166. TJie Cereals . — The next group of vegetable
foods which contain large quantities of nitrogenous
or flesh'forming substance, are the cereal grains



65

which indeed form almost the nniversal staple food
of the human races all over the world. The chief
variety of the cereals nsed in India are wheat*
rice, and the millets or dry grains, snch as
T^EE^i cnmhoo, or hajra, oholnm or jaware and
varagoo.
167. Wheat. — ^Wheat is the most important of
all the cereal grains and is most extensively nsed as
hnman food. It contains a very large proportion of
nitrogenons or flesh-forming principle which con-
stitutes ahout 10 per cent of its^veight. It is also rich in
digestible carbo-hydrates and in valuable mineral salts.
On the other hand, it is deficient in fat and therefore
requires the Addition of butter or ghee if used in the
form of bread or cakes. The nutritive valae of bread
is high. It is capable of being used as thestaple article
of diet for an indefinite period without producing dis-
taste. Individuals are known to do very well on
bread and water alone for months together. There
is an account of a carpenter in England whose diet
for many years consisted of two pounds of bread
daily with water, and nothing else. He was in the
liabit of putting the bread into a large jug, which he
filled with water, over night. This sop supplied
him with three meals on the succeeding day. His
health was excellent.
