Hand Book of Health

9 DIET, OR PROPER FOOD AND DRINK

Elements of the body.-Elements of food.-Law of adaptation.-Meat.-Alcohol, and stimulants.-Comparative nutriment of meat and vegetable food.-Disease of flesh meats.-Butter, milk, cream, cheese, flesh soups, fish, eggs, acids, vinegar.-Proper food.-General instruction relative to eating.-Food of children.-Pure soft water the most wholesome drink

377. What is essential in selecting proper food and drink for the human stomach? HBH 179.1

It is essential to understand the elements requisite to build up the human body; to ascertain, not only what substances contain those elements, but also which ones contain them in a condition to be most readily assimilated to the wants of the vital economy in carrying out the building-up process of the system. HBH 179.2

378. Does it follow, because a certain substance contains elements that enter into the formation of the human body, that, therefore, that substance will nourish the body? HBH 179.3

It does not. There are substances which may yield, under chemical analysis, some of the elements of the human body, whereas the chemical laboratory within the organic domain would fail to find any place in the vital economy for such substances as food, and would simply expel them from the system as waste matter. HBH 179.4

379. How many elements have been found in living bodies? HBH 179.5

Nineteen. HBH 179.6

380. How many of these nineteen elements are regarded as essential constituents of the human body? HBH 179.7

Thirteen. These are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, chlorine, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and fluorine. HBH 179.8

381. What articles are supposed to afford nourishment to every part of the body? HBH 179.9

Milk to the nursing child, and wheat and apples to those of more advanced life. Yet neither of these yield to chemical analysis all the elements of the human body. HBH 179.10

382. How do you account for this, if it is essential to build up every part of the body, that these elements should exist in the food? HBH 180.1

It is supposed that the vital economy of the body has a power of transmuting its substances, and as it combines and commingles them, produces substances which could not previously be detected in the food. HBH 180.2

383. What seems to be the most natural food for man? HBH 180.3

If we reason from the law of adaptation, man was, in his creation, adapted to a diet of fruits, grains, and vegetables. When the Lord had placed man upon the earth, he said to him, “Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” ¹ His nature must have been adapted to a diet of this kind. Man’s perverted appetites may lead him to clamor, as did the Israelites, for the flesh-pots of Egypt; yet his constitutional nature is best fitted to a vegetable diet. HBH 180.4

384. What is one of the principal arguments advanced in favor of flesh as food? HBH 180.5

The argument is that flesh contains nitrogen, and that this is needed to build up the body. It is true that flesh-meat contains about fifteen per cent of nitrogen, while, wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, rice, peas, and beans, contain only from two to five per cent of nitrogen; yet these articles are about three times as nutritious as flesh-meat. It is therefore apparent that something besides nitrogen is needed to build up the body. HBH 180.6

385. Is it necessary to eat the flesh of animals to obtain any of the elements of our bodies? HBH 181.1

It is not. Phosphorus, which is a constituent of the bony, muscular and nervous tissue of the body, is found in nearly all vegetable substances, in combination with lime or magnesia. Sulphur, which is found in the hair, bones, saliva, etc., is readily detected in white cabbage, potatoes, peas, and other vegetables. Iron, which may be found in exceedingly small quantities in organized beings, is found in small particles in most vegetables used as food, as cabbage, potatoes, and peas. Chlorine, which is found in the blood, in the gastric juice, and the saliva, is a constituent of nearly all vegetable aliments, making it unnecessary to burden our systems with common salt to furnish chlorine to the body. Calcium, which is found in all the animal solids, in the blood, and in most of the secretions, is a constituent of most vegetables, of the cereals, etc. Magnesium and potassium, found in the blood, teeth, bones, and nerves, are constituents of grains, potatoes, grapes, etc. HBH 181.2

386. What are the proximate elements of the body? HBH 181.3

Those elements that are readily assimilated to the system, are water, gum, sugar, starch, lignin, jelly, fibrin, albumen, casein, gluten, gelatin, acids, and salts. These are all compounded of two or more chemical elements, and are produced in the growth of nutritive plants of the vegetable kingdom. HBH 181.4

