A. de L. (Lisbon) writes:—­For five months I have been a strict “fruitarian,” and as I am obliged now to go to Mozambique (Portuguese East Africa) to remain there five rears, I should be much obliged to you if you kindly let me know what I must do to prevent the African fever and biliousness which seem to afflict all Europeans in that part of the world.  Any hints you could give me as to maintaining health in such a climate would be most gratefully acknowledged.

I do not think that it is possible for any European, whether he adopts fruitarian or ordinary diet, to entirely escape malaria, since it is caused by a minute parasite which is forced into the blood by a certain form of biting mosquito.

The parasite will, however, surely gain less hold on one whose blood is clean and pure and whose vital force is strong, than on one who dissipates his strength by partaking of meat, alcohol, tea, coffee and other stimulants, or who otherwise gets his blood into a bad state by faulty diet generally.

Therefore, the thing this correspondent should do is to live as much as possible upon the simple frugal fare of the natives.  He can take raw coker-nut freely and eat the fresh fruits which grow in this part of Africa.  If he can obtain pineapple or papaw he will find these excellent to help him to retain his health and strength in this country.

 UNFIRED DIET FOR A CHILD:  IS IT SUITABLE?

Mrs L.B.F. writes:—­My husband and I are much interested in The Healthy Life, deriving much benefit and good advice from its pages.  It is the only magazine, we find, which answers questions that we have long been puzzling over.  Reading a work of the “Montessori Method” of training children last night I was disturbed to find I had, according to that book, been feeding my little boy, aged three years, all wrong.  It says:  “Raw vegetables should not be given to a child and not many cooked ones.  Nuts, dates, figs and all dried fruits should be withheld.  Soups made with bread, oil, bread and butter, milk, eggs, etc., are the principal foods Dr Montessori recommends.  She also advocates the use of sugar.”

Our boy has nuts, ground and whole, all the fresh fruits and dried ones, salads, brown bread and nut butter, sometimes dairy butter, no milk, his food mostly uncooked, as we ourselves believe in.  If Dr Valentine Knaggs would give us his opinion on this I should be very grateful.  The boy is healthy, but I notice a slight puffiness below the eyes of late in the morning.  Also his temper does not improve as he gets older.  Will he be having too much proteid (nuts) for one of his years, or is the temper natural as a result of bad discipline.  His father is away all day, and mothers are, as a rule, soft marks, are they not?

It is difficult to answer fully a question of this sort, as so much depends on the child’s