8 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
and of green vegetables. Similarly, the advantage of treating 
many persons commonly insane through an ill-fed brain, by 
an ample and nutritious diet is daily forcing itself more and 
more on the convictions of the proprietors of Junatic asylums, 
though their business interests would, of course, prompt them 
to an opposite course of proceeding. 
Once more, as to unsound states of the heart, the dietary of 
persons having this organ imperfect of function, or structure, 
should be more nitrogenous than if they were healthy in such 
respect. “ What we have to dread,” says Dr. Chambers, “is 
the wasting degeneration of the heart’s muscular walls; for, 
until such degeneration ensues the original lesion is not aggra- 
vated, and the constitution will often become so used to the 
altered mechanism of the heart, that no inconvenience of any 
sort is felt; if the muscular structure remains healthy, the 
injured valves do not seem capable of causing the organ to stop 
in its pulsations. Persons in easy circumstances have valvular 
lesions for years and years, perhaps through the greater part of 
a long life, and not only continue to live, but even fail to experi- 
ence symptoms bad enough to make them consult a doctor. 
Now the main hope of warding off this wasting degeneration 
lies in the maintenance of a full, generous diet, easily digested, so 
as to keep the blood red, and fluid for the continuous repair of 
the endangered muscle. But in the reverse condition of heart, 
when there is a state of habitual high arterial pressure, as proved 
by the hard pulse, and the tense circulatory conditions, then 
boiled fish once a day is the best animal food. Such a state of 
high pressure will be probably depending on a want of elasticity, 
or tone in the coats of the arteries, increased perhaps by the 
contact of blood surcharged with waste products of nitrogenous 
food. And for such symptoms it would be altogether wrong to 
allow strong meats, or any alcoholic drinks.” 
“Tt is remarkable” (Medical Press, 1902) “that physicians 
and hygienists but rarely venture to face the realms devoted 
to the culinary art. The medical practitioner often blames 
the drains, or complains of the drinking-water, or grumbles 
at the lack of fresh air; but when does he venture to enquire 
into the ways, and means of the cook?” “There would 
be no difficulty in showing that the selection, preservation, 
preparation, and serving of the food of a household are among 
the most vital factors in influencing its health. The main part 
