300. What kinds of food are appropriate to old age? Why? What kinds to childhood? Why? 301. What is the effect when there is a sudden change from a vegetable to an animal diet? How should all changes of the system be made? 302. Do different temperaments require different kinds of food? What general rule is given? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHAPTER XVI. HYGIENE OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS, CONTINUED. 303. The MANNER in which food should be taken is of much practical importance; upon it the health of the digestive organs measurably depends. But few circumstances modify the proper manner of taking food, or should exercise any controlling influence. 304. _Food should be taken at regular periods._ The interval between meals should be regulated by the character of the food, the age, health, exercise, and habits of the individual. The digestive process is more energetic and rapid in the young, active, and vigorous, than in the aged, indolent, and feeble; consequently, food should be taken more frequently by the former than by the latter class. 305. In some young and vigorous persons, food may be digested in one hour; in other persons, it may require four hours or more. The average time, however, to digest an ordinary meal, will be from two to four hours. In all instances, the stomach will require from one to three hours to recruit its exhausted powers after the labor of digesting a meal before it will again enter upon the vigorous performance of its duties. 306. _Food should not be taken too frequently._ If food is taken before the stomach has regained its tone and energy by repose, the secretion of the gastric juice, and the contraction of the muscular fibres, will be imperfect. Again, if food is taken before the digestion of the preceding meal has been completed, the effects will be still worse, because the food partially digested becomes mixed with that last taken. Therefore the interval between each meal should be long enough for the whole quantity to be digested, and the time of repose should be sufficient to recruit the exhausted organs. The feebler the person and the more debilitated the stomach, the more important to observe the above directions. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 303. Why is it important that we regard the manner of taking our food? 304. How should the intervals between meals be regulated? 305. What is the average time required to digest an ordinary meal? 306. Why should not food be taken too frequently? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=