FOOD AND FEEDING. 147 



means of the amyloids and fats." Reference was also made to the 

 necessity for a mixed diet, viz. : one consisting of members of all 

 classes of foods, a fact proved by experiment. While it had also 

 been ascertained, that the various compounds found in the body 

 must be introduced into it, in a state of combination produced by 

 the agency of living beings, in the form of the various food stuffs, 

 with the exception of water and common salt which are taken in. their 

 inorganic form. The fact of people being able to thrive on one class 

 of food, was shown to be due to the mixture contained in it, of 

 elements of thedifferent classes, good examples being shown by the two 

 staple articles of diet, milk and bread. Food was next considered from 

 a sanitary point of view, the first point considered being the various 

 disorders due to errors in food and diet, especial attention being 

 given to those found amongst children, such as the various affections 

 of the stomach and bowels, so especially prevalent in summei when 

 the heat is an additional predisposing cause, convulsions, ricketts, 

 and the various scrofulous and tuberculous affections so common 

 among those whose constitutions have been lowered by improper 

 diet, also local diseases of the mouth, &c. Amongst the diseases of 

 adult life, attention was called to the various epidemics due to unsan- 

 itary conditions, but especially defects in food, both in quantity and 

 quality, the Irish famine fevers being examples in this particular, 

 and also teaching the necessity of mixed diet, for the people suffered 

 so much when deprived of potatoes their sole staple article of diet. 



The diseases seen among the wealthier classes also were noticed, 

 particularly gout, happily not so prevalent now that greater abstinence 

 is practised. Indigestion in its various forms of local inflammations, 

 also having been alluded to, the various constitutional derangements 

 were taken up, especially anaemia, so prevalent amongst young girls 

 and others whimsical about their diet. After speaking of the dispos- 

 ition to disease, brought on both by want of food and also by over- 

 indulgence, the last division was referred to, namely erroneous feed- 

 ing. The course of the disorders under this head was traced through 

 the various stages of the digestive process, it being shown how people 

 by disobeying physiological rules from the very beginning of the pro- 

 cess, do themselves great harm. Another great source of evil was 

 shown in the defective manner in which food is prepared, too much 

 attention being given to the appearance of food, and to the art of 



