182 NUTRIMENT OF CHILDREN. 



natural food ; the carbon by the sugar of milk, and this with hydrogen 

 in butter, both going to respiration. The constituents of its blood are 

 derived from the caseine of the milk ; and these are sufficient for the 

 metamorphosis of tissues, &c. The fondness of children for sugar is 

 explained by their necessities for its use in respiration. This is ob- 

 tained from the mother's milk ; but oftentimes too little is afforded in 

 this way, or by hand nursing. Fatty matter supplies its place in 

 northern regions. 



It has been well said, the natural appetite is an index of the wants 

 of the system," and, although there are cases in which prudence 

 would withold substances desired for consumption by children, yet 

 cases are not unfrequent in which the appetite is a better guide than 

 the judgment of parents. Neither animal nor vegetable food, when 

 craved, should be witheld in most cases. Whenever sugar, starchy, 

 or fatty matters are taken in quantities more than sufficient for 

 respiration, they contribute to the accumulation of fat. Nitrogen- 

 ized food furnishes the materials for the growth of the bones, car- 

 tilage, muscles, membranes and cellular tissue ; and milk affords, by 

 its caseine and phosphate of lime, the elements for these purposes ; 

 these are also supplied in the flour and meal of the grains, when eaten. 



A deficiency of food causes in children many bowel diseases, which 

 are often best controlled by potato stew, pea soup, &c. Insufficiency 

 and inequality of food are also sources of many other diseases, much 

 more frequently than parents are aware of. Commonly, there is little 

 danger of overfeeding, if the quality of food be good and properly va- 

 ried. The children of the poor, and those especially in poor houses, 

 are believed to be in general smaller and shorter than the children of 

 those by whom they are well fed. Boiled milk, beef and mutton 

 soups, rice cooked in various ways, with bread, are recommended for 

 children under, and even over, nine years of age. 



But, as dietetics naturally lead us into the consideration of animal 

 food ; as indeed they have already incidentally done, we shall conclude 

 these miscellaneous remarks. The subject is one, however, of much 

 interest ; and further particulars, under other heads, and especially 

 that of fruits, will be found in a future volume. 



fa&u 