387. Is alcohol capable of nourishing the body? HBH 181.5

It is not. It is the result of the death and putrefaction of organic vegetable matter. It is antivital in its nature. When taken into the stomach, it highly inflames that organ, and by the strong vital reaction, it is expelled from the gastric cavity into the small intestine, and extends its inflammation throughout the whole length of that canal. It always retards chymification, and renders the process less perfect, and diminishes the functional power of the stomach. As a result, it destroys the vital properties and the vital constitution of the tissues of the body. The same is true of all intoxicating drinks, and true also of such narcotics as tea, coffee, and tobacco, although, if used in moderate quantities, their effects may not be so soon perceived as in the case of intoxicating liquors. Nevertheless they slowly undermine the vital power of the system, in the same ratio as they unduly stimulate it. HBH 181.6

388. Can the body be sustained by placing nutritious matter only in the gastric cavity? HBH 182.1

The stomach and alimentary canal are constructed with reference to the disposition of food containing nutritious and innutritious matter. Their work is to receive such food, at proper times, in proper quantities, after it has been thoroughly masticated and insalivated in the mouth, and completely to dissolve it, or separate its nutritious from its innutritious matter; and convert the nutritious matter into chyme, and present this to the absorbing mouths of the lacteals, and then to remove the innutritious residuum from the organic domain. If only concentrated nutritious matter were placed in the alimentary organs, we should soon destroy the functional power of the organ, and break down the general function of nutrition, and death would soon ensue. HBH 182.2

389. What has been shown by experiment in this matter? HBH 183.1

That dogs fed on superfine wheat flour bread, and water, will die in about seven weeks; but if fed on bread made of unbolted wheat meal, and water, they will thrive and do well. Horses fed on grain, or meal and water alone, will die in a short time; but mix with the meal, or grain, cut straw, or even wood shavings, and they will do well. Instances might be cited, where horses were being transported on the sea, and their hay being carried away by a storm, etc. While they were fed on grain alone, many of them drooped and died, but on feeding the balance of them shavings of spars and stave timber with their grain, their appetites returned, and they thrived and did well. HBH 183.2

390. Is the same true of persons in this respect that you have said of animals? HBH 183.3

Yes; children fed for a considerable time on superfine flour bread, sugar, butter, etc., become weak and sickly, and are often covered with sores, and afflicted with scrofulous diseases. But if, instead of this, the child be fed on good bread, made of unbolted wheat meal, with milk and water, or pure soft water for drink, and be allowed to indulge freely in the use of good fruits in their seasons, and in other respects be properly treated, it will be healthy, robust and sprightly. Again, a single pound of good wheat contains about ten ounces of farina, six drachms of gluten, and two drachms of sugar. A robust laboring man may be healthfully sustained on one pound of good wheat bread per day, with pure water, for any length of time he chooses, without the least inconvenience; but, let him undertake to live on ten ounces of pure farina, six drachms of gluten, and two drachms of sugar per day, with pure soft water, and death will terminate his existence in less than a year. Concentrated food, then, is a source of disorder to the digestive organs, and of disease to the whole system. HBH 183.4

391. Does the body need stimulating food in order to thrive? HBH 184.1

Every foreign substance from which the body can derive aliment, possesses a stimulating quality proportionate in power to its quantity of nourishment. Some substances are more nourishing and less stimulating, others are more stimulating than nourishing. Some substances stimulate without nourishing at all. These last should never be used as articles of food, but only used, if at all, in particular conditions of the system. If a proper amount of stimulus is in the food, the digestive organs are excited to a healthy action. If the excitement is very intense the organ is debilitated, and a painful sense of prostration is felt. That food should therefore be used which is assimilated, and appropriated by the vital functions, with the least expenditure of vital power. HBH 184.2

392. What, aside from spirituous liquors, may be considered the most injurious stimulants? HBH 184.3

Tea, coffee, tobacco, mustard, cayenne, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, ginger, etc. Of all these the best physiological rule to adopt in regard to their use is—“The less the better.” HBH 184.4

393. What food is supposed by most persons to be the most nourishing and invigorating? HBH 184.5

The flesh of animals. HBH 184.6

394. Is meat more nutritious than vegetable food? HBH 184.7

The ablest and most accurate chemists of the present age have shown by actual experiment that the various kinds of flesh meat average about twenty-five parts of nutriment out of every hundred parts, while rice, wheat, peas, and beans, afford from eighty to ninety per cent. Potatoes, ranking first among the edible roots, afford about twenty-five per cent of nutriment, being quite as nutritious as meat. A pound of rice contains more nutritious matter than three pounds of the best butchers’ meat; and three pounds of good wheat bread contains more than six pounds of flesh; and three pounds of potatoes as much as the same amount of flesh. Farinaceous seeds contain more nutrition than other kinds of aliment, which is probably the reason they have been called the “staff of life.” HBH 185.1

