The reduced meals are harmonized with the object of sufficient general nourishment by eating more frequently, about five to six times a day.  Patients with fever should have some food in small quantity every 2 to 3 hours.  It is important that the patient be fed regularly at fixed times.  This will be found advantageous both for the patient and for nursing.

Form II comprises purely liquid nourishment, “soup diet." Consomme of pigeon, chicken, veal, mutton, beef, beef-tea, meat jelly, which becomes liquid under the influence of bodily heat, strained soups or such as are prepared of the finest flour with water or bouillon, of barley, oats, rice (glutinous soup), green corn, rye flour, malted milk.  All of these soups, with or without any additions such as raw eggs, either whole or the yolk only, if well mixed and not coagulated are easily digested. (Besides albumen preparations, Dech-Manna powders, dry extract of malt, etc., may be added).

Form III comprises nourishment which is not purely liquid.  Milk and milk preparations (belonging to this group on account of their coagulation in the stomach): 

(a)—­Cow’s milk, diluted and without cream, dilution with 1/2 to 2/3 barley water, rice water, lime water, vichy water, pure water, light tea.

(b)—­Milk without cream, not diluted.

(c)—­Full milk, either diluted or undiluted.

(d)—­Cream, either diluted or undiluted.

(e)—­All of these milk combinations with an addition of yolk of egg, well mixed, whole egg, cacao, also a combination of egg and cacao.

Milk porridge made of flour for children, arrowroot, cereal flour of every kind, especially oats, groat soups with tapioca, or sago, and potato soup.

Egg, raw, stirred, or sucked from the shell, or slightly warmed and poured into a cup; all either with or without a little sugar or salt.

Biscuit and crackers, well masticated to be taken with milk, porridge, etc.

As a rule fever is accompanied by an increased thirst, which may be satisfied without hesitation.  It is unnecessary, and detrimental, for patients suffering from an increased excretion of water through the fever heat, to be subjected to thirst.  Since the mucous membrane of the digestive channel is usually not very sensitive to weak chemical food irritations, the cooling drinks, which contain fruit acids, such as fruit juices and lemonades, are as a rule permissible.  Fruit soups may also be given.

It is different, of course, if an acute catarrh of the stomach or of the bowels is combined with the fever.  In such cases fruit acids must be avoided.  Still it is not necessary to resist the desire of the patient to take whatever may be given him, at a low temperature.  Even ice cream, vanilla or fruit water ice, may be used in moderate quantity.

Warning against cold drinks is necessary only in case of disease of the respiratory organs when the cold liquids would cause coughing.