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E. THE UTILITY OF CONDIMENTAL FOODS AND CON- 

 DITION POWDERS. 



By Dr. James B. Paige. 



A study of the action of patent foods, condition powders and 

 tonic foods can best be made by a study of the action which the 

 essential constituents of such foods have upon the various tissues of 

 the body when ingested. While none of the foods are identical in 

 composition, all contain one or more substances to which their 

 specific action is due. Ordinarily the active ingredient is mixed with 

 various grains and by-products in order to increase the bulk of the 

 mixture, and in certain instances to disguise its disagreeable taste or 

 odor. 



As a rule the specific substance found in such foods 

 Condiments belongs to one of the following classes of drugs : 

 and tonics, cotidiments, tonics or alteratives. 

 what they are, Condiments are defined as pungent appetizing sub- 

 and how they stances used for flavoring foods ; they excite the appe- 

 act. tite and promote digestion. 



Tofiics are substances which increase the strength or 

 tone of the animal system, obviating the effects of debility and 

 restoring healthy functions. They are classified according to the 

 particular organ or tissue they act upon, as blood, vascular, gastric, 

 intestinal and nerve tonics. 



Blood tonics improve the quality of the blood ; vascular tonics 

 increase the flow of blood to a part, improving cell activity and 

 nutrition ; nerve tonics strengthen and restore tone to the weakened 

 nerve tissue ; gastric and intestinal tonics increase the appetite and 

 aid digestion. 



The action of these various tonics is quite complex. Some act 

 directly upon a tissue to increase its functional activity, while others 

 produce the same effect by an indirect action through the circulation, 

 or by an action upon the nerves which regulate the functional activ- 

 ity of a particular organ, or a part of it. To illustrate : The 

 secretion of gastric juice may be increased by the direct action of 

 an alkali upon the mucous membrane of the stomach, or the same 

 result may be obtained by the administration of a drug which will 

 increase the flow of blood to the mucous membrane of that organ. 



