724 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
bleeding from the kidneys if stimulated by stronger foods. When 
thirsty, the patient should drink barley water, or thin arrowroot, 
or apple water, and later on, “imperial drink.” For making 
this, put two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar into a jug, and pour 
in two pints of boiling water, so as to dissolve the same; then 
add the juice of a lemon, and some sugar, mixing these together. 
When it is cool the drink may be placed by the bedside, and 
taken at will. Different dietary tactics are needed for chronic 
kidney congestion, when the heart gets to require ample support, 
so that animal food, such as red meat, must be allowed daily, 
else the system will break down. If the urine becomes scanty 
during fever, or in pneumonia of a low type, the acid phosphates 
are then of much service, likewise fresh lemon juice with water. 
John Ruskin, in July, 1871, penned the following characteristic 
letter: “‘ My dearest Tom, really your simplicity about naughty 
me is the most comic thing I know, among all my old friends. 
Me, docile to doctors! I watched them (when I had three) to 
see what they knew of the matter, did what they advised for 
two days; found they were utterly ignorant of the illness, and 
were killing me. I had inflammation of the bowels, and they 
gave me ice, and tried to nourish me with milk. Another twelve 
hours, and I should have been past hope. I stopped in the 
middle of a draught of iced water, burning with insatiable thirst, 
thought over the illness myself steadily, and ordered the doctors 
out of the house. Everybody was in an agony, but I swore and 
raged till they had to give in, ordered hot toast and water in 
quantities, and mustard poultices to the bowels. One doctor 
had advised fomentation, that I persevered with, adding mustard 
to give outside pain. I used brandy and water as hot as I could 
drink it for stimulant, kept myself up with it, washed myself 
out with floods of toast and water, and ate nothing, and refused 
_ all medicine. In twenty-four hours I had the pain under, in 
twenty-four more I had healthy appetite for meat, and was safe : 
but the agony of poor Johanna! forced to give me meat; for I 
ordered roast chicken instantly, when the doctors, unable to 
get at me, were imploring her to prevail on me not to kill myself, 
as they said I should. The poor thing stood it nobly ; of course, 
none of them could move me one whit. I forced them to give 
me cold roast beef, and mustard, at two o’clock in the morning, 
and here I am, thank God! to all intent and purpose quite well 
again, but I was within an ace of the grave. But I know now 
