CHAPTEE II 



ALIMENTATION. 



General considerations Division of alimentary principles Nitrogenized aliment- 

 ary principles Masculine Albumen Caseine Fibrin Gelatine and Chon- 

 drine Vegetable albumen, fibrin, and caseine Gluten Non-nitrogenized 

 alimentary principles Sugar Starch Vegetable principles resembling 

 starch Fats and oils Inorganic alimentary principles Water Chloride of 

 sodium Phosphate of lime Iron. 



UNDER the name of aliment, in its widest signification, it 

 is proposed to include all articles composed of, or containing 

 elements in a form which enables them to be used for the 

 nourishment of the body, either by being themselves appro- 

 priated by the organism, by influencing favorably the process 

 of nutrition, or by retarding destructive assimilation. Those 

 principles which are themselves appropriated may be called 

 direct aliments ; and those which simply assist nutrition 

 without contributing reparative material, together with those 

 which retard destructive assimilation, 1 may be termed acces- 

 sory aliments. By this definition of aliment, nothing is ex- 

 cluded which contributes to nutrition. The air must be con- 

 sidered in this light, as well as water and all articles which 

 are commonly called drinks. 



In the various articles used as food, nutritious elements are 

 frequently combined with each other and with indigestible 

 and non-nutritious principles. The elements of the food 

 which are directly used in nutrition are the real alimentary 

 principles, embracing, thus, only those principles which are 

 capable of absorption and assimilation. The ordinary food 

 of the warm-blooded animals contains alimentary principles, 



