of meat in his diet.

In recent years there has been a revival of the theory of prolonged
mastication of a limited amount of food. This theory is sound in so far
as it tends to overcome the bolting of food and over-eating, but there
is a belief among our practitioners that there is little basis in
science or experience for the extremes of this character.


HYGIENIC CURE-ALLS

Among recent fads is the so-called buttermilk or sour milk diet as
advocated by Metchnikoff. The original theory was interesting and was,
in part, that the bacteria derived from soured milk would drive out of
the intestinal canal all the harmful germs. Quite possibly there may be
something in the theory, especially if large quantities of milk are
taken with the lactic acid bacilli, but the beneficial effect of this
change of bacteria is not convincingly of great consequence.


FRESH AIR

It is now generally known that an abundant supply of moving, pure, fresh
air is the proper and simple solution of the problem of the hygiene of
the air.

Oxygen is the element of the air which sustains life. We inhale about
seven pounds per day, two pounds of which are absorbed by the body. The
air becomes dangerous, or infected, when the oxygen in the air is
decreased to only 11 or 12 per cent., and when the oxygen reaches 7 per