58 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



ciently early, but the dinner is taken as late as six or seven 

 o'clock in the evening. This habit leaves an interval of 

 eight to ten hours between the first and second meals, which 

 is a much longer space for fasting than the time specified in 

 the last section, and longer than the system can well endure 

 without suffering from want of nutriment. Many probably 

 most of those who dine so late remedy this difficulty by 

 interposing a lunch between the first and second meal in 

 the day. This is, with most people, a light meal, and in- 

 tended merely to sustain nature through the long interval 

 of the morning and noon ; but with some it is composed of 

 heavy and substantial food, such as would ordinarily be 

 taken for dinner. 



118. A lady went from Boston, in September, 1846, to 

 London. Her usual "dining hour had been two, at home; but, 

 in London, it was suddenly changed to six or seven o'clock. 

 Her morning meal was also postponed somewhat; yet the in- 

 terval between these was several hours longer than she had 

 been accustomed to. In a few weeks, she suffered materi- 

 ally in health, and became much debilitated, and consulted 

 a physician, who advised a lunch to be taken in the fore- 

 noon. Following his advice, she soon recovered her wonted 

 health and strength. A similar case occurred in New Or- 

 leans. A friend suffered in the same way, from the same 

 cause, and was restored by a similar change in his hours of 

 meals. 



119. Growing children, and persons recovering from 

 sickness, and men engaged in very hard labor, may do well 

 to lake this forenoon lunch, even if the interval between the 

 morning and noon 'meal be not more than six or seven hours. 

 And healthy men, in ordinary pursuits, would do it with ad- 

 vantage, if they breakfast early and dine very late. But for 

 mature persons, in good health, who are not engaged in 

 very hard labor, and whose dinner is not delayed more 

 .than six or seven hours from the breakfast, the stomach is 

 better if at rest until the hour for the regular meal comes 

 round at noon. 



