"Rice," says an eminent authority upon dietetics, "is more largely grown and consumed as human food than any other cereal. It is said to be the main food of one-third of the human race. Alone, however, it is not a perfect food, being deficient in albuminoids and in mineral matters."

Reading on, we find that it contains but fourteen-and-a-sixth parts of water and seventy-six parts of starch, with seven-and-a-fifth parts of the useful albuminoids, as against one-and-one-half parts of the same in potatoes.

"One pound of rice, when digested and oxidized in the body, might liberate force equal to 2,330 tons raised one foot high. The greatest amount of external work which it could enable a man to perform is 466 tons raised one foot high."

Thus another distinguished writer upon the same subject.

Turning to his opinion of the Tyrant Potato, we read with wicked satisfaction - " One pound of potatoes, when digested and oxidized in the body, might liberate force equal to 619 tons raised one foot high. The greatest amount of work which it would enable a man to perform is 124 tons raised one foot high."

Comment would seem to be superfluous were we less familiar with the fatuous prejudices of those who, depending upon brawn and bone for their daily living, should study most needfully the capabilities of their daily food to furnish what they need. Rice, as a vegetable, is held in light esteem - in fact in no esteem at all by this class. It is spoken of contemptuously as "babies' victuals," and "sick folks' mess," and is practically unknown upon the family bill-of-fare except in the shape of rice-puddings. These are reckoned economical and ''filling at the price."

Hodge and his congeners are the less to blame for their stupidity, because rice, as a rule, suffers more in the clutches of The Average American Cook than any other vegetable. The pasty mess, stiff enough to stand alone, or so watery as to look like coarse and ill-made starch, which figures as boiled rice upon nineteen out of twenty otherwise well-furnished tables, deserves the reputation it has wrought. That a majority of writers upon cookery pass over the cereal and the violence done to it lightly, is a greater puzzle.

The reader will, in consideration of the importance of the subject, pardon one more extract from our treatise upon "Food and Some of its Constituents."

"As rice is deficient in natural fat, oil, butter, fat bacon, or similar articles of food, should be eaten with it."

That is, the "trimmings " that make rice toothsome, also raise it toward the level of the perfect food. Furthermore it may be consumed along with substances rich in nitrogenous or flesh-forming matters - such as meat, eggs, and any kind of pulse, as pease or beans.

All of which dicta point to our gentle cereal as a vegetable accompaniment of meat and gravies rather than to the final course which the English name "sweets," the American, "desserts." The word "gentle " is used with a purpose in this connection. Rice, properly cooked, is digested without difficulty by the stomach and holds healing in its soft starches and mild albuminoids, poulticing pain, and coating sore surfaces.

Clearly, then, it is the duty of caterer and cook to make it attractive and popular for the general good of mankind and the especial benefit of the household.