Culinary History Highlight: The Science of Nutrition (1896)

This culinary history highlight focuses on The Science of Nutrition:  Treatise Upon the Science of Nutrition, by Edward Atkinson, LL.D., Ph.D.  The entire book is digitized, and available here, thanks to University Libraries Special Collections, but let me give you some of the (sometimes amusing) highlights of this item:

• There is a note in the front matter from Dr. Atkinson thanking Andrew Carnegie, who apparently placed copies of this book in 3500 public libraries across the nation.  The note is dated November, 1895.  
• The author, Atwater, seems to have invented the Aladdin Oven, and describes in great detail how it can promote health and benefit the entire household.
• Coauthors Mary Abel and Maria Daniell offer instructions for using the Aladdin Oven, and a good number of recipes, including:  Beef, Oatmeal, and Tomato, Pigs' Feet a la Vinaigrette, and Daub, a creole dish.  
• Recommendations for entire dinners pull these recipes together.
• Authors also calculate nutritive values.

Be sure to check out this book for more nutrition information from the 1890s, either online or in our Special Collections (1st floor, Newman Library).