Arizona republican., 1891-06-27

nourishing and regularly taken. Milk, fresh and sweet; the best of bread, white and brown, thoroughly baked and never cut or eaten until day old; oatmeal and any of the varieties of pre-. pared grains; the best of meats and veg etables, nicely cooked and served; eggs, simple puddings, fruits, freshly stewed or those which have been preserved in glass jars, should make up the dietary. The heartiest meal should be taken in the middle of the day. Active children often need some light nourishment mid way between breakfast and the next meal Candies are not necessarily un- wholesome, and if little freedom with the sugar bowl will not suffice to supply the sweets so craved the mother should select pure, uncolored candies at 8 reli- able confectioner's, or what is better, make them at home, and give them to her children at the close of their meal.
 The children of the poor are, as a rule, insuficiently fed, but this is the result of the ignorance which prevails in the selecting and preparing of their food quite as often as from a scarcity of it.
 A bony woman presents herself at city dispensary. She is decently dressed, but her skin is the color of parchment. She holds by the hand pale, unhappy looking child. The case is stated, but before the prescription is made comes the question, What does the child eat?" The doctor is prepared for the answer, that he eats the same as the rest of the family do. The doctor asks what that is, and to the uninitiated the answer is often most reassuring, to wit, Bread, meat, potatoes, milk, also pies and cakes when we can get them" The bread, whether baked at home or pro cured from the baker, is as nearly fresh from the oven as possible, and always of bolted flour.
 The meat is fried in fat, and comes to the table with its nutritive qualities nearly all destroyed by the process. while the hardened fibers are so impregnated with fat that the gastric juice the sol vent of meats, but not digester of fats) cannot act upon them, and an indigesti- ble, irritating mass is introduced into the stomach instead of the nutriment which the meat, if properly cooked, would furnish. The milk is bought by the half pint at cheap grocery, and it is often so poor that it does not matter that so little is used. Strong tea and coffee complete the list. The bony as- pect and parchment skin of the mother and the sickly pallor of the child are ex- plained, and much advice and little medi- cine are given.
 This is no isolated case. On the con- trary. it is one of the most common. The rusty teapot and "Great American Spider" reign in all these homes, and their victims are numbered by tens of thousands. AS a rule the food is sup piled at cost which might insure excel lent fare for all. Intelligence in selec- ton, ability to buy the most nutriment for the least money, and then to cook it in a manner both palatable and whole some are the necessary qualifications. There is no truer missionary field open to the philanthropist than that of in- structing the poor with regard to their food.-how to make the most and best of what they can command-and no greater public benefaction is possible than one which should convert the little starve- lings of our underfed population into children of a stronger and better growth.
 In other words, let little of the good sense which is exercised in the care of other growing creatures be bestowed up, on the children, and we shall soon cease to deserve the appellation of nation of dyspeptics.
 Indeed, without disparagement to the latter, am sure no one will deny that it is of much more importance that the re. suits of careful observation and scientific study be concentrated upon the develop ment of the physique of growing citi' zen of our Great and Glorious Repub, lic," than that bantam rooster or Al derney calf be brought to its highest perfection. LUCY M. HALL, M. D.