As a general rule the heaviest meal of the day—the dinner—should be served in a hospital at mid-day. This plan will be more satisfactory to those on whom the preparation of the meal devolves, and it is distinctly better for the patients. The time needed for the digestion of meats and vegetables is estimated at from three to five hours. If the heavy meal is served late in the day the work of the stomach cannot be completed in time for the patient to get to sleep early, and if the stomach is actively engaged in digestion the rest is likely to be retarded or disturbed. This rule of course does not apply to patients in a weak condition who must be fed at frequent intervals and in smaller quantities. And it needs also to be remembered that a perfectly empty stomach does not contribute to repose, and indeed is a frequent cause of wakefulness. A plain, wholesome early breakfast for the “help” and for the nurses is a necessity in a hospital where the heaviest work comes in the morning hours. This should be as substantial as the appetite and digestion are equal to. With nurses who are constantly exposed to morbid and depressing influences, the breakfast is of special importance, and a nurse who does not partake of a hearty breakfast is always more susceptible to deleterious influences. The rush of work, long hours, mental anxiety, and almost constant walking or standing, which are incident to hospital life, make it very necessary for a good quality and quantity of food to be prepared for those who have the direct responsibility of the care of the sick. And while extravagance ought to be guarded against, yet no mistaken idea of economy should prevent the housekeeper from serving a well-balanced, nutritious and attractive dietary to these important members of her household. The housekeeper should not fail to remind herself constantly that “variety is the spice of life,” and should see that “wholesome variety” characterizes her meals, for the nurses as well as patients, from week to week. The element of surprise or unexpectedness figures largely in the pleasures of every-day life. Anything that leaves out the possibility of the “unexpected,” especially on a nurses’ table, has much in it to condemn and little to commend. On the nurses’ table clean table linen at frequent intervals ought not to be regarded as a luxury, and certainly it adds greatly to the enjoyment of a meal. A few of the flowers that are often distributed lavishly in a ward would as fully fulfil their mission there. A pretty growing plant purchased occasionally for the same purpose is an extravagance that could be forgiven. Then, besides refined surroundings and neat, attractive table service, the character of the food, the quality, could be greatly improved by a little careful planning without any great, if indeed any, increase of expense. Dr. Peters, of the Rhode Island Hospital, in an admirable paper on hospital dietaries, asked the following pertinent questions: