770 Transactions of the American Institute. 



A man cannot subsist wholly upon starch. He must have three kinds 

 of food to sustain life. 



Prof. John Phin — I understood that the soluble portion only is 

 retained ; that is, that which is soluble in water, not that which 

 is soluble in gastric juice, and the rest is thrown away. • 



Dr. Van der "Weyde — There may be in the meat some portions 

 soluble in gastric juice which are not here, such as the fibrine. A 

 large portion of the muscular fiber is thrown away. The meat is first 

 boiled at the ordinary boiling point, and the surplus of water is then 

 slowly evaporated below the boiling point. 



Prof. Phin — The boiling in the first instance would, have a ten- 

 dency to render insoluble the albumenous portion of the meat. 



Dr. Yan der Weyde — I do not pretend that it is as good as good 

 roast beef. 



Dr. J. J. Edwards — In the case of a sick child or sinking patient 

 we see the importance of beef tea or Liebig's preparation, as a nutri- 

 ment to lift them over the sinking point and hold them up. All meat 

 is in one sense a stimulant ; this is a nutriment as well as a stimulant, 

 and in cases of great weakness the concentrated beef acts like a charm. 

 The admitted practice now is to chop up beef, or to give raw beef; 

 and this is better, because such patients can stand this when they 

 cannot stand the meat prepared in the ordinary way. This does not 

 distress or irritate the stomach. It does not stimulate, as alcohol 

 does, but simply holds the patient up while you cure him. At 

 twenty-five cents an ounce measure, it is often the cheapest medicine 

 you can get. At the price at which this extract of beef is sold, there 

 is no saving to the poor, but it can be used when nothing else can be 

 done. 



Dr. A. Ott — I have seen it stated that the extract of beef contains 

 salts of potash and soda in a larger proportion than the meat itself. 

 Large quantities of potash have a stimulating and often a poisoning 

 effect. After having used the extract of beef for some time, I found 

 that I was getting very nervous, and I had to abandon its use. 



Prof. J. Phin — There is one mistake frequently made in giving 

 beef-tea, and in preparing food for the sick, that we do not give solids 

 with the liquid. I am strongly inclined to believe that the stomach 

 requires some solid matter in it. It is not like the birds, which have 

 no teeth, and which take pieces of sand or quartz to grind up the 

 corn which they cannot masticate. It is not like the ruminants, which 

 require solid food, and will become diseased if fed largely upon liquids. 

 Tet, I am satisfied that the human stomach also requires solid material ; 