395. If flesh meat is less nourishing, may not the innutritious matter connected with it help the work of digestion? HBH 185.2

No; the nutriment connected with the meat is more stimulating in proportion to the amount of nutriment it affords, than a vegetable diet. All the fluids and substances elaborated from blood made from flesh-meat, are more exciting to the parts on which they severally act, and cause a greater rapidity of vital action and expenditure in the whole system, than is effected by the use of pure and proper vegetable food. The pulse in a robust person, who lives on a vegetable diet, is from ten to thirty beats less per minute than that of one living on the ordinary highly-seasoned meat diet. Meat causes a great expenditure of vital power in its digestion, and hence, leaves the digestive organs much exhausted after the performance of their duties. So that, although meat may pass through the human stomach quicker than some vegetables, and consequently has generally been considered easier of digestion, it is actually the most difficult to digest. It is because a greater draft is made on the vital energies to digest meat than vegetables, that a greater degree of exhaustion is felt in the epigastric region, when the food has passed from the stomach into the intestinal canal, and why persons using flesh-meats suffer more distress from hunger when they pass their usual meal hour, than those who subsist on a pure vegetable aliment. HBH 185.3

396. What kind of diet has the preference in proportion to its amount of nutrition? HBH 186.1

That which exhausts the vital powers the least. Actual experiment has shown, that, although a pound of unbolted wheat-meal bread contains only about three times as much nutriment as one pound of meat, it will actually sustain a man accustomed to such a diet longer and better than four pounds of meat will sustain a man in similar strength, accustomed to meat diet. Persons subsisting on a well-chosen vegetable diet can endure protracted labor, fatigue, and exposure, much longer without food, than they who subsist mostly or entirely on flesh-meat. HBH 186.2

397. But, if this is correct, why do those who leave off flesh-eating and subsist on vegetables feel weak and languid when they make the change? HBH 186.3

It is because the flesh meat is more stimulating, and that which we suppose to be strength is only actually the whipping-up of our energies under the spur of stimulants. The system, too, may not be accustomed to this kind of diet, and, as it requires a different kind of gastric juice to digest vegetable than it does to digest animal food, a little time is requisite that the stomach may adapt its secretions to the new diet. For this reason a change of this kind should not be suddenly made. While such changes are being made, the person should be extremely careful not to exhaust his energies by over-laboring, either mentally or physically. In all changes of diet, the new kind should be partaken of sparingly at first, and the amount gradually increased, until finally the new may entirely take the place of the old. The reason many persons make themselves sick in using green peas, corn, beans, etc., is not because these articles are themselves injurious, but because they eat largely of them before the stomach and alimentary tube have become adapted to them. HBH 186.4

398. What is the effect of causing the body to flesh up quickly and grow rapidly? HBH 187.1

It rapidly expends the resources of the vital constitution, increases the danger of disease, and shortens life. The truth is, that which grows quickly decays quickly, or as the old adage says, “soon ripe, soon rotten.” The more stimulating the diet, the more rapidly the changes in the structure of the body take place; hence, as meat is more stimulating and heating than vegetables, the development and growth of the body will be slower with the vegetable-eater than with the meat-eater, and his life longer. Not only is this the case, but muscle that is slowly developed has more firmness of texture; hence, greater strength, and more power of endurance. Therefore, muscle formed of vegetable aliment has the preference. The same effect is produced in the development of the nervous tissue. That formed from pure vegetable aliment is susceptible of higher sensorial power and activity than that organized from blood formed of flesh-meat; so the minds of vegetable-eaters-other habits and health being equal-are more cheerful, stronger, and capable of more protracted efforts than flesh-eaters. Not only have we the case of Daniel and his fellows, in confirmation of this fact, but those of Sir Isaac Newton, and scores of others, as well as the great contrast in the intellectual powers of those nations who subsist on vegetables and those who live on meat, oils, etc. HBH 187.2

399. What other great objection have you to the use of flesh-meat as an article of diet? HBH 188.1

Its great liability to be itself diseased, and thus imparting directly to the blood and tissues of the body scores of diseases with their attendant evils. The very process of fattening animals tends to cause a collection of adipose matter in their bodies. This is a fruitful source of disease to the animal. It is a matter of no uncommon occurrence for hogs to be killed-in Western phrase-“to save their lives.” Few animals are prepared for the city markets whose livers, or some other parts, are not more or less affected with disease. The greatest difficulty in the matter is, persons buying such meat know not in what condition it was killed-whether in a heated, over-driven, angry condition; or whether in disease or health. The safest rule to follow, if persons must eat meat, is to select wild game, and avoid all meats not dressed under their own inspection. For myself, I choose rather to live on the products of the vegetable kingdom. HBH 188.2

