The commonly received idea, that what goes under the denomination of “good plain living”—that is, joints of meat, roast or boiled—is best adapted to all constitutions, has been proved to be a fallacy. Many persons can bear testimony to the truth of Dr. Kitchener’s remark, that “elaborate culinary processes are frequently necessary in order to prepare food for the digestive organs.” It may be truly said, that many persons ruin their health by over-indulgence in food rendered indigestible by being badly cooked. It is our intention to endeavour to correct the prejudice in favour of a family joint—by showing, that it is not only very often improperly cooked, but that the same quantity of meat, if dressed in different ways, still retaining a certain degree of simplicity, will be more pleasant to the palate, more healthful, and quite as economical, if brought to the table, as two or three dishes instead of one. In French cookery, those substances which are not intended to be broiled or roasted, are usually stewed for several hours at a temperature below the broiling point; by which means the most refractory articles, whether of animal or vegetable origin, are more or less reduced to a state of pulp, and admirably adapted for the further action of the stomach. In the common cookery of this country, on the contrary, articles are usually put at once into a large quantity of water, and submitted, without care or attention, to the boiling temperature; the consequence of which is, that most animal substances, when taken out, are harder and more indigestible than in the natural state. DIET AND DIGESTION.—From Dr. Beaumont’s Tables it appears that the following articles are digested in the times indicated: