The term diarrhoea, like dyspepsia and constipation, represents only a symptom or result of various diseases. While this affection cannot be cured by a dietetic plan alone, certain foods are known to be constipating and in treating the underlying conditions attention to diet is all-important. It consists as much in. avoiding laxative articles as in using constipating articles. Thus cheese and hard-boiled eggs are highly constipating to most individuals, yet they could not be employed in a diarrhoea which was due to or associated with gastritis. Hence foods known to be constipating must also be bland and easily digested. Pood nearly all of which may be absorbed naturally antagonizes diarrhoea from any cause. The commonest articles used in this class are flour porridge, cooked white of eggs, boiled milk, toasted crackers, zwieback, rice, chocolate. Meat should be of the most tender and digestible nature, as sweetbreads, tongue, tenderloin of beef, etc. Dried beef powder may be mixed with 5 per cent. tannic acid. Articles which naturally contain the latter are useful if digestible. Acorn coffee is recommended by some.

In a daily menu compiled by Ewald the following articles enter: Soft eggs, milk, toasted bread, zwieback, scraped beef, breast of chicken, the most digestible kinds of fish, soups and broths (to the latter may be added Dry Pepto-noids Soluble, Sanatogen and other semi-proprietary condensed protein foods). Articles used in diet list for constipation must be avoided.

Massachusetts General Hospital 1

Diet

Stale bread, dry toast, crackers, butter, rice, soft cooked eggs, eggs and milk, flour and milk puddings, boiled and peptonised milk, tea, custards, blanc-mange, wine jelly, oatmeal, oysters, gruel, chicken.

Avoid

Soups, animal broths, fresh bread, fruits, vegetables, fried dishes, fish, saccharine foods, salt meats, veal, lamb and pork.