, 1911-01-14

stances. UnQGf certain COuQlllOuS, TWO Guys
starvation is the wisest measure any one can
take. After a period of over-eating it saves
the headache, pain and discomfort Of a chilli
Gus attack, which is simply natures method
of counteracting the i'll effects OF two much
food. The thin, nervous woman, however,
who would be killed outright ny the fasting
cure, is the very subject for overlooking.
Such people require Il great deal Of fat.
Most of us would be healthier if we took
more fat in our daily food. Methodical over
feeding is included III the medical treatment
Of phthisIs, maInutritiOn, hysteria, and neu-
rasthenia, milk being the food which is gen
orally used. One of the objections to vege-
tarianism is the danger 81 unlerfeedInps
which is very undesirable if people are not
well nourishod. The vegetarians who eX-
clude fish, eggs, milk, and butter from their
diet are scientifically open to considerable
criticism on this score. To avoid underfeed-
ing the food has to be taken in such bulk to
supply sufficient proteid that the digestive
organs are OverstrNined.
The other day | met u man who had tried
the foreign cure Of "dry diet" which was
popular among the Greeks as 1t cure for
many Ills. He lived upon hali-a-dozen rolls
in the twenty-four hours, and during the
first few days ut any rate liquids bad to be
abslained from altogether, although wine
and porridge we're added later. Prison fare
is luxurious in contrast with such Spartan
treatment.
Sour milk as q cure for digestive disorders
has been swallowed by a considerable NUM-
Der Of people during the last two years with
more or less success. The Sauerin tabloid
is even more fashionable than the tablet of
saccharin, which was surreptltiousIy dropped
into the tea at afternoon parties a few years
ago. Ono grows very tired OF the sour
mllkite, the nullist, the enthusiastic tletch-
erite. There is nothing clandestlne about
the modern diet maniac. One would be
only too glad Of Il little secrecy on his part
as to the respective merits Of his particular
crOtchet compared with those Of other peo-
pie. Any woman who has sat next to q diet
maniac during the course of n long DINNER
party feels ut the end Of it that she never
wishes to see, smell, taste, or hear about
food again. Tho ordinary normal woman
cares not u farthing how much proteld or
carbohydrate her eutree contains. ii her
dinner partner is dyspeptic, equity, OF obese
he is certain to expound his views on the
subject with the slightest encouragement.
The unfortunate thing is that he seems to
have lost his power of discerning when other
people are bored. He will discourse for
half-an-hour with an enthusiasm and self
satisfaction generally attributed to the
young mother with d first baby, or the anna
teur musician with views about Wagner.
From a commonsense standpoint such peo-
Die are simply absurd. If we wish to be
healthy we should tram ourselves to eat or
binary everyday fare and eat it cheerfully.
If we wish to be popular we should refrain,
when we 80 visiting other people, from de
handing different food from that supplied in
the ordinary routine of the household.
There Is no greater bore than the man who
wants to eat bananas ut 9 a. m. when there
are none in the house and the nearest fruit
shop is three miles away. There is no more
undesirable guest than the woman who must
have her food cooked in certain ways or who
insists upon having her potatoes boiled with
out salt. Food becomes Il fetish with such
types, ana their certain reward is q dyspep-
tic old age.
The normal stomach ought to be able TO
digest and assilnilate three simple meals a
day. Most Of us require this allowance OF
food, and it matters far less whether we eat
macaroni, chicken, fish, or bananas so long
MS we chew the food we eat absolutely thor
oughly. The majority of people Of the we'll
e.. do clocsas ent too much. but it does not