512 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
obtain from Oatmeal, and with much less digestive effort. For 
Englishmen who attempt to eat Oatmeal, the immediate effect 
may be a feeling of such extreme satisfaction that no more food 
is felt to be wanted at the time, or for ever so long afterwards. 
During an hour and a half, or two hours, the sense of entire satiety 
continues, but then begins the presence of discomfort in the 
stomach, with the desire to keep swallowing saliva ; moreover, 
there supervenes a feeling of false hunger, with disquietude ; 
which series of symptoms, by repetition, becomes a chronic 
catarrh of the organ. Another disease, too, caused commonly by 
Oatmeal is appendicitis, or avenoliths (Oat-stones). Again, it is 
a fact that the eating of Oatmeal is also responsible for much 
drunkenness among the working classes, especially in Scotland, 
since Oatmeal, as all acknowledge, produces a dry mouth. What 
has been termed the “ Boston stomach” is occasioned by Oat- 
meal in America, Canada, and Scotland; this has transformed 
many hundreds of healthy persons into martyrs to indigestion. 
The “bap” takes the place in Scotland of the English roll 
at breakfast. It is a big, rather flat, spongy mass of flour and 
water, browned all over, being appetizing, and wholesome ; 
whilst plain Oatmeal, turned sour after being first boiled, and 
jellied, is called Flummery. “Take a good handful of beaten 
Oatmeal, put it into a quart of water, and boil it half away; 
then strain it through a sieve, and let it stand by for future uses. 
In most cases it will serve better to thicken sauce than grated 
bread, or flour, or even than eggs ;” so says A Thousand Notable 
Things. 
“* Meal-Monday ” was an institution of Scotland whiles ago, 
when learning was really nourished there on a little Oatmeal. 
Then the students, before leaving their frugal homes for the 
Universities, provided themselves with a supply of Meal suffi- 
cient to make “ halesome parritch” half through the Session. 
By the end of January their “ Meal kists” had run low, and 
“a day off” was given them, on which the student was expected 
to journey half-way home, meeting at this point his parent, 
or brother, who had brought with him a second load of this 
simple fare. The holiday for such a purpose was fixed on 4 
Monday, so as to allow the undergraduate the benefit of the 
Saturday preceding; since his journey would sometimes extend 
to fifty, or sixty miles. Nowadays the modern student goes 
home for “ Meal-Monday ” with a “ week-end” ticket by 
