DOMESTIC ECONOMY, HYGIENE, DIETETICS. 



369 



but stimulating, so that they quicken the 

 functions of the organs on which they operate ; 

 the condiments used in cookery, such as pep- 

 per, mustard, and spices, are of this nature. 

 There are certain states of the system in which 

 these stimulants may be beneficial and even 

 necessary ; but persons in perfect health, and 

 especially young children, never receive any 

 benefit from such food, and just in proportion 

 as condiments operate to quicken the action of 

 the internal organs, they tend to wear down 

 their powers. The same observation applies 

 to the use of wines and other spirituous and 

 malt liquors. Under certain conditions where 

 the vital powers are low, they are a highly im- 

 portant addition to ordinary food ; but when 

 used habitually, their temporary stimulation 

 is gained at the expense of permanently weak- 

 ening the digestive organs which finally refuse 

 to perform their work without some such ex- 

 ternal aid. It follows from the above that the 

 requirements of food in each case may in a nor- 

 mal condition of things be left to the individual 

 taste, to be selected and prepared as is indi- 

 cated by experience to be most appropriate. 



Nutritiousness of Food. The follow- 

 ing table from authentic sources shows the 

 ascertained percentage of nutriment in the 

 common articles of table consumption : 



Digestibility of Food In Order of 

 Time. The following table of the digesti- 

 bility of the most common articles of food, 

 prepared from standard authorities, is approxi- 

 mately correct, and is of very general prac- 

 tical interest : 



