582 TROPICAL HYGIENE, SANITATION, ETC. 



Excess of sugar and other carbohydrates may cause : — 



Fever, enteritis, entero-colitis, eczema, enuresis and rheumatisms, 

 recurring bronchitis, pustular dermatitis and dry histreless hair. 



Curds in the stools (fatty acid soaps) are not important. 



Banana flour is a useful food. Add one ounce (31 grm.) to one pint 

 of water. Boil for five minutes. 



The methods here advised are cheap, sterile and efificacious (W. E. 

 Deeks). 



CONCENTRATED TABLET FOODS. 



The food tablet will never become universally used. Science will 

 never request that we should sit down to a lozenge lunch or tablet tea. 



Sugar is almost essential as a food but it cannot be compressed. 



The solids of our normal diet, daily, when all gases and water have 

 been driven off, will occupy three-quarters of a pint. 



If we take this in 5-grain tablets we should require about 1,700 

 dailv. But these we could not digest without water and six pints 

 would be required for these tablets only and water cannot be com- 

 pressed. The question of taste, smell, &c., are all important to 

 stimulate the digestive juices to flow. 



There would have to be some definite w:ay of distinguishing the 

 itablets to know when one was about to partake of the meat or pudding 

 course. 



Some dried foods can be prepared and are useful, as evaporated 

 milk, casein, &c. 



DRINKS. 



Water. 



There is nothing to equal Nature's first thirst quencher, viz. : cool, 

 pure water. Mankind, however, requires variety. 



Tea. 



Tea (Thea sinensis, &c.) has an odour due to essential oil, a nerve 

 stimulant due to caffeine, 2 to 5 per cent., and an astringent due to 

 tannic acid, 7 to 15 per cent. 



Indian and Ceylon teas contain about twice as much tannin as the 

 China teas, and tannin is prejudicial to digestion, forming with proteins 

 a leathery substance which is insoluble. 



Strong tea or an excess of weak tea induces indigestion, nervous- 

 ness and irritability. The nervous breakdown of tea-tasters is due to 

 this. Tea should be drunk within ten minutes of its being made. 



Coffee . 



Coffea arabica contains half to three-quarters as much caffeine as 

 tea. 



Black coffee as a common and frequent indulgence produces a 



