The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-17
cH1LDREN's FOOD.
Dr.. Robt. F. Williams Speaks to
Mothers ON important Matters.

Dr.. Robt. F. Williams Speaks to
Mothers On Important Matters.
The monthly meeting Of st. Andrews.
Parents and Teachers Club was heid
yesterday afternoon at 81. Andre"s
School, Beverly and Cherry streets' ne
large. sunny kind ergarten room was near
~ filled with the parents and teachers,
yho have recently formed an organization
for the mutual Improvement and better
care Of the children.
Tho meeting was opened with hymn
and prayer, and then Miss bliss intro
duced DR.. Robert F. Williams. Of the
Medical College Of Virginia, who made
the address Of the evening. Dr. VIII
lams's subject was "Childrens Food,
subject upon which he is an authority,
and upon which he has recently written
an exhaustive work His lecture was
most helpful and Instructive.
Dr.. Williams began by saying that
practically all illnesses Of children. ex-
cept contagious diseases, Are tlue to.
faulty or insufficient food. He then spoke
of the five different classes of food and
their uses and abuses.
First, the protcjds, which supply the
muscles and tissues Of the body. This
class is represented by the flesh Of ami
mails, milk. eggs and grains. "A child
said DR.. Williams. requires more of this
kind of food in proportion than does a
man; for the reason that a child has not
only to supply the wasted tissue, but
also to add new tissue to the body
Next. he spoke Of the carbohydrates.
or sugars and starches. the foods which
furnish energy to the muscles. This class
is represented by sugar and potatoes.
Every child needs some sugar but the
average mother gives injudiciously, either
giving the sweets too concentrated, or
too frequently.
The third kind OF food consists of the
various salts or mineral ingredients Of
the body. and the fourth class Is the
fats which supply the body with the
necessary heat.
Lastly, there is water. which forms
about Is or 50 per cent. Of the material
of the body, and which should be taken
by children frequently between meals.
Water should not be taken in great
quantities at meals, as it gives the child
the tendency to wash the food In Jumps
into the stomach. Thorough chewing
Is absolutely necessary to perfect diges-
ton, and mothers should see that the
children form proper habits Of mastica-
ton.
In closing. DR.. Williams spoke of the
Japanese, who depend solely on grains
and vegetables for their proted food,
and who lately proved themselves a m ost
enduring race.
Diseases of Children.
DR., w. s. Gordon gave the third of his
series of lectures on ''Hygiene. of Chill
dren" yesterday afternoon at No. II West
Main Street. His subject was Diseases
OF Children and How to Detect the First
Symptoms, and his treatment Of the
subject was most able. He went very
carefully over the various apparently
slight disorders In children, which may
lead to such serious consequences, and
cautioned the mothers to be on the
lookout for any unusual listlessness and
pallor Of the child. practical common
sense said he must be used, and
our power of observation must be trained
to catch the first symptom OF inclp[ent
disease for by that means many little
lives may be saved"