400. What kinds of food are the most objectionable? HBH 188.3

Those containing animal fat, oils, and melted butter, with several kinds of fish, as eels, sprats, salmon, and herring. HBH 188.4

401. Why are butter and animal oils and fats, objectionable as articles of food? HBH 189.1

They are too concentrated for human aliment. They are but slightly nutritious, and are filled with impure material, comparing very well with venous blood for impurity. They contain about 80 per cent of carbon, and hence, furnish additional labor to the lungs to expel this from the system. Butter, when taken into the system, takes the form of an animal oil. These oils float upon the top of the food, and remain in the stomach till all the other portions of food have been chymified and passed from the stomach. Hence, they are liable to generate rancid acids in the stomach, and even when the food has passed from the stomach, these oils are not digested until bile-in the unnatural way mentioned in the last chapter-passes from the duodenum to the stomach, and turns the oil into a saponaceous substance before it can be acted upon by the gastric juice, and digested. Butter, if used at all, should be made from the milk of healthy cows, and used only when it is new and sweet, and but very slightly salted. It should never be used in a melted form, nor upon anything hot enough to melt it. HBH 189.2

402. If butter is unhealthy, should milk or cream be used? HBH 189.3

Milk, although about seven-eighths water, affords more nutriment to the system than butter or hog’s lard. Although it is an animal secretion, it cannot really be called an animal food; yet it is more easily affected by the general health and food of the animal producing it than any other secretion of the body. The child may be affected by injurious drugs, stimulants, and improper food of the mother, while she herself experiences but little difficulty. When milk is pure, and from healthy cows, it is the best form of food aside from vegetables, especially for children. And except in diseased states of the digestive organs, its moderate employment is attended with no inconvenience; yet in many diseases it is indispensably necessary to prohibit entirely the use of milk, especially if the disease is of an inflammatory character, or one which increased excitement will aggravate. HBH 189.4

403. What is the best milk? HBH 190.1

That procured from healthy cows, which, during the season of grazing, run at large in the open field and crop their food from a pure soil; and during the winter are fed on good hay, and, if housed at all, are kept in clean and well-ventilated stables, and every day thoroughly curried and cleaned, and supplied with pure water for drink, and suffered to take regular exercise in the open air. HBH 190.2

404. What do you say of cream? HBH 190.3

When it is sweet it is perfectly soluble in water, and mixes freely with the fluids of the mouth and stomach; and therefore, if it is free from any deleterious properties, is far less objectionable than butter as an article of diet. HBH 190.4

405. What of cheese as an article of diet? HBH 190.5

Cheese is always more or less difficult of digestion, beside being frequently colored by poisonous substances, as annatto, arsenic, etc. Old cheese should never be used. Cheese not more than three months old made of milk from which the cream has been mostly taken, is most easily digested. But, of cheese in general, it would be well for all to keep in mind the old adage, HBH 190.6

“Cheese is a mighty elf, Digesting all things but itself.” HBH 191.1

Old cheese is exceedingly obnoxious as an aliment. HBH 191.2

406. What of curds, and Dutch cheese? HBH 191.3

Curds made of fresh milk, and pot-cheese made of milk as soon as it sours, before it becomes bitter, are not very objectionable. HBH 191.4

407. What of soups? HBH 191.5

Flesh soups are very objectionable forms of animal food. Soups in general are too complicated to be healthy. Flesh broths are simply water holding in solution the nutrient particles of the flesh meat in a very concentrated form. The first process of digestion, when this food is received into the stomach, is for the absorbents to take up all the water it contains; and as it has been swallowed quickly without mastication, and unmingled with saliva, it is left dryer than aliment which requires chewing, and hence is difficult of digestion. HBH 191.6

