Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-24
Diet for the Tuberculous.

Among the vegetables recommended
Tor the tuberculous are onions. tomatoes,
spinach. asparagus. lettuce. crosses,
celery. greens and peas. Sometimes rice
or potatoes are allowed. though both
have special disadvantages. In some
stages of the disease one of them can be
eaten. while the other will cause distress,
especially If eaten with much salt. SO
far as is possible it seems best to avoid
them both.
Among the fruits found useful in the
treatment of the disease are figs. prunes
dried apricots, tamariEdS. apples (Which
are best If cooked with lemon juice or
baked, but can sometimes be eaten raw,
oranges. grape fruit (Which is to be
taken on rising in the morning>. melons.
grapes. raisins stewed fruits, b-ackber-
ries strawberries, huck'eberries. pears
peaches. cherries and plums 80 -
They are all most beneficial If taken
specially beneficial, and cases of early
tuberculosis have been cured by the
daily taking Of the juice Of ten or twelve
lemons. Lemonade and water acidulated
with cream of tartar (bitartrate or pot
ASH are especially beneficial as drinks.
Cocoa is also a most valuable and nour-
fishing drink. and may be taken at night
and in the morning with benef1ciai re-
suits. Food may be taken between meals
and before retiring, with an average IN
u
periods. Where there is much hyperacid,,
ity Of the stomach it is best to take OIL
before meals. Oil is much better for the
patient than is butter. cream or milk;
An increase in the normal amount or OIL
eaten is found advantageous In tubercu-
losis The reason for this seems to be
that oils are solvents Of phosphorus. Al
mond oil is an especially good solvent
Even plain olive Oil Is wonderfully help.
full In the trea tment Of tuberculosis: ana
1sx-n~ ,k1 &c, al "a n H.
self for simple forms of the disease II 1t
is taken early enough and properly.
Foods to Be Avoided.
Among the foods to be avoided by the
are: Meats-Pork, ham, veal
and hashes. F'ish-Salt fish. lobster. blue
fish and most OF the fishy foods. Foods
and vegetables-All starchy foods and
such as parsnips. carrots. tur-
nips, beets, white and sweet potatoes
especially the sweet potatoes; bananas
and, in some cases, cucumberS ana CAP
bages. Farinaceous foods and cereals.
such as arrow root, cornstarch, homlny.
barley, rye, wheat. etc. Hot bread. es-
pecialiy wheat bread. Cake. pies and
pastry are also considered undesirable,
and all fried foods made dishes and
gravies are considered injurious also.
Most condiments irritate the kidneys
ana are pest dSOlueo.
while fresh fish, cells. salmon. mackerel
and Goldfish. as we'll as various kinds OF
meat and meat broths, are recommended
for a tuberculous dietary by some physi-
clans, yet an analysis Of their mineral
makes them seem extremely
foods, and such as would pre-
dispose to an acceleration Of the tuber-
culous development. oysters. chickens.
turkeys and some other kinds of fowl and
game seem less injurious from nutrition
al point of view. The advantages of TAX
ing eggs at all Is still a question, but II
taken they will be found to digest better
If a little lemon juice be added to them.
Experience indicates that the more
nearly the diet of the Tuberculosis is COTE
fined to a minimum of carbohydrate and
phosphate food and to a maximum of
oils and fruits. vegetables and other arti-
cles of food rich in potassium and per-
haps rich in sulphur or iodine, since all
three of these elements have oXidizing
powers, the more speedy will be the re-
coyery Of patients in almost every case
of tuberculosis. The Importance of these
small amounts of mineral constituents in
the ash of food makes 1t most essential
that the food of tuberculous patients
should be chemically pure and Of the best
quality"