32 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
from beer as brewed with malt, hops, and water. The hop 
converted our English ale into beer. But the terms ale, and beer 
are really synonymous now as applied to the paler malt liquors, 
whilst the darker drinks are porter, and stout. These latter 
are made in the same way as ale, or beer, but the malt is first 
roasted in cylinders, much as coffee berries are treated, which 
process has the effect of producing some caramel (or partially- 
burnt sugar); also by killing the fermenting principle this 
prevents further production of sugar in the mashing. It is 
probable that a tumblerful of good, brisk ale may actually help 
digestion by increasing the appetite, and calling out a more 
abundant secretion of gastric juice, with more active movements 
of the stomach. But malt liquors must be regarded as frequent 
predisposers to gout by provoking acetous fermentation in 
persons liable thereto. 
ALKALIES IN FOODS. 
THE alkali, Soda (sodium), which is most necessary in the body 
for the proper constitution of its fluids, is derived chiefly from 
animal foods, this being taken in the chemical form of chloride 
of sodium, or common salt ; whilst the alkali Potash (potassium), 
which is essential for the renewed construction of cells, perhaps 
also of the red blood corpuscles, and of the muscles, is got more 
abundantly from the vegetable group of foods. Green vegetables, 
and ripe fruits are a particularly valuable source of potash salts. 
A craving for table-salt as an addition to the diet specially 
prevails among vegetable feeders. If it be wished, by the use 
of alkalies, to prevent the gouty formation of uric acid sediments, 
as gravel, and the like, or to gradually dissolve such concretions 
as have already become formed in the bladder, it will certainly 
be more rational to prescribe a diet of fresh fruits, potatoes, 
and other such vegetable products than to order alkaline mineral 
waters, or medicines, which, if taken constantly, are likely to 
create all kinds of irritative disturbances in the blood. 
Speaking generally, it is not to the laboratory of the chemist 
we should go for our potash salts, but to the laboratory of nature, 
and more especially to that of the vegetable kingdom. They 
exist in the green parts of all vegetables: but we wastefully 
extract a considerable proportion of these salts when we boil the 
vegetables, and throw away their potage, which our wiser and 
more thrifty French neighbours add to their everyday menu. 