408. What have you to say of fish? HBH 191.7

The flesh of healthy fish is less exciting, and less nourishing than beef, mutton, and other animals. Smoked fish, and in fact, salt smoked meats of any kind are very difficult of digestion. Salt fish should not be eaten. Fresh scale fish, recently taken from the ocean, or from rivers of pure water, or from running streams, or from lakes with inlets and outlets of running water, are the least objectionable of any. All shell-fish, including oysters, are objectionable as articles of diet. They contain only about 12,5 per cent of solid matter, but very little nutrition, and are very difficult of digestion. They digest the most readily when eaten raw. Lobsters, and all fish not having fins and scales, are hard of digestion. We suppose they were forbidden in the instruction given to Moses because they were not adapted to man’s nature. HBH 191.8

409. Are eggs a proper article of food? HBH 192.1

Eggs are more animalized, and more exciting to the system than milk. Eggs, fresh and good, raw or rare-boiled, without the use of fat or oily matter, are moderately nutritious, and easy of digestion. Poached eggs are very pernicious. Eggs hard-boiled or fried, are extremely difficult of digestion. Persons whose diseases are such that they cannot use milk, may suffer the same inconvenience from the use of eggs, and would do better to let them alone. HBH 192.2

410. Is the eating of common salt any great advantage to the human system? HBH 192.3

It is not, being innutritious, and indigestible. It is irritating, and its presence in the system tends to produce chronic debility, and disease of the stomach, intestines, absorbents, veins, heart, arteries, and all other organs of the system, retarding those functions by which the vital changes are effected. If, then, salt is used at all, it should be used very sparingly. It is argued that deer and some other herbivorous animals go in search of salt and brackish water. It should be observed by those raising this objection, that these animals who frequent salt water pools only do so in warm weather, and even then only seek it when they are diseased by worms, bots, or grubs in the alimentary cavity. So it is not sought by them as seasoning to their food, but merely as a medicine. HBH 192.4

411. What are considered to be the organic acids? HBH 193.1

The acetic, citric, tartaric, malic, oxalic, and lactic. They all exist in those fruits and vegetables which nature has provided for our nourishment, except the acetic acid, which, like alcohol, seems to be the result of decay, instead of formation. It is a matter of doubt with many authors whether acetic acid is really an organic acid in the human body. HBH 193.2

412. If acid is needed in the system, is not vinegar healthful? HBH 193.3

Vinegar, like alcohol, is a product of fermentation, and it is very debilitating to the human stomach. HBH 193.4

413. What fruits are considered most wholesome? HBH 193.5

Apples, pears, quinces, peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, currants, gooseberries, whortleberries, cranberries, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, oranges, lemons, limes, citrons, melons, squashes, pumpkins, figs, tomatoes, mulberries, pine-apples, etc. HBH 193.6

414. What vegetables afford the purest aliment? HBH 193.7

The seeds are wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, Indian-corn, peas, beans, and various kinds of nuts. Among the roots are the potato, turnip, carrot, beet, parsnip, artichoke, etc. Onions, leeks, asparagus, cabbage, and many other leaves, are considered wholesome. HBH 193.8

415. What is the best condition in which fruit can be eaten? HBH 193.9

As nearly as possible, whether raw or cooked, it should be eaten in its natural state, free from spices. It should also be eaten at our meals, with our food, as a portion of the meal, and not between meals, or as a dessert after we have eaten sufficiently of something else. HBH 193.10

416. Aside from the healthful building up of the system, is there any peculiar benefit experienced by the vegetable-eater? HBH 194.1

Careful experiment has shown that the bodies of those that subsist on a vegetable diet, their other habits being right, are not only healthy, but their bodies are but little affected by prevailing epidemics, and contagious diseases. So we may conclude that the systems of such are better prepared to resist disease than that of the meat-eater. HBH 194.2

417. Is sugar healthful? HBH 194.3

In the shape of candies it is very unwholesome. Sugar is highly carbonaceous, affording but little nourishment to the system. Most of the refined sugars have a constipating effect on the bowels. The best article of sugar is a pale yellow, with large, clear, brilliant crystals. A good syrup can be made by dissolving two pounds and a half of sugar in a pint of pure soft water. HBH 194.4

418. What have you to say in regard to the proper amount of food to be eaten? HBH 194.5

Care should be taken to eat no more than is needful to meet the wants of our bodies. To place in our stomachs a great amount of food imparts no more nutrition to the body, while it imposes upon it an extra amount of labor, debilitates the stomach and produces indigestion. An active, out-of-door laborer can dispose of more food than those of sedentary habits. By carefully watching their own feelings all can readily decide on a proper amount of food to sustain their bodies without producing a sense of oppression. Persons who have passed the time of their meal and get very hungry are liable to indulge in excessive eating. In such cases do not allow yourself to eat any more than at an ordinary meal. HBH 194.6

