The wholesomeness of fats is well shown by our appetite for them, which is very keen for small amounts of them--witness, for instance, how quickly we notice and how keenly we object to the absence of butter on our bread or potatoes.

To have our "bread well-buttered" is a well known expression for comfort and good fortune; yet a very little excess will turn our enjoyment into disgust.
Fat, and particularly the cold fat of meat, "gags" us if we try to eat too much of it.
Fortunately, most of these fat-foods are quite expensive, pound for pound, and hence we are not often tempted to eat them in excess.

Within proper limits, then, fats are an exceedingly important and useful food--a valuable member of the great family of Coal foods.
The Advantages of Fat as a Ration.

The high fuel value and the small bulk of fats give them a very great practical advantage whenever supplies of food have to be carried for long distances, or for considerable lengths of time, as in sea voyages and hunting and exploring trips.

So that in provisioning ships for a long voyage, or fitting out an expedition for the Arctic regions, fats, in the shape of bacon or pork, pemmican,[9] or the richer dried fishes, like salmon, mackerel, and herring, will be found to play an important part.