A mineral of great importance is iron, which is contained in pig’s blood to the largest extent, and in certain vegetables and fruit in considerable quantities. Vegetables and fruit are also rich in vegetable acids, and also contain a large amount of cellulose, which plays an important rôle in the normal evacuation of the bowels, being the most natural stimulus for this purpose. Condiments are also indispensable in a certain quantity with our food, for without them the food would have no taste and would not stimulate appetite, which is of great importance for digestion. On the other hand, too much of these condiments would irritate vital organs, like the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, etc. Therefore they should only be used in moderation, and the more potent ones, like mustard and pepper, should be avoided, or only taken in minimal quantities. Vinegar would not be so bad if it did not so often contain sulphuric acid. Certain sharp sauces which are much used are veritable poisons to the kidneys. This is true of soup that contains them, and even strong bouillon, when it is taken every day in large quantities, may be injurious to the kidneys and affect unfavorably the blood pressure since it contains many meat extracts. To minimize the dangers of all these kinds of harmful materials, and also of the end-products of nitrogenous food when passing through the kidneys, it is best and healthiest to drink large quantities of water, hard water being most desirable, according to Roese, because of its richness in lime salts. It is advisable to drink this after meals; but if water is not taken in too large quantities it may be perfectly harmless to take it during meals. It helps the appetite in many persons, and encourages the absorption of the food. If taken in too large quantities it may dilute the gastric juice, although in such a case the glands of the stomach strive to keep up the standard acidity, and secrete more acid in consequence. As shown previously, a certain degree of fluidity of the intestinal contents is indispensable for the healthy action of the bowels. For all these reasons we recommend a moderate amount of good fresh water daily. Happily, most of our foodstuffs, especially green vegetables and fruit, contain water in large quantities. Under the name stimulants we include various kinds of food accessories. The most important of these are alcoholic drinks. It has been shown by physiologic experiments that when alcohol is taken in moderate quantities it is harmless, and at the same time may be of value as a nutrient foodstuff. It is evident from the result of the experiments of Atwater and Benedict that alcohol has a nutritive value, and that as a kind of fuel it can largely replace carbohydrates and fats. In such quantities it also stimulates digestion and other functions, e.g., those of the heart and nervous system. Such small quantities of alcohol are contained in beer and wine. According to Rubner, 100 parts of beer contain:—