The Chemistry of Cookery

depend upon individual peculiarities of constitution. FOOTNOTE: [16] Shortly after the close of the Great Exhibition of 1851, when the South Kensington Museum was only in embryo, I had occasion to call on Dr. Lyon Playfair at the ‘boilers,’ and there found the Prince hard at work giving instructions for the arrangement and labelling of these analysed food products and the similarly displayed materials of industry, such as whalebone, ivory, &c. I then, by inquiry, learned how much time and labour he was devoting, not only to the general business of the collection, but also to its minor details. CHAPTER XIV. COUNT RUMFORD’S COOKERY AND CHEAP DINNERS. I MUST not leave the subject of vegetable cookery without describing Count Rumford’s achievements in feeding the paupers, rogues, and vagabonds of Munich. An account of this is the more desirable, from the fact that the ‘soup’ which formed the basis of his dietary is still misunderstood in this country, for reasons that I shall presently state. After reorganising the Bavarian army, not only as regards military discipline, but in the feeding, clothing, education, and useful employment of the men, in order to make them good citizens as well as good soldiers, he attacked a still more difficult problem—that of removing from Bavaria the scandal and burden of the hordes of beggars and thieves which had become intolerable. He tells us that ‘the number of itinerant beggars of both sexes, and all ages, as well foreigners as natives, who strolled about the country in all directions, levying contributions from the industrious inhabitants, stealing and robbing, and leading a life of indolence and most shameless debauchery, was quite incredible;’ and, further, that ‘these detestable vermin swarmed everywhere, and not only their impudence and clamorous importunity were without any bounds, but they had recourse to the most diabolical acts and most horrid crimes in the prosecution of their infamous trade. Young children were stolen from their parents by these wretches, and their eyes put out, or their tender limbs broken and distorted, in order, by exposing them thus maimed, to excite the pity and commiseration