The careful wife and mother, who notes the appetites of members of her family failing, should attend carefully to the garnishing of her dishes and to serving them in a neat, attractive manner; also to changing her table decorations, as far as may be consistent, so that the eye as well as the sense of smell and taste may be pleased. It is strange, but it is true, that just a fresh flower, or a new table decoration, may so put the mind of one who is afflicted with nervous indigestion in a receptive state that the meal more readily digests, while an untidy table, or a lot of food served untidily would retard digestion. One may be able to control the thoughts under most circumstances but the above is a physiological fact. Sometimes the sight of quantities of food turns one against it. The custom among hearty eaters, of serving a plate too plentifully, destroys the appetite of one whose digestion is not so hearty. Our grandmothers’ overloaded tables, with sufficient food of various kinds to serve many times the number of participants, might stimulate the appetite of hearty, strong men, while the very sight of so much might turn the appetite of one more delicate, whose system did not crave food. FOOTNOTES: [6] Editor’s Note.—Measurements of eighteen thousand women show that sixty-two per cent of women use only about one-half of their lung capacity and less than nine per cent use their full capacity. CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS In the previous chapters, we have given the classification of the elements in foods which supply the body needs. Below we classify the foods commonly used, according to the predominance of these elements. Carbonaceous Foods While all foods contain a combination of elements, the foods described below contain a greater proportion of carbohydrates and fats, and are classed as _carbonaceous_. * * * * * [Sidenote: Roots and Tubers] Of the carbohydrates, next in importance to the sugars and to the starches in their purest form (corn starch, tapioca, sago, and arrowroot), come the roots and tubers, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips and onions. The following table shows the proportion of various foodstuffs in these vegetables: TABLE I—ROOTS AND TUBERS