The union of oxygen with one or more of these elements is called oxidation. If the process of oxidation within our bodies goes on rapidly we feel warm and energetic; if it goes on slowly, the degree of heat and energy is less; in fever there is rapid oxidation; in people who suffer with chronic diseases there is incomplete and slow oxidation. In order to produce harmony between the elements in the body, it is not only necessary to breathe pure air, and eat wholesome foods, but it is equally important to have those food elements, which are taken into our body, selected in the right quantity, quality and combination. It is further necessary to have them prepared in the mouth by mastication and insalivation. If this is done, the chemical affinity or combining power of the foods is satisfied, and digestion, absorption, sanguification, circulation, oxidation, assimilation, excretion and clorification will go on perfectly. In order to keep our bodies in perfect health, we must understand their laws. The structures and functions of the body are intimately connected, and one is dependent upon the other. Life at the beginning is a tiny cell; as it multiplies into other cells, it forms blood vessels, nerves, muscles, bones, lungs, liver, brain, heart, and stomach, until the body is completed. The growth of the body is from within, before and after birth. The natural food for the infant is mother’s milk, the next best is the milk of a wet-nurse, whose child is about the same age as the one to be nursed. Artificial preparations of milk from a cow, goat or donkey is the next best. The appearance of the teeth indicates that the feeding of solid food can be begun. The kind of food required for the child as well as for the adult differs with different individuals. A normal and healthy mother will be directed by her instincts, reason and judgment to choose the right food for herself as well as for her infant. An old saying goes, “God created foods, the devil created the cooks.” A few thousand years ago, when the art of cooking was in its infancy, physicians and surgeons were not in such demand as to-day. The preparation of foods for the average household in those days consisted mainly of boiled cereals prepared with salt and water, boiled and roasted meats, and baked breads. Such articles, if eaten in proper combination with raw fruits, greens, and nuts, will keep the appetite at the normal state. The principal victims of disease in those days were the kings, the idle rich and the very poor. Since civilization has progressed, and the rights of man are more equalized, the whole race is in danger of degeneration through the invention of fashionable and artificially prepared foods.