The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-12
however,

thyroid gland, however, III
the treatment of mYC0ls-
ma, to take only one striking instance,
should lead us to take a close interest
in the help that substances which may
be most suitably prepared in the kit
chen are able to afford us in the treat
ment of disease, and not to regard the
kitchen simply as a place from which
the provision of healthy food for
healthy persons is all that can be de-
sired or obtained.
There is a fund of interest and of in
formation in the old accounts of the
various properties and powers with
which writer's from the earliest times
invested different articles of diet. Thus,
Pliny, tells us that Cato thinks that
after eating hare sleep is induced, but
the common people suppose that after
such food the body is more lively and
gay for nine days; this may be only an
idle rumor, but, STILL for so widespread
belief there must be some founda-
ton" Whether there is any true foun-
dalton for such a belief or not an in
vestigation into the exact chemical
properties OF flesh of various animals
and into such articles of diet, for in
stance, as shell-fiSh, which are known
to have peculiar effects upon certain
people, would not only be of great in
terest, but might lead to results of
great therapeutic value.
Such chemical work as this is a most
fitting direction in which to turn some
of the efforts CT clinical laboratories
such as are sure in the future to be
more and more extensively employed
in connection with all large general
hospitals. There are many widespread
beliefs and theories with regard to the
effects of different foodstuffs in health
and disease. Exact knowledge on such
points is scanty. We cannot doubt
that in attempting to enlarge and to
define it. direct OF indirect results of
Importance and utility would be OBJ
tanned. Why, for instance, are toma-
toes in the popular mind so widely as
ISOLATED with the spread of cancer?
We have no grounds whatever for be-
lieving the idea to have any reasonable
foundation. Yet how much do we
know of the special constituents of the
tomato? Has it any therapeutic proper
ties? Is 1t, as a matter of fact, particu-
larly prevalent where cancer is es-
pecially common? Such questions and
their solution are a natural adjuct to
intelligent medical interests in the
kitchen, and we have mentioned merely
the crudest and most obvious of the
many problems, therapeutic and path
illogical, that the kitchen suggests to
us if we honor it with our attention.
There is another point of view from
which the cook may be brought to the
aid of the practical physician. Suppos-
ing that experiment were to show that
drugs which now are used only in
formally prescribed mixtures or pills
were capable of introduction into the
more welcome output of the domestic
kitchen-how grateful an assistance
might we obtain. 1t is ften difficult
when a medicine has to be taken fire.
quently and over long periods of time
to be sure that the patient does not
grow careless or forgetfui. If, how
ever, instead of taking his draught be-
fore, or his pill after, his daily meals,
that draught or that pill were, with
out altering the taste of the dish and
without losing its own efficacy, COM
bined with the patients dinner in
stead of preceding or following it, we
can imagine a far more certain ac-
ceptance on his part, and the physi-
clans orders would be more consist
entity carried out by connivance on
the part of the cook than they are with
the cooperation of the chemist. Such
a delegation of the dispensers duties
to the hands of the chef can only be
achieved by familiarity on the part of
the medical man with the work of
both his subordinates. With the work
of one he is, perhaps, fairly cognizant;
with that of the other we strongly rec
ommend him to become more init
mately acquainted.