164 . OBESITY 



Banting's diet list is as follows : 



Breakfast: 120 to 150 grams of beef or lamb, kidneys, fried fish, ham, or any cold 

 meat (only pork being absolutely prohibited), a large eup of tea without milk or sugar, 

 some rusks, or 30 grams of toast without butter (total of 150 to 180 grams of solids 

 and 240 grams of fluid). 



Besides, Banting first tooli a swallow of " Balsam of Life " — probably a, kind of 

 bitter-tonic. 



Midday meal: 150 to 180 grams of fish (except salmon), or meat (no pork), or any 

 kind of poultry or game, all sorts of vegetables (except potatoes), 30 grams of toasted 

 bread or stewed fruit. Two to three glasses of red wine, sherry or Medoc (champagne, 

 Port wine and beer are prohibited) ; total of 240 grams each of fluids and solids. 



Afternoon: A cup of tea (without milk or sugar), 60 to 90 grams of fruit, one or 

 two large biscuits; total of 60 grams of solid and 240 grams of fluid. 



Supper: 90 to 220 grams of meat or fish (same varieties as at the midday meal), 

 and one or two glasses of red wine; total 90 to 120 grams of solids and 180 grams of 

 fluid. As a drink just before going to bed some grog (consisting of red wine or rum 

 without sugar) or one or two glasses of red wine. 



In this compilation it appears that Banting (who in respect to quantities 

 did not exactly conform to this scheme) was allowed by his physician about 

 600 to 650 grams of solids and 500 to 1,000 grams of fluid per day. In 

 Banting's letter describing his cure I cannot find the statement that he allowed 

 an unlimited supply of water to persons predisposed to obesity — as Immer- 

 mann and Cantani report. 



The following rules of Robin may also be arranged among the antifat 

 cures. Albert Robin {Revue de therap. med.-chir., 1897, ISTo. 24, quoted from 

 the Correspondenzblatt filr Schweizer Aerzte, 1898, page 96, No. 3) permits 

 five meals daily. 



1. Eight o'clock in the morning: A soft boiled egg, 20 grams of fish or lean meat 

 taken cold without any addition, 10 grams of bread, a cup of weak tea as hot as possible 

 and without sugar. 



2. Ten o'clock: Two soft boiled eggs, 5 grams of bread, 160 c.c. of wine with water, 

 or tea without sugar. 



3. Twelve o'clock (midday meal) : Cold meat according to choice but without bread; 

 as a substitute for bread, lettuce or water-cress with a little salt ; if absolutely necessary 

 at most 30 grams of bread. Exclusively green vegetables, particularly boiled lettuce 

 (100 to 150 grams). The same quantity of raw fruit for dessert; as fluid one or two 

 glasses 'of red wine with water. 



A quarter of an hour after the meal a eup of weak tea without sugar. 



4. Four o'clock p.m. : A eup of weak tea without sugar. 



5. Evening, seven o'clock (supper) : Same as in the morning at eight o'clock with 

 the addition of hot meat with or without fish, at most 100 grams. 



After every meal a walk lasting for one-half to three-quarters of an hour; besides, 

 general hygienic measures, hydrotherapy with friction, steam baths and general massage 

 are advised. Seven hours of sleep for adults, eight hours for children. No sleep dur- 

 ing the day. Regarding Robin's advice as to the amount of fluid, mention will be 

 made later. 



Robin's diet regulations require much greater self-denial on the part of 

 the obese than those of the English authors previously mentioned. I think 

 it quite likely that Robin reckoned first of all with the manner of life and the 

 dietetic peculiarities of his French compatriots. Cantani is more strict with 



