Man's Food and Dietetics. 4 1 



of disease, the latter has died with the blood in it, or suffered from 

 acute pain. It is wholesome if it has a mottled appearance, from 

 the ramification of little veins of fat among the muscles. It is 

 wholesome if it is firm and elastic to the touch, for bad meat is 

 wet and flabby. It should have little or no odour, and that not 

 of a disagreeable character. Sufficient heat destroys parasite 

 life in meat if it exists ; hence the paramount necessity of raising 

 the temperature in cooking to above this point. Many instances 

 have been recorded where fatal results have been caused by 

 eating the flesh of an animal infected by disease ; and Dr. 

 Livingstone speaks of having met with cases of malignant 

 carbuncle produced by this cause. 



Next to mammals, birds are of the greatest importance as 

 food. So far as is known, there is no bird, or part of a bird, 

 or egg of a bird, which may not safely be used for food. How- 

 ever, some birds are doubtless rendered poisonous by food they 

 have eaten. Thus American pheasants and partridges have 

 often been found to possess poisonous qualities. Game, as dis- 

 tinguished from poultry and wild fowl, is very appetising and 

 strengthening ; but invalids, or those of weak digestion, should 

 eat only the breast. 



After referring to the different kinds offish, cereals, vegetables, 

 fruits, &c, the lecturer went on to deal with fluid foods and beve- 

 rages. He impressed the necessity of purity in water and other 

 drinks consumed. If a plain and wholesome liquor be drunk, 

 the error of taking too much is not likely to be committed. 

 Some people hold the erroneous idea that the amount of liquor 

 taken at meals should be considerably restricted in order to 

 avoid any excessive dilution of the gastric juice or digestive 

 fluid of the stomach. Mischief is thus frequently occasioned, 

 particularly in the higher ranks of society, by taking small 

 quantities of fluid at meals, and those of a more or less strongly 

 alcoholic character. Tea, taken in moderate quantities, exerts 

 an exhilarating influence and restorative action without the ill 

 effects of alcohol. Coffee and cocoa are also useful and whole- 

 some beverages. Alcoholic beverages, when consumed in 



