The first principle in the dietetic treatment of vomiting from any cause is to give the stomach rest. If it has been overloaded with a large bulk of food, or with indigestible material, it is well to encourage emesis, and distressing retching may be overcome by taking large draughts of lukewarm water. A quart or two will rinse out the stomach and allay irritation to a marked degree.

Well nourished patients when serious vomiting first occurs should usually refrain from taking food of any kind for from ten or twelve or even twenty-four hours. Exceptions to this rule are sometimes found in that type of seasickness, and sometimes in the vomiting of pregnancy, in which, as soon almost as the stomach is emptied, there is a desire to replenish the loss.

1 W. Gilmsn Thompson, M.D.: "Practical Dietetical." New York. D. Appleton & Co.

In any ease in which the gastric irritation is persistent, it is necessary to give fluid food, and only in small oft-repeated doses, preferably in predigested form. The food is best given cold, as a rule, although some persons can relieve nausea by sipping very hot water.

A teaspoon of prepared milk, or in extreme cases but a few drops, given with a medicine dropper once in ten or fifteen minutes, may be all that the stomach will at first tolerate.

The following is a list of dietetic substances which are commonly prescribed for the relief of nausea and vomiting, or for nourishment while those conditions exist: Cracked ice; pancreatinised milk; milk with sodium bicarbonate (ten grains), and cerium oxalate (five grains) ; milk and lime water; Vichy or milk with Sanatogen; milk and Vichy, soda, seltzer, or carbonic-acid water; kumyss and zoolak; beef extracts and Liquid Peptonoids; Dry Peptonoids Soluble; raw meat pulp, scraped; strong black coffee; sour lemonade or lemonade and Vichy; clam broth. Dry crackers, dry toast, and ginger snaps will sometimes be retained in seasickness, or a cracker buttered and sprinkled with a little Cayenne pepper; brandy and soda; iced dry champagne; iced brandy diluted with water, soda water, or Apollinaris.

Very severe and protracted cases may require lavage or nutrient enemata. Vomiting after abdominal surgical operations is often controlled by lavage.