A HISTORY OF METABOLISM 13 



generally died of scurvy, while the former remained free from the disease 

 or soon recovered. 



Dr. Cirelli informed him that Neapolitan physicians frequently gave 

 for periods of forty days no food to patients suffering from fever. 



Mr. Slingsby has lived many years on bread, milk and vegetables with- 

 out animal food or wine and has been free from gout ever since he began 

 this -regimen. 



Stark's experiments of taking bread and water alone may thus be sum- 

 marized : 



"During the third period I was one day irregular, having ate about 

 four ounces of meat and drank two or three glasses of wine. At the con- 

 clusion of it I was perfectly hearty, my head clear, often hungry." 



After this, from July 26 to August 24, he took a diet of bread, water 

 and sugar. On August 11, "I. now perceived small ulcers on the inside 

 of my cheeks, particularly near a bad tooth; the gums of the upper jaw 

 of the same side were swelled and red and bled when pressed with the 

 finger; the right nostril was also internally red or purple and very 

 painful." 



On August 13, having been extremely ill, he took a few ounces of 

 meat and two or three glasses of wine with his bread. This caused 

 marked improvement in his condition. On August 22 he dined heartily 

 on meat and fruit and drank some wine. 



From August 24 to September 13, a diet of bread, water and olive 

 oil. On September 8 he was so weak that he almost fainted when walking 

 across the floor. The gums were swollen and he "spat in considerable 

 quantity a very disagreeable, fetid, yellowish fluid." On September 9 

 he took "a basin of mutton broth" and thereafter lived freely on animal 

 food, milk and wine until September 18, when "I felt myself quite re- 

 covered." 



On September 18 to October 2, a diet of bread, water and milk. Upon 

 this diet the gums improved and the offensive smell disappeared. 



From October 2 to October 14 the diet consisted of bread, water and 

 roast goose. He became "hearty and vigorous, both in mind and body." 



