“Have you ever given him cracked wheat?” “I never heard of it.” “Send and get a package. I will show you how to cook it, and we will lunch upon it.” Charlie ate of it, not freely, for his lunch and supper. The following day he had two natural, easy evacuations. I counseled her to give him less meat and cake, have him eat the wheat at least once a day, and partake of more fruit. Months afterward she reported no return of the constipation. Oftentimes it is the simplest things that are the most effectual. FEAST ON FRUITS! Would that this could be a motto upon the wall of every dining room in the land! Next to the whole of the wheat, fruit is the best laxative to the bowels. Dr. Jackson says: “I advise the use of fruit in the morning if taken only once a day; but I heartily approve of its forming a part of every meal, though I strongly condemn the indulgence in fruit between meals.” I coincide with him, and _emphasize_ by saying _feast on fruit freely_! Don’t stint the supply to _sauce dishes_. Use large saucers and not only once full but twice or thrice full at every meal. Acid fruits are preferable. They are the staple, and properly prepared, one never tires of them. The acid of the fruit is largely oxygen, and uniting with the carbon of other food, in this way assists in digestion. For constipation some of the dried fruits well cooked are valuable. Of these peaches, plums, prunes, apricots, etc., that are rich in hydrocyanic acid, are preferable. Get the best, stew several hours. Never prepare a meal without it. Do not say it is expensive, and you cannot afford it. Take half the money you put in meat and lard, and purchase fruit. You will get interest and principal returned in health for yourself, in rosy, buoyant children, and noticeable absence of doctors’ fees. Most of the garden vegetables are also valuable. Rhubarb, onions, tomatoes, asparagus, green peas, squash, cauliflower, green corn, etc., etc., are good, and should be well cooked without butter. The fruits and vegetables supply water, laxative in its effects upon the mucous surfaces. They increase the residual matter of the excrement, and supply stimuli for peristaltic action. Avoid strong tea, especially if steeped a long time. Tannic acid is developed, giving an astringent effect. _Coffee_, especially the higher grades, in the occasional use, stimulates the bowels to action, but the _habit_ of taking strong coffee gives the secondary effect, and torpidity is the result. It may be a wise provision of nature that the poorer and cheaper the coffee, the less deleterious is its character. Java and Mocha may be really poisonous to an individual, while Rio is quite inoffensive. Most of the adulterations of coffee are harmless. One “feasting on fruits freely” will not feel the need of any drink at meals, and in _total abstinence_ great gain will be made in overcoming symptoms of indigestion. LAXATIVE.