Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/152

 only two regular meals per day, breaking their fast about twelve o'clock with a little ripe fruit. I have heard many men say they had better health when only taking two regular meals in the day than when they take three or four. When you establish this custom the dinner at night should not be later than six, so as to leave plenty of time for digestion before bedtime. And the meal should be a generous one, beginning with soup, and fish if possible, well cooked meats and plenty of vegetables, followed by light puddings and stewed fruit. But a delicate person should not touch dessert, be it fresh or dried fruits. Let him eat as much as he can during proper hours and none later than five o'clock. It is a mistake eating between meals and particularly for a delicate man or woman; because by constantly eating you keep the digestive organs always at work instead of allowing them to rest sometimes. After dinner have a cup of coffee in preference to tea unless, of course, you dislike it, then a cup of hot milk without sugar, or a glass of cold water is preferable to tea. Acid drinks are a mistake except to very strong digestions. Unsweetened they are excellent taken medecinallymedicinally [sic], and first thing in the morning for biliousness there is nothing better than lemon and salt; the lemon peeled, cut up, dipped in salt and eaten, or if that is not liked, squeeze the juice of a lime or lemon into hot water and drink it. If those people who waken with foul breath or bad taste in their mouth would sip a breakfast cup of hot water (as hot as they can bear it) they would soon get rid of it. It is also excellent in cases of indigestion, and also it acts like a charm upon the man who has been indulging over night, when he wakens with what is commonly called "a head on him," a feeling of nausea and general badness and discomfort. He should get a cup of hot water, the hotter the better, and sip it with a spoon; the juice of a lemon in it will make it more palatable or failing that a spoonful of salt. Then he can turn in for half an hour more, and when he wakes again tumble into his bath and finish the cure under the shower. This is better than all the drugs in the world. The teeth should be brushed once or twice at least every day, and don't worry and fret, nothing interferes more with the digestion than worrying. Keep, or try to keep, an even disposition. Temper shows as plainly on the face as disease. When inclined to fret over trifles begin to count and keep it up till 500, by which time you will find your thoughts distracted to another channel, and above all keep the hands and minds occupied, there is nothing so hurtful to man or woman as idleness. Children and young girls should never be without a piece of work in their pockets, crochet, knitting, wool, anything, if only an iron holder to stitch, that they can take out at odd moments, say while waiting for meals,