IN DISEASE. I disease the activity of digestion is generally lessened, and there is total waste or los, from the body of certain tis sue constituents which in health are replaced as rapidly as they are excreted. In chronic disease the preservation of nutrition is of great impor tance front the start, and the highly nutritious foods are of the most value, varied from time to time as strength and appetite demand. In acute disease. with prostration, withdrawal of nitro genous food is generally necessary, together with a diminution of starches and sugars, and an in erea,e of fats. In acute processes, by inflammation, as well as in fevers, serious changes occur in the constitution of the solids and fluids of the body. Interstitial fat disap pears: muscles become pale and relaxed. and their contractibility is partially lost: digestion becomes impaired and remains either feeble, ab normal. or suspended: food is imperfectly pre pared for assimilation and enters the blood in improper condition: the blood suffers alteration: the urine is found to contain an increase of unites and often also uric acid: the excretion of phosphates is increased, and that of chlorides is iminished: while in the tissues imperfect metamorphosis occurs. pathological be ing stored in them, together with waste products awaiting elimination, and a 1'1.r:titular disintegra tion. or parenchymatous degeneration. may fol low. The importance of a properly modified diet is obvious. In such ease. milk forms the diet, to the exclusion of all other food. and about six ounces of milk should he given to the pat hmt tvt ry toe ( r three hours, unless vomiting be and -oups possess very small value as food. but may be given in addition to the proper amount of atilk fur the sake of variety, and to ay.•id the occurrence of a disgust for milk. With tl e fall of temperature, the simpler solids are administered by degrees, beginning with suft• (oohed eggs. given oysters. etc. Beef t,a i- very slight value. and in no case should teliance be placed upon it as nourishment. \Viten patients cannot take milk. peptonized •ombina th.ns of beef, milk, and gluten may be substituted tor it.
In disease of the digestive organs skim-milk is the highest value. If acute and emitined to the stomach. such disease is best combated if eas ily digested aliments are administered, as milk and lime-uater, whey. barley-water, etc. In chronic affections of the stomach, with feeble digestion ••ving to aerie ielley of the gastric juice. t he following articles of food will he found de sirable: boiled Hee. taphtea. arrowroot, hisenits (crackers), and vegetables. Where iermehtation of starchy and fatty boils occurs, these must be omitted from the diet, and in their stead acid fruits and vegetables, such as apples, peaches, tomatoes, tamarinds, oranges, etc., should be eaten. In intestinal indigestion and summer diarrhwa, starches and fats should lw omitted from the dietary, and milk, eggs. animal broths. broiled beefsteak, oysters. and fresh fish are suitable. constipation due to tor por of the muscular layer of the intestine may lie relieved by a diet of cereals, whole-wheat bread. fruits, and green vegetables, with liberal quanti ties of water.
In many diseases particular diets are requisite. In dial,. It s. for example. all sugar and sugar produeing food must lie withheld, while animal food and fats must be administered in &guidance. Water must be drunk freely. Saccharin must lie substituted for sugar. The patient may therefore take meat soups: fresh fish, lobsters, and crabs; fat meat, poultry, kidneys, sweetbreads, ham, tongue. sau-age, and all kinds of game: pickles, sardines, olives, celery: gluten bread, gluten rolls. gluten mush. almond bread and cakes, bran cakes: all green vegetables. nuts, acid fruits.
&ream en-tards• •heese. jellies, ice-cream (made With saccharin). tea and entice, buttermilk, kou miss, skim-milk. red wine. in moderation: min ( rat waters. All thair must be carefully avoided. In Bright's dist OS( the patient must avoid over feeding. and must take easily as-imilated food that leaves a small amount of nitrogenous waste mat. vial. Ile may take soup made of arrowroot. milk, and rice, tapioca, or vermicelli: fresh raw oysters and clams; very little red nirats; chieken, game, fresh pork, bacon and bum; eggs sparingly: wheat bread. hominy. oatmeal, gruels, toast : green vegetables, well cooked: mushrooms. rhubarb; simple puddings of milk and rive o of bread: stewed fruits. laxative raw fruits, fruit jellies; milk. kou miss. barley - water. buttermilk. and mineral waters; very weak tea. In title-retdosis the patient should cat a- much as can be digest ( d. mostly of fatty and nitrogenous foods. taking fond between meals and at bed-time, and thus re eeiving some food every three hours during the day, De may take fresh fish and oysters; all meats not smoked or salted. except pork: egg- in all forms •xe( pt fried; breads with an abundance of butter; all green vegetables, no routs, no potatoes: fats and olive oil; fruits, cheese, farinaceous desserts; milk, cream, cocoa, Viehy and stimulants as ordered by the physician. It is imperative that food prepared fur invalids should be well cooked. The taste and appetite are not trustworthy guides in sickness, but odors, flavors, and dainty serving should be considered. Food should be served very hot or very cold; seasoning. except with salt, should in general be avoided; and small quantities should be offered at a time. with scrupulous care that utensils and linen lie clean.
See tluf general article Foot) and the special articles on the more import ant animaI and seg i table such as Alt-;.vr: Fisti; BuE.sn, etc. See also AlE.tr ExTa-vcr.
DIET (etymology same as preceding). A name at present applied to the legislative bodies in the German States, to the provincial assem blies in Austria, and to the Ilungarian Parlia ment. These assemblies are called in German Lamltag. The i:erman Imperial Parliament bears the name of Reichstag, which word. when applied to the representative assembly of the old t;erman Empire (Hol• lb Empire) figures in English works as Diet, The federal assembly of the Ger manic Confederation (Bandcsrnt) is also styled Diet in English. The word Diet is also applied to the representative assemblies in the old kingdom of Poland and other countries. The of II(dy 'Roman Empire was made up of the Elee toral College (q.v.), the princes of the Empire. spiritual and temporal, and the delegates of the free Imperial cities. The princes, save in the !mitten of electing the Emperor, had the same rights as the Elet•oral College. The powers of the free imperial cities were quite limited, and were not even formally reeognized limit it I 114 ti. Each of the three colleges voted separately. When they agreed on a measure it was submitted to the Emperor for ratification or for rejection. but he had no power to modify it. NO measure affecting the welfare of the Empire could be passed without the assent of the Diet. The regu lar meetings were held twice a year. usually in some chief town of the Empire. After the close of the Thirty Years' War the power of the body declined. though it continued to hold its meetings at Ealisbon down to the dissolution of the Holy 'Roman Empire in Isnfi. Consult : Dryee. VI" Holy Roman Empire (London, 1S7 11 Waltz, I), Owl', rjas,ungsgcschiehte (11 cols.. Berlin, St;5.9t; Turner. The Germanic Constitution (New Cork,