30 



throughout life of food suited to the eater. It is a vital matter that our diet 

 be adapted to our age, both in quantity and quality. The appalling animal 

 loss of infant life is an object-lesson of this fact. Feed an infant in accord- 

 ance with the Law of Nature, and it survives almost any kind of ill which 

 may befall it. Neglect this law, and no human skill, no exquisite climate, 

 no expenditure of money, will rear it to maturity. 



The small child and the grown man, the youth and his grandfather, 

 each need varying amounts and proportions of food. To overfeed old age is 

 to shorten and to sadden the declining years; to underfeed youth is to warp 

 and check the normal course of development. 



PROVISION FOR GROWTH AND FOR WARMTH 



are the urgent requirements of the new-born child. Protein and fat are 

 therefore of primary importance. Not much sugar or starch are needed, as 

 during the first six or nine months of its life the infant leads, or should lead, 

 an almost vegetable existence; sleep, warmth, and food fulfil its demands 

 which should be met with machine-like regularity. With the development 

 of a more active phase of life a diet of different proportions is required. The 

 addition of crisped bread, of a lightly cooked egg, and other suited foods, 

 such as farinaceous puddings, white-fish, later on poultry and certain kinds 

 of stewed fruit with cream, gradually train the child's digestive organs while 

 meeting his bodily needs, until. l>y the age of seven or eight years, a healthy 

 child will be eating much the same food as its parents, only with a larger 

 proportion of milk, and generally of a simpler character. 



The teachings of this diagram concern the housewife most nearly, because 

 it is she who must provide for these ever-changing requirements. Not, of 

 course, that any one suggests the making of elaborate calculations daily; or 

 that the attention of the family should be concentrated upon the varying 

 proportions of nutrients desirable under varying conditions. But every 

 intelligent woman must familiarize herself with tin- broad principles which 

 govern healthful feeding at each age period, and apply them to the best of 

 her ability. For this is a question of efficiency, and of the courage, the cheer- 

 fulness, and the love of work associated with good nutrition. 



NOW THAT THE FACTS ARE KNOWN, 



it becomes a duty to make use of them. Otherwise man cannot do his full 

 or best work in the world; he cannot serve his country or his empire to the 

 degree of which he should be capable ; he cannot play his part in the progress 

 of civilization ; he cannot become the parent of healthy children ; he cannot 

 enter fully into his heritage of culture, of experience, of world-wide 

 knowledge. 



With the object of equipping the housewives of this Province with that 

 " working knowledge " of intelligent feeding to which repeated reference has 

 been made, Part II. of this bulletin will be devoted to the practical applica- 

 tions of the theoretical information furnished in these pages. 



ALICE RAVENHILL, 



Fellow of the Royal Sanitary Institute; Certificated Lecturer 

 National Health Society, Great Britain and Ireland. 



Author of "Practical Ifyyifnc for Use in Schools"; 

 "Elements of Sanitary Laic"; "Some Characteristics 

 and Requirements of Childhood"; "Household Admin- 

 istration"; "Household Foes, 1 " etc. 



Late Lecturer on Hygiene, University of London, King's 

 College for Women. 



