It’s a habit of the 20th century to always be transported by carriage, automobile, tram, or train. But this isn’t the law of Nature.
Amalia Moretti Foggia, a pediatrician, wrote under numerous pseudonyms, changing them depending on the content. She was particularly known for two columns in La Domenica del Corriere: “The Doctor’s Word,” signed “Dott. Amal,” and “In the Kitchen,” her most successful column, signed “Petronilla.” Two examples of her prolific work are presented here.
“Deambulare necesse est; it is necessary to walk if you wish to fully enjoy that great good which is perfect health! But do you, every day, take your indispensable walk? And how long is it? Do you spend all day working standing on your legs, never sitting down, and therefore feel very tired? But that isn’t walking; remember: it’s standing! And do you walk the road every day from home to the office? But that short walk isn’t enough to satisfy the many needs of your body! And do you, because the distances are long, always have to be transported to be able to do your day’s work? But limit your work in this case, because you shouldn’t keep your legs idle; but you should walk with them. A law of Nature warns: ‘To each organ of your body, I have assigned its special office, and its various works to be done; and it is only from the concordant joining of the thousand works of its thousand organs that your body can arrive to that supreme good that I lavishly bestow upon it, that great good which is health. But if, disobedient to my commandments, one of your organs should not work, or work little, the full agreement would then be lacking; the just balance would be broken; and perfect health would fail.’ Thus says, warns, threatens the Great Mother. Don’t forget, the warning, but always keep it in mind; and every evening, before going to bed, take stock of the walking you have done during the day; and promise to develop up for it the next day, if you have found yourself… in ‘deficit.’”
I know how much the comforts of sedentary work are appreciated; and how sweet it is to laze in an armchair and at the café for hours; and how very alluring, and very also… 20th century to always be transported by carriage, automobile, tram, or train. Comfortable, in truth, and sweet, and alluring, and very… modern, but… how contrary to what the sovereign Nature demands! Observe, in fact, while you walk. Observe how all the muscles of your body are then in motion, all of them, from those of your legs to those of your abdomen, chest, neck and arms that, uniformly, you always swing, even imperceptibly, while walking. Walking, you thus perform a regular, uniform, complete, gentle, never violent, but suitable, indeed necessary, gymnastics for your organism of terrestrial biped, destined to walk on its two legs; and not to run; and not to fly; and not to be transported too much, and above all always. Gymnastics necessary because, while walking, your skin sweats more lightly; your lungs breathe more strongly and deeply; blood flows more quickly through your veins; and your organic exchange is thus more activated; that is, the continuous bringing of oxygen to your blood, and therefore to your body, by your lungs; and the continuous elimination, through skin and lungs, of toxic materials accumulated in your blood, in your body, and which are the same waste products of your very life. Gymnastics necessary because, while walking, the large muscular bands that form the anterior wall of your abdomen are also alternately contracted, and relaxed. And since, immediately behind that thin wall, is the large mass of your intestine, which is seven meters long and always full of materials to be expelled, the more you walk, the more those large bands will contract; the more they will press on the underlying intestine; and the more it will be stimulated to empty itself without the need for pills, powders, potions and similar concoctions. Gymnastics also necessary for your psyche, your soul, your mind. In the brain, in fact, is the psycho-motor zone; that is, in it are gathered (and in the same zone) the center of the psyche, of the soul, of the mind, and the center of motion; so that one always influences the other. Walking often calms overstimulated nerves; and often also fades the anger that torments the soul and mitigates the pain that lacerates the heart. Walking (especially through fields and meadows) poets always have their most sublime inspirations and geniuses their most brilliant ideas. Walking in the woods and amidst the fury of the storm, Beethoven had the inspiration for his marvelous symphonies; and only walking among the golden temples of the Acropolis did Plato and the Peripatetics discuss philosophy. Gymnastics, in short, necessary, and which every day, and with due regularity must always be carried out, because otherwise… Haven’t I told you that, in this case, the sovereign Nature threatens, and does not threaten in vain? Very painful, and sometimes serious, are in fact the ailments that befall those who do not want to walk!
Without eggs, without butter and even without sugar: a cake for these times
by PETRONILLA
You can prepare, and very quickly, a delicious and very sweet cake even without eggs, even without butter, and even without sugar, provided… Provided that, having elderly people or children in the family, you can have jam and provided (country style) you can have white flour or you can obtain it in exchange for bread, from your baker. If, having the jam and flour you would, just once, like to please your children… Pour 250 gr. Of flour into a bowl; add a packet of dry yeast; mix well; and gradually knead with about ¼ of milk (or water and milk or powdered or condensed) until you obtain a fluid paste. Add 200 gr. Of any jam, 1 tablespoon of raisins (if you have them), after having soaked them in hot water, and a pinch of those anise seeds that the grocers sell. Mix everything together well; pour into a cake pan (or a baking sheet); put in a hot oven or cover and put between hot embers; and after half an hour you will have a cake puffed up, soft, very sweet; a cake that, although without eggs, without sugar and without butter, will make everyone run, with the thought, to that famous “sponge cake” of… the time that was!
