A GOOD STARVE. 157 



heard a High Church clergyman enunciate the same 

 opinion as an argument in favour of Lenten fasting ; 

 and (as a physiologist), I confess I am in thorough 

 agreement with such opinions. 



If so much socially may be said for a good starve 

 now and then as a kind of hygienic rite, the question 

 arises, What is the scientific side of abstinence from 

 food ? There can, of course, be no such thing pos- 

 sible as total abstinence from " food " for any length 

 of time without a fatal result accruing. By food, 

 however, let us see what one means. There is, first 

 of all, air-food, the oxygen we breathe into our lungs ; 

 then comes water, whereof two-thirds of our bodies by 

 weight are composed. Next we want so much nitro- 

 genous food ; and so much starch and sugar and fat 

 and oil per day, all of which things are non-nitro- 

 genous in character. 



Finally, we must throw in an ounce or two per diem 

 of the necessary minerals iron for blood, lime for 

 bones, phosphorus for nerve and brain, along with 

 soda and potash and other inorganic substances. 

 Now, it is very evident that as regards item the first, 

 namely, our oxygen, we cannot dispense with that 

 commodity at all. It is absolutely necessary for the 

 continuance of life, and fortunately it costs us nothing, 

 and is not even included among the possible subjects 

 of taxation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, enter- 

 prising as he may be. 



As regards the nitrogenous foods, the albumen and 

 gelatine, and gluten and so forth, and the starches, 

 sugars, and fats, and oils, we can get on fairly well 

 without them for several days at least. At a pinch 

 we might want them, without of necessity landing in 

 the undertaker's hands, for a longer period still. The 



