Put any fresh vegetables in season in a large stewpot—­being careful not to include overmuch cabbage or other coarse green leaves, as these give a rather strong flavour—­with a quart or more of water, cover, and simmer gently for at least two hours.  The outer leaves discarded when preparing vegetables for the table, the stalks and stems, and the peelings of apples, potatoes, etc., should all be used for stock, care being taken, of course, to cleanse them well first, cutting out any insect-eaten or decayed parts.

 ALMOND CREAM SOUP.

Mix two tablespoonfuls of fine wholemeal or good “standard” flour into a smooth paste with a little water, add this to the hot stock (as above), and stir till soup is thickened.  Just before serving stir in a tablespoonful of Almond Cream (either “P.R.” or Mapleton’s).

 The addition of the almond cream gives the above a nutritive value,
 apart from the tonic and cleansing elements in the stock.

 NOURISHING ARTICHOKE SOUP.

Pare, scrub and cut into small pieces, 1 lb. of artichokes and put immediately into a pan with a pint of water or milk and water.  Boil till soft, then rub through a wire sieve, using a wooden spoon.  Put back in pan, add a little more water, a little chopped parsley, and a small piece of butter (or nut butter).  Bring to the boil, stirring well; stir in a tablespoonful of Pinekernel Cream ("P.R.” or Mapleton’s), and serve at once.

 LEEK AND CELERY SOUP.

Put four well-cleansed medium-sized leeks (cut up small), the outer parts of a head of celery (chopped), a quart of water and 2 oz. unpolished Japan rice, into a pan and simmer for two hours.  Rub through wire sieve, return to pan, bring to the boil, and serve.

 This soup is not so much nutritive as cleansing and antiseptic.

 TASTE OR THEORY?

 FRUIT AND THE OXALIC ACID BOGEY.

Many and varied are the creeds of Health Reformers, but all may be included within two main camps.  And the opposing battle-cries are Instinct versus Intellect, Taste versus Theory, a priori versus a posteriori, Motives versus Purposes.  Some overlapping and confusion of creed may be found in both camps, but in the main one is filled with lovers of Nature, the other with devotees of Science.

 “We believe in simplicity,” cries the Nature-lover from the meadow
 where he is taking a sun-bath; “you are so complex, so artificial.”

 “We believe in being ‘sensible,’” retorts the devotee of Science from
 the cabinet where he is taking an electric light bath, “you are so
 extreme.”

 “Not extreme—­consistent.  Your treatment varies every month as the
 decrees of ‘Science’ change.”

 “But your treatment varies every minute as the wind and clouds change. 
 I can keep mine constant with mathematical accuracy, or vary the light
 to a nicety by pressing a button.”