114 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



third of its volume of lime water, given in teaspoonful doses each 

 quarter of an hour by the clock, in rebellious vomiting of reflex 

 origin. This quantity will be retained when larger ones will be 

 rapidly rejected. 



The inability to digest amylaceous food when pyrexia is present 

 is generally recognized : hence the principle of milk and beef -tea 

 diet in fever. I would strongly urge the employment of occasional 

 draughts of pure water in fever. This is much neglected. Patients 

 are plied with strong essence of beef, Brand's jelly, and milk with 

 stimulants — all this ad nauseam,, but a cooling draught of water is 

 withheld. Water, however, is generally relished, and is of real 

 service. It promotes appetite for the next food, and cleans the 

 mouth. 



The nutritive value of purely amylaceous foods has been de- 

 cried, but, I think, with no satisfactory clinical reason. Arrow- 

 root prepared with water only, or with milk, is certainly sufficiently 

 sustaining for many invalids who temporarily can not take bread. 

 In gastric and gastro-enteric catarrh it is of much service, and 

 diarrhoea may sometimes be checked by stirring into a cupful of 

 milk-arrowroot half a teaspoonful of raw arrowroot powder, and 

 ten grains of powdered cinnamon. 



Eggs often disagree because of their albuminous constituents. 

 The yolk alone can often be taken with advantage in soup or in 

 milk, or beaten up with spirit. 



In the treatment of febrile states, tea and coffee are too often 

 omitted, without reason, from the dietary. They will enable cases 

 to go on well with a diminished amount of alcohol. Cold tea with 

 cream is an excellent refreshment early in the morning after pro- 

 fuse sweats in phthisis. One meets with patients who have been 

 forbidden butcher's meat, but allowed to eat chicken or game. I 

 am at a loss to understand the reason for this. I recognize the 

 greater digestibility of the latter as a rule, although I much doubt 

 if there is really any difference if the beef or mutton be tender 

 and of good quality. If, as I conceive, there is an idea that the 

 one tends to plethora and vascular tension, or is apt to induce uric- 

 acid disturbances, while the other does not, I should be prepared 

 to controvert that idea, believing that all these flesh foods fall into 

 the same category. With fish the case is different, and large meat- 

 eaters may sometimes with advantage be ordered to substitute 

 fish. It is hardly possible for any one to overeat himself on fish, 

 and, whatever may be the explanation of the fact, I am satisfied 

 that great mental energy and capacity may be secured by occa- 

 sional meals of white fish to the exclusion of other animal food. 



It were well if greater heed were paid to the treatment of the 

 patient than is commonly bestowed on that of the disease. One 

 not rarely finds measures adopted for the latter, and no thought 



