15 1 6 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Milk should be used liberally in order to replace a part of the meat in the 

 average dietary, and because, of all foods, it is richest in lime. 



Children, even after the first year, should use about a quart of milk 

 daily ; more than this is inadvisable. Adults need considerably less milk 

 than do children, but they are better nourished if milk is present in the 

 diet. If, as occasionally happens, milk reacts on the individual as a poison, 

 a special study should be made in order to include in the dietary foods 

 other than milk that are rich in lime. Many times, however, a dislike for 

 milk may be confused with inability to use it. If it is merely distaste that 

 prevents its use, milk may be included in the dietary by being cooked 

 with other foods. 



Eggs should be used as long as they can be afforded. One egg a day for 

 each child in the family; and one or two for each adult, are sufficient. 

 If the cost of eggs makes their use impossible, thought should be given 

 to increasing the use of other foods that are rich in iron. Frequently 

 it is objected that milk and eggs cause biliousness. Certainly in the 

 majority of cases the condition is due not to the use of milk and eggs, 

 but rather to the absence of fruits and vegetables from the dietary. 



Fruits and vegetables should be used liberally in the dietary, for they are 

 among nature's best body-cleansing and regulating agents. They furnish 

 substances which stimulate the activity of the intestine, neutralize the harmful 

 acids produced by the tissues, and keep both intestine and blood in good 

 condition. 



Fruits stimulate digestion and are appetizing additions to the day's 

 food. There is much truth in the saying that " an apple a day will keep 

 the doctor away." If " the onion a day which keeps every one away ' 

 is added, a good beginning is made toward a healthful dietary. 



Complaint is often made that at certain seasons fruits and vegetables 

 are too expensive to be used liberally. They are certainly not so expensive 

 as the doctor's attendance, nor is their value comparable to a loss of 

 efficiency resulting from a diet that lacks natural laxatives and blood 

 purifiers. When apples are cheap they should be baked or made into 

 apple sauce, and should be canned for use during a season of scarcity. 

 Carrots, beets, turnips, cabbage, onions, and parsnips are cheap at a 

 time when other vegetables are expensive, and if carefully prepared they 

 are easily digested; and they not only give variety to the dietary, but 

 also furnish the much-needed vegetable material. 



A diet enriched by fruits and vegetables has a tendency to prevent 

 or correct anaemia, to prevent constipation and its attendant ills, and 

 to improve general health conditions in that it increases the amount of 

 iron furnished to the blood and helps to prevent a putrefactive condition 

 in the intestine. 



