The American method of cooking green vegetables in a large amount of water and throwing it away, then seasoning them with butter and spices and serving them with lean meat and white bread, produces a starvation diet. In such a meal, the important mineral matter and the fats in vegetables and whole wheat grains are left out, and are supplemented by an excess of starches and water in the form of bread, beverages and desserts. Additional fats should be added scientifically and combined with foods which are rich in minerals and acids. All vegetable water, especially that of canned or sterilized fruits and vegetables, is very wholesome and antiseptic. Strained, sterilized tomato, currant, gooseberry and strawberry juices are unsurpassed as a liver medicine in some conditions. These same foods will lose their medicinal value if stewed in an open kettle. They should be prepared in Mason jars or cans. After opening, these fruit juices may be kept in earthenware on ice for twelve hours, and served again. After this they should be reboiled or sterilized, in order to check fermentation. For the sick, the same precaution should be taken with keeping fruit juices as with milk. When using canned vegetables, never throw away the water, if it is not to be used for dressing. Add it to soups or use it in place of beverages. Pea, bean and asparagus water may be made very palatable if cream is added. See preparation of legume teas under “Fluids.” In preparing vegetables for the sick, the finest of all dressings is the yolk of an egg and lemon juice, with a small amount of butter. The fat in the yolk of the egg being emulsified in a perfectly natural state, it feeds the mucous membrane of the entire alimentary tract and blood vessels. Besides neutralizing the gas producing tendencies of the foods, it aids in the digestive and assimilating processes and feeds the nerve sheaths. In all chronic conditions, which are the result of hardening of the arteries, a large amount of the yolk of eggs, combined with lemon and oil, may be used. There are a few vegetables which do not combine well with the yolk of an egg, such as turnips, carrots, beets and onions. These contain a large amount of sulphur and iron, which is also found in the yolk of the egg. Fat meats are good additions to the last mentioned vegetables, except onions, which are rich in oil themselves. If underground vegetables are served in the form of purees, they should be mashed very fine or rubbed through a colander; the butter which is added should not be allowed to boil. Peas, beans, cauliflower and cabbage are most likely to disagree if served with butter only. Butter sauces, cream sauces, yolks of eggs and lemon are the best additions to make them agreeable. Some people prefer vegetables cooked in oil. Those whose systems can digest a large amount of fat will find them agreeable. ARTICHOKES.