such strength as they had, have outlived all their more healthy but less careful comrades.  The errors of the parents are often most evident in the children or grandchildren.  There are many persons who cannot eat of some particular food, although it may be quite wholesome to others.  Sometimes it is a psychological rather than a physiological disability, which may he overcome by an effort of the will.  At other times it seems to have no connection with the imagination, although it is not always possible to give a sound reason for it.  In the main, of course, there are principles of dietetics applicable to all alike, but in regard to details, everyone should make rules for himself, according to his experience.  When there appears no real reason for an idiosyncrasy, a little humouring of our taste and digestion will often overcome it, to our advantage.  It is generally those of delicate constitution who are most sensitive.  Some cannot eat oatmeal except in small quantity.  Olive and other vegetable oils, even when of good quality cannot be taken by many people, whilst others find them quite as wholesome, or even better than butter.  Vegetarians can generally detect lard in pastry both by its taste and its after effects, although those accustomed to this fat do not object to it.  It is also surprising how some individual’s tastes and habits will vary at different periods of their lives.

One form of dyspepsia is due to undigested starch remaining in the stomach and causing an excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid.  As long as proteid food is present, the pepsin and acid expend themselves on it, and are removed together.  The undigested starch continues to stimulate gastric secretion, and the acid residuum causes pain, heartburn and flatulence.  If there be also any butyric acid, or some other fatty acid, derived from milk, butter, cheese, &c., there will be acid eructations.  For this form of indigestion there are several methods of treatment.  First; the very thorough cooking of all starchy food, and it is an advantage to take a little good extract of malt, either at the time of eating or directly afterwards.  The diastase of the malt has the same action on starch as the ptyalin in the saliva.  It is better, scientifically, to have the farinaceous food at about 130 deg.  F. (as hot as the mouth can bear will do), and then to add malt extract.  On keeping the mixture warm, from a few minutes to half an hour or more, the starch is digested and rendered soluble.  Such food is not very pleasant to take.  The food known as Grape Nuts has been treated in a similar manner.  The use of malt extract, however, seems a clumsy substitute for salivary digestion.  Second; the eating of starch in the form of hard and dry biscuits, crusts and other hard food, which demand thorough mastication and insalivation, and the keeping in the mouth for a long while, during which the saliva has time to act.  This is the best plan.  Third; the taking of sodium bicarbonate towards the end of the period