FOOD AND FEEDING. 519 



this country, of common too common occurrence, viz., the public 

 dinner, which is essentially a British institution, and can not be passed 

 by in silence. 



The late dinner should never include children. It is a meal which 

 is in every way unsuited to them, and they are quite unfitted to take 

 part in its functions ; besides, the four-meal system is better adapted 

 to their requirements of growth and digestion in early life. A family 

 dinner may usually consist of a soup, fish, entree, roast, and sweet ; the 

 entree may even be omitted ; on the other hand, if the meal is required 

 to be more substantial, a joint may be served in addition after the 

 fish ; but this should be very rarely necessary. A dish of vegetables 

 may be advantageously placed before or after the roast, according 

 to circumstances ; and supplementary vegetables should be always at 

 hand. 



The rationale of the initial soup has often been discussed : some 

 regard it as calculated to diminish digestive power, on the theory that 

 so much fluid taken at first dilutes the gastric juices. But there ap- 

 pears to be no foundation for this belief ; a clear soup, or the fluid 

 constituents of a puree, disappear almost immediately after entering 

 the stomach, being absorbed by the proper vessels, and in no way 

 interfere with the gastric juice Avhich is stored in its appropriate cells 

 ready for action. The habit of commencing dinner with soup has 

 without doubt its origin in the fact that aliment in this fluid form in 

 fact, ready digested soon enters the blood and rapidly refreshes the 

 hungry man, who, after a considerable fast and much activity, sits 

 down with a sense of exhaustion to commence his principal meal. In 

 two or three minutes after taking a plate of good warm consomme", 

 the feeling of exhaustion disappears, and irritability gives way to the 

 gradually rising sense of good-fellowship with the circle. Some per- 

 sons have the custom of allaying exhaustion with a glass of sherry 

 before food a gastronomic no less than a physiological blunder, in- 

 juring the stomach and depraving the palate. The soup introduces at 

 once into the system a small installment of ready-digested food, and 

 saves the short period of time which must be spent by the stomach in 

 deriving some portion of nutriment from solid aliment, as well as 

 indirectly strengthening the organ of digestion itself for its forth- 

 coming duties. Few will be found to dispute the second place in 

 order to fish, although this arrangement is in some quarters an open 

 question : its discussion, however, can scarcely be regarded as with- 

 in the limit of our space. The third dish should consist of the chief 

 meat, the joint, if desired ; if not, one of the smaller dishes of meat, 

 such as fricandeau, cutlets, filet, or sweetbread, before spoken of, 

 well garnished, will be appropriate, and to many preferable. Next 

 the well-roasted bird of game or poultry accompanied or followed 

 by salad, and a dish of choice vegetables. Then one light simple 

 sweet, for those who take it, and a slight savory biscuit or morsel of 



