452 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
According to this table, it is evident that chocolate is the
most nutritious food we have; also that cocoa, in its
powdered state, is the most dangerous of all foods,
containing three times as much ash as most of the others,
and ten times as much as many. It is a powerful food and
also a powerful poison, for it chokes the system more
quickly than any other substance.
Of cours e, it will requ ire s ome stu dy at first to secure the
best nourishment, but it pays in health and longevity and
secures the free use of the body, making study and
application to higher things possible. After a while the
aspirant will b ecome so fa miliar wit h the sub ject that he will
need to give it no particular attention.
While the foregoing table shows the proportion of
chemical substances contained in each article of food
named, it must be remembered that not all of this is
available for use in the system, because there are certain
portions which the body refuses to assimilate.
Of vegetables, we digest only about 83% of the proteids,
90% of the fat, and 95% of the carbohydrates.
Of fruits, we assimilate about 85% of the proteids, 90%
of the fat, and 90% of the carbohydrates.
The brain is the co-ordinating mechanism whereby the
movements of the body are controlled and our ideas are
expressed. It is built of the same substances as are all other
parts of the body, with the addition of phosphorus, which is
peculiar to the brain alone.
The logical conclusion is that phosphorus is the
particular element by means of which the Ego is able to
express thought and influence the dense physical body. It is
also a fact that the proportion and variation of this substance
is found to correspond to the state and stage of intelligence