MILK. 375 



!is the most efficacious. In very slight cases of 

 fever, only a. moderate quantity of food is required 

 The brod-suppe and butter-suppe of the Germans 

 may be given, and the patient will do perfectly well. 

 In fact, the principle of treatment often adopted 

 in such slight cases is that of giving diluents ; for 

 weak beef-tea, &c., consist almost entirely of water, 

 and it would be absurd to suppose that the very small 

 quantity of solid matter contained therein really com- 

 pensates for the material removed from the body by 

 the secreting organs. We know, indeed, that it does 

 not, and that the patient loses weight, and loses weight 

 fast. In a short time the feverish state passes off; 

 the secreting organs begin to act again freely ; the 

 salivary glands and the stomach resume their function ; 

 healthy secretions are produced in considerable quan- 

 tity ; the nutrient constituents of the food are freely 



dissolved ; and the loss of tissue which had occurred 







.during the feverish period of the malady is speedily 

 repaired, and not unfrequently more than repaired 

 for it is not unusual to find that for some time after 

 a patient has recovered from a feverish attack, he 

 improves in health, and becomes stronger and more 

 robust and vigorous than he had been at any antece- 

 dent period of life. 



Milk is one of the most valuable forms of food, not 

 only in cases of low fever, but in almost all forms of 

 disease. Sometimes it is desirable to dilute the milk 

 with an equal quantity of water. If there should be 



2 c 2 



