LOSS OF APPETITE. 383 



find on inquiry that about an hour before he had three or four dozen oysters, and 

 some bread-and-butter, and a pint of stout, "just to pull him together." It may bo 

 thought that this is an exaggeration, but it is not. We have seen it, and we wish 

 we had not, for nothing can be more contemptible than a man who makes a deity of 

 his stomach. We should eat to live, and not live to eat. For people who dine in 

 the middle of the day, lunch is a great mistake. 



Many people seem to think that it would be a great hardship to go without 

 food from 8.30 A.M. to 1.0 P.M. They make a good breakfast directly they get up : 

 ham and eggs, and all the etceteras ; and then at 11.0 A.M. they go in for bread and 

 cheese and beer, or for the more aristocratic glass of sherry and a biscuit. Some- 

 body once said that, " lunch is a reflection on your breakfast and an insult to your 

 dinner," and it is a pity that more people do not bear this in mind. You can never 

 expect to have a good appetite unless you allow a good five hours to elapse between 

 each of the chief meals of the day. 



Now a word or two about some of what may be called the curiosities of appetite. 

 Sometimes a mother brings her boy to the doctor, and says she thinks he must have 

 worms, "he is always eating he is never satisfied." If the boy is strong and 

 well nourished, let him eat by all means, and do not be stupid enough to give him 

 anything to spoil his appetite. We do not suppose he has any worms, and even if he 

 has it does not matter very much. They will not do any harm, and it is only fair that 

 they should have a feast once in the way. At all events, if they do give any trouble, 

 there is never much difficulty in getting rid of them, and we will speak of the 

 different modes adopted for their expulsion by and by. In diabetes mellitus, or 

 sugary diabetes, there is often, as we have already seen, a most inordinate appetite. 

 It is no joke in the case of a poor man. Sometimes they seem as if they would eat 

 almost any quantity, and we certainly should not like to contract for them. Hysterical 

 young ladies often exhibit the most depraved appetites ; they will eat almost any- 

 thing, from slate-pencil to egg-shells. Few people like cinders as an article of diet, 

 but they really seem to enjoy them. Pregnant women occasionally exhibit these 

 vagaries of appetite, and either have, or pretend to have, inordinate longings for 

 particular kinds of food. It is to be feared that these fancies are often fostered by 

 encouragement ; at all events, they are less frequently heard of among the poor, who 

 have not the means of gratifying them, than in the higher ranks of society. 



What is to be done for loss of appetite 1 In the first place, it is essential to avoid, 

 as far as possible, any of the circumstances we have mentioned as causes of this com- 

 plaint. Be regular in your habits ; get up early ; do not stay out late at night ; take 

 plenty of outdoor exercise ; have your bowels well open every morning ; do not 

 drink much tea; be quite sure that you are not smoking too much, and are not 

 taking more than you ought to in the way of stimulant. It is a great thing if you 

 can dine in cheerful, pleasant society the example of eating seems to be almost 

 contagious. It is astonishing what a great deal bad cookery has to answer for in 

 the way of exciting a distaste for food. Many a man living in rooms or chambers 

 gets to hate the sight of his dinner, simply because he is so heartily tired of those 

 everlasting chops and steaks. The best thing he can do is to get into a good club, 

 and have his dinner there in a civilised fashion. In Ixmdon there are nowadays 



