Show thanksgiving 0 1 dinner in 1621 hardly what would be considered much of a special spread today A modern transplanted to puritan new england give many thanks over ever thanksgiving day dinner ile he would find it pretty bad fare cranberries were available in 1621 and wild turkey it if the head bead of the house was a good marksman there were nut trees in the woods and wild grapes but the stock of perishable foodstuffs was meagre probably grain was to be had to supplement the small supply of indian corn but butter milk and eggs were almost unheard of in plymouth years ago maybe they had potatoes in 1621 but if they did they came by ship A modern expert in nutrition given a puritan thanksgiving dinner to analyze would have several conniption its fits dr walter FT eddy points out in good housekeeping that he would find new fiew green vegetables no milk a high preponderance of proteins and acid ash wild fruits may have helped to avert scurvy says doctor eddy but this doreas e was always imminent in the winter rod and probably much of the so called winter were due to scorbutic joints pneumonia and what was called consumption wiped out whole families in old new england doctor eddy points out because the food did not have the proper vitamin iti it I content palatability and quantity were in those days almost the sole guides to dietary adequacy he says but families were large and in spite of high tant would produce a scandal in health circles today they managed to survive and gradually increase in numbers I 1 I 1 CROM ROM time immemorial the bring fing ing in of the last sheaves of corn and the cutting of the last of the fruits of the land have been accompanied by feasting and all the outward expressions of joy and happ happiness ness it is a time for reunion of families tor for happy greetings for the renewal ot of fri friendships end and of general gaiety thanksgiving thanksgiving HANKS GIVING day is only our annual time for saying grace at the table of eternal goodness james M ludlow |