Domestic medicine and hygiene : being a short account of the more common diseases, their causes and treatment, written in plain language / by William J. Russell.

  • Russell, William J.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine and hygiene : being a short account of the more common diseases, their causes and treatment, written in plain language / by William J. Russell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    Food.—The meals should be at regular intervals, as a general rule three times a day, and no food taken between them, to allow the stomach intervals of rest. At the usual time for meals the stomach becomes active, and if this time be passed, food is not so readily digested and should be taken in less quantity; to avoid thus causing it double work we should not vary the time of our daily meals. The food should be well cooked and changed from time to time to avoid monotony causing disgust and bad digestion. The food should be well chewed and eaten slowly, and some time, say half-an-hour, allowed to elapse after a meal before doing work. More food is required when doing work than at rest, and the harder the work the more food needed. Meals.—The first meal (breakfast) should be taken before beginning the day’s work, and for those having good digestion, most work, mental or physical, can be done on fat food, such as bacon. Dinner should be taken early in the day, and ought to be the principal meal; the kind of food does not matter much so long as it is well cooked and sufficient in quantity, but those having weak digestions should avoid cheese, pickles, spices, and pastry. Supper should not be a heavy meal, and should be taken some time before going to bed. Hard work can be done in perfect health without animal food. Eice, oatmeal, flour and maize, along with milk, are all good and cheap staple foods, and quite sufficient for both health and work; but animal food is more digestible and contains more nourish- ment in an equal weight. Potatoes and vegetables are valuable parts of diet- ary, especially where milk cannot be had. ‘ Be temperate in all things.’ Drink.—A man requires from two to three im- perial pints of fluid daily, between his food and drink.