RICE. 591 
mixed with skim milk, or with water, in fevers and other 
acute exhausting illnesses, eggs are quickly absorbed, and serve 
as highly nutritious aliment. But if it should unfortunately 
happen that their absorption becomes delayed within the body, 
then noxious and poisonous gases are generated by their putres- 
cence. Usually the intestinal absorption of eggs is very 
complete, and they leave little, or no residue. 
Saké, the national beverage of Japan, is a kind of strong beer, 
(containing about ten per cent of alcohol,) which is brewed from 
rice, by a peculiar method, quite different from the processes 
used in Europe. This mode of brewing is known to have 
been carried out there on a large scale for three hundred years. 
Singular success has attended the surgical treatment of the 
Japanese soldiers during their recent war with Russia. Surgeon- 
Major Seaman tells that up to the beginning of July over a 
thousand sick, and wounded had been received at two of the 
hospitals, and of those treated not a man died at either hospital. 
“To my mind,” he adds, “the ration issued to the Japanese 
soldier has much to do with his immunity from suppurative 
conditions following serious injury. The freedom of the con- 
stitution of the Japanese soldier from inflammatory conditions 
is largely the result of his diet,—that of rice, fish, and a simple 
vegetable. The soldier’s ration of rice is six ‘go,’ or about 
thirty-six ounces daily.” Nevertheless, a formidable disease 
(Beri-Beri) has been at times the scourge of Japanese sailors 
when fed exclusively on rice. This malady is a form of scurvy, 
attended with dropsy, and overwhelming prostration of strength. 
Its origin has been traced to a microscopic spore infesting the 
rice. Beri-Beri has been everywhere about Java rife among 
vegetarians (which term among the maritime peoples of the 
Eastern tropics means feeders on rice). The only effectual 
curative treatment has been of a preventive kind by feeding 
those persons exposed to attacks with fresh meat, green vege- 
tables, and fruit. “ Beri-Beri,” a duplicate Cingalese name, 
signifies “‘ extreme, deadly debility.” Tynesiders at Newcastle, 
as regards the young women of that locality, have a favourite 
habit of eating raw rice freely (also uncooked oatmeal, and 
starch,) for producing a pale complexion, which is considered 
among the north country folk to be particularly beautiful ; but 
this pallor is actually due to a depraved digestion. For Rice 
water, as a useful drink in diarrhcea, or dysentery: “ Wash 
