Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-05

matter of feeding their children. The
only safe plan for parents Is to learn
the physiological demands of growing
child. and then supply at regular
periods good, wholesome foods In the
quantities their generous appetites de-
mand. Candies, nuts and nick-nacks
II eaten, at all should for the most part
constitute a part of their meals, and
II hunger must be appeased between
meals let a glass of milk, bread and
butter or little fruit suffice, so that
when meal time arrives they will be
ready for their meal. If children are
not satisfied with plain food between
meals the craving is not natural hun
ger. On general principles it is better
meal time arrives, unless the interval
between meals is entirely too great
say more than six hours.
The complete digestion of food re-
quires from five to six hours. so it Is
readily seen that to eat at short inter-
calls forces the digestive system to per-
form a second duty before it has COM
pleted the first. This not only robs the
digestive organs of their rest but the
digestive processes are greatly dis
tuIDtu. w ltu LbOuS VI d
character as candies, nuts, ice cream,
etc, are eaten even in small quantities
between meals the system is compelled
to secrete the digestive juices required
to digest the newly introduced food
These mingle with the partially di-
gested foods upon which the stomach
has acted The food eaten at the prev
ious meal which is partially or totally
prepared to >be passed into the iptes-
| tines is retarded by the Introduction of
more food and digestive fluids, and 1t is
liable to undergo fermentation In spite
of the preserving influences Of the
gastric juice. Thus the whole mass is
rendered less fit for the nutrition of
the body, and the danger to which the
stomach is exposed from the develop
ment of acids Is great. A catarrhal
condition and liberation of the delicate
walls OF the stomach are often the
outcome.
Foods are INDUCED in by most peo-
pie without any thought of what the
result may be- Only the momentary
pleasure and entertainment that eating
affords is considered The high purpose
for which foods are intended is entirely
/ lost sight Of. These habits are deserv-
| ing of rebuke, for to sacrifice the physi-
cal and mental well being for the sake
of appeasing appetite, or for the SAX
| of demonstrating soeiable and hos
pitable spirit is wrong in principle and
in practice. The only form of enter
tainment that can be said to be true
hospitality or sociable success is that
which benefits both mind and body.
At too many of our social functions
we give too much attention to the
stomach and too little to the head.
The number Of meals which should
be eaten depends somewhat upon the
habits of the individual, the kind Of
labor performed, the climatic condi-
tons. and the hours spent in active
exercise. There is no reason to cuppose
that the farmer and the men and wom-
en- performing muscular labor cannot
utilize three meals a day. but there are
good reasons for believing that for a
large portion of the people residing in
cities who lead sedentary lives, two
meals instead of three would be better
in every way. According to Hippo
crates, the ancient Greeks ate but two
meals a day. The same was true of
the ancient Hebrews and Persians.
That the system can be well nourished
on two meals a day has bean proven
| beyond controversy. Thousands of peo-
| pie who through careless habits have
| fallen prey to dyspepsia have adopt
| ed the two meal day plan, and al
| most without exception they have