestion, and as it forms about 80 per cent
of the blood, it serves as a carrier of nutrient material to all the
tissues of the body.

Important Articles of Diet.

107. Milk. The value of milk as a food cannot be overestimated.
It affords nourishment in a very simple, convenient, and perfect form. It
is the sole food provided for the young of all animals which nourish their
young. It is an ideal food containing, in excellent proportions, all the
four elements necessary for growth and health in earlier youth.

[Table: Composition of Food Materials. Careful analyses have been
made of the different articles of food, mostly of the raw, or uncooked
foods. As might be expected, the analyses on record differ more or less in
the percentages assigned to the various constituents, but the following
table will give a fair idea of the fundamental nutritive value of the more
common foods:

In 100 parts Water Proteid Fat Carbohydrate Ash
Digestible Cellulose
Meat 76.7 20.8 1.5 0.3 -- 1.3
Eggs 73.7 12.6 12.1 -- -- 1.1
Cheese 36-60 25-33 7-30 3-7 -- 3.4
Cow's Milk 87.7 3.4 3.2 4.8 -- 0.7
Wheat Flour 13.3 10.2 0.9 74.8 0.3 0.5
Wheat Bread 35.6 7.1 0.2 55.5 0.3 1.1
Rye Flour 13.7 11.5 2.1 69.7 1.6 1.4
Rye bread 42.3 6.1 0.4 49.2 0.5 1.5
Rice 13.1 7.0 0.9 77.4 0.6 1.0
Corn 13.1 9.9 4.6 68.4 2.5 1.5
Macaroni 10.1 9.0 0.3 79.0 0.3 0.5
Peas and Beans 12-15 23-26 1-1/2-2 49-54 4.7 2-3
Potatoes 75.5 2.0 0.2 20.6 0.7 1.0
Carrots 87.1 1.0