42 G THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



struggled in vain against constantly augmenting fatness, and that under the advice 

 of numerous physicians he tried all kinds of different treatments without deriving 

 the slightest benefit. 



He says : "I have tried sea-air and bathing in various localities, with much 

 walking exercise ; taken gallons of physic and liquor potassse advisedly and 

 abundantly; riding on horseback; the waters and climate of Leamington many 

 times, as well as those of Cheltenham and Harrogate frequently ; have lived upon 

 sixpence a day so to speak, and earned it if bodily labour may be so construed." 

 At one time he took a course of ninety Turkish baths, but never during the whole 

 of the treatment managed to lose more than six pounds in weight. On another 

 occasion he was recommended to take increased bodily exertion before his daily 

 labours began, and with that object he lived near the river, and tried rowing a good 

 heavy boat for a couple of hours every morning. The only result was that he 

 gained in muscular vigour, and with it a prodigious appetite which he was 

 compelled to indulge, and consequently increased considerably in weight instead of 

 getting thinner. At last, his hearing being greatly impaired, he went to a well- 

 known aural surgeon, since dead, who advised him to abstain as much as possible 

 from fat or fat-making articles of diet. Thereupon he almost abandoned the use of 

 bread, butter, sugar, beer, and potatoes, eating freely and fully, however, of other kinds 

 of food. In this way he was reduced many inches in girth, and lost in thirty-eight 

 weeks thirty-five pounds in weight. In addition he improved wonderfully in 

 general health, comfort, and symmetry, and the improvement was permanent. 



The following is, with a little modification, the plan of dietary adopted by Mr. 

 Banting. 



Breakfast (about 8.30 a.m.}. Four or five ounces of beef, mutton, kidneys, 

 boiled fish, bacon or cold meat (except pork or veal), or a couple of eggs (not hard 

 boiled), a large cup of tea or coffee (without milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or an 

 ounce of dried toast, brown bread, or crust off a common household loaf. 



Dinner (about 1 p.m.). Five or six ounces of any fish (except salmon, herrings, 

 or eels), any meat (except pork or veal), any vegetable (except potatoes, parsnips, 

 beetroot, turnips, or carrots), one ounce of dry toast, or crust from the loaf, fruit 

 out of a pudding (without sugar), any kind of poultry or game, and two glasses of 

 dry sherrry, or three of good sound claret (champagne, port, and beer are 

 forbidden). 



Tea (about 5 p.m.). Two or three ounces of fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of 

 tea (without milk or sugar). 



Supper (about 8.30 p.m.). Three or four ounces of meat or fish, and a glass or 

 two of claret. 



On rising in the morning Mr. Banting was in the habit of taking a " special 

 corrective cordial " containing a drachm of aromatic spirits of ammonia, and ten 

 grains of carbonate of magnesia, with the object of obviating any tendency to gout. 



This plan of treatment is in many cases undoubtedly a good one, but it should 

 not be adopted indiscriminately. Mr. Banting gives a very sensible bit of advice 

 when he says, " I do not recommend every corpulent man to rush headlong into 

 such a change of diet (certainly not), but to act advisedly, and after full consultation 