419. What should be the general habit at table? HBH 195.1

Never take the meal in a hurry. Chew the food thoroughly, and swallow it slowly. Let the table be a place of pleasantry, cheerfulness, and social enjoyment. Ever remember the saying of Lord Bacon; “If you would live long and enjoy life, be cheerful at your meals, and on going to bed.” HBH 195.2

420. What are the proper times of eating? HBH 195.3

It was said in the last chapter that food should not be introduced into the stomach oftener than once in six hours, not meaning to be understood, however, that the human stomach needed food every six hours in the twenty-four, but that, whether we take two or three meals, they should be at least six hours apart. We should scrupulously, and rigidly avoid partaking of the least particle of aliment at any time except with our regular meals. Those of strong digestive organs, may not, for a time, discover any inconvenience in eating between meals, yet this is set down by the best of authors as one of the most fruitful causes of dyspepsia. Sooner or later those who eat thus at random, will have all the horrors of dyspepsia upon them. To avoid this, they must turn from this evil practice. HBH 195.4

421. How many meals a day should we eat? HBH 195.5

Our meals should be taken, as nearly as possible at the same hours each day. They should not be so far apart as to cause us to overeat. They should not be so near together as to introduce food into the gastric cavity before that already there is digested. The welfare of the human constitution requires at least two regular meals in the twenty-four hours. Those accustomed to a vegetable and fruit diet, who are of sedentary habits, can very soon accustom themselves to two meals a day without any inconvenience. These meals should be at about 7 A.M., and at 1 or 2 P.M. Farmers who have become accustomed to the change will experience no inconvenience in restricting themselves to two meals a day, if they are temperate in the number of hours they labor. If farmers think they must have three meals, the best times to take them, are at 6 A.M., 12 M., and 6 P.M. In this case their supper should consist of a small amount of plain simple food. Those however who find their sleep disturbed, and their stomachs and mouths tasting bad in the morning, would do better to resort to moderation in their labor, and abstain from their third meal. HBH 195.6

422. How often should nursing children be fed? HBH 196.1

Once in three hours is as often as children should be nourished. When they are old enough to eat solid food, they should eat three or at most four regular meals a day until they are two or three years of age, when they may safely be brought to two meals a day. They should never be allowed to take a morsel of food except at their regular meals. HBH 196.2

423. What is the best substitute for the mother’s milk for a nursing child? HBH 196.3

Nothing should be substituted, if the mother be healthy; but if substitutes must be had, take good wheat, clean and dry, but let it be ground without bolting, put a tablespoonful of this into a pint of pure water, boil it about fifteen minutes, and add to it one pint of good, new milk from a young healthy cow, fed on hay or grass. The milk should not be changed for that of any other cow, if it can be avoided. When children are weaned, good coarse wheat bread, good new milk diluted with about half as much pure soft water, boiled, and a proper supply of ripe fruits in their seasons, should constitute their diet. HBH 196.4

424. How should we proceed in case of loss of appetite? HBH 197.1

If we have no desire for food at the regular time for a meal, it is better to nearly abstain from food till the next regular meal-time arrives. HBH 197.2

425. After fasting, how shall we proceed? HBH 197.3

Eat lightly of food at the first meal and return gradually to the accustomed amount of food. The moderation of the return to the usual amount may be in proportion to the length and severity of the fast. HBH 197.4

426. What is the most wholesome drink for man? HBH 197.5

Filtered soft water. This should be used, not to wash down the food, but to quench the thirst. Water should be cool but not very cold, or iced. Hot water is very debilitating and weakening to the stomach. Beer, soda, and all kinds of mineral waters should be carefully avoided. Excessive drinking, even of pure water, is weakening to the system, as it imposes additional labors upon the absorbing and eliminating organs. Food of an exciting and irritating kind, as that filled with salt and other seasonings, will call for excessive drinking, and for these reasons all such food should be avoided. HBH 197.6

427. What is the best habit to observe in regard to drinking water? HBH 198.1

The best time for drinking water is undoubtedly when the stomach is empty-on first rising in the morning, and half an hour or an hour before meals, or three or four hours after a meal. There may be conditions of the stomach which require drink at meals, but, as before said, this should be done when the food is out of the mouth, and not to wash down the food. Those who have weakened their digestive powers so that their stomachs will not bear cool water, should commence with a small quantity, gradually increasing the amount, and thus accustom themselves to its use. HBH 198.2