THE ADVANTAGES OF A MIXED DIET. 127 



As already pointed out, nearly all common foods contain 

 several foodstuffs. Good butcher's meat, for example, con- 

 tains nearlv half its dry weight of fat : and bread in addition 

 to proteids contains starch, fats, and sugar. In neither of 

 them, however, are the foodstuffs mixed in the physiologically 

 best proportions, and the custom of consuming several of 

 them at each meal, or different ones at different meals dur- 

 ing the day, is not only agreeable to the palate but in a high 

 degree advantageous to the body. The strict vegetarians 

 who do not eat even such substances as eggs, cheese, and 

 milk, but confine themselves to a purely vegetable diet, 

 which is always poor in proteids, take daily far more car- 

 bon than they require, arid are to be congratulated on their 

 excellent digestions which are able to stand the strain. 

 Those so-called vegetarians who use eggs, cheese, etc., can of 

 course get on very well, since such substances are extremely 

 rich in proteids, and supply all the nitrogen needed, 

 without the necessity of swallowing the vast bulk of food 

 which must be eaten in order to get it directly from plants. 



Give illustrations of the fact that most foods contain more than 

 one foodstuff. 



Why do we commonly use several foods at one meal? What ele- 

 ment do strict vegetarians take in excess? How do nominal vegeta- 

 rians get their nitrogen ? 



