ving foods in warm and hot weather, and living under
natural, primitive conditions, this is the only time of the year we
should have them, for Nature only provides fruit during the months of
summer. The fraction of protein fruit contains, 1 per cent. or less, is
too small to be of any account. The nutritive value of fruits consists
in their mineral salts, grape-sugar and water.

Much the same applies to green vegetables. In cooking vegetables care
should be taken that the water they are cooked in is not thrown away as
it contains nearly all the nutrient properties of the vegetable; that is
to say, the various salts in the vegetable become dissolved in the water
they are boiled in. This water can be used for soup if desired, or
evaporated, and with flour added to thicken, served as sauce to the
vegetable. Potatoes are a salutary food, especially in winter. They
contain alkalies which help to lessen the accumulation of uric acid.
They should be cooked with skins on: 16 grains per lb. more of valuable
potash salts are thus obtained than when peeled and boiled in the
ordinary way. The ideal method, however, of taking most vegetables is in
the form of uncooked salads, for in these the health-giving, vitalising
elements remain unaltered.

If man is to be regarded, as many scientists regard him, as a frugivore,
constitutionally adapted and suited to a nut-fruit diet, then to regain
our lost original taste and acquire a liking for such simple foods
should be our aim. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to make a
sudden change after having lived for many years upon the complex
concoctions of the chef's art, for the system resents sudden changes,
but with proper care, changing discreetly, one can generally attain a
desired end, especially when it involves the replacing of a bad habit by
a good one.

In the recipes that follow no mention is made of condiments, _i.e._,
pepper, salt, mustard, spice, _et hoc genus omni_. Condiments are not
foods in any sense whatever, and the effect upon the system of
'seasoning' foods with these artificial aids to appetite, is always
deleterious, none the less because it may at the time be imperceptible,
and may eventually result in disease. Dr. Kellogg writes: 'By contact,
they irritate the mucous membrane, causing congestion and diminished
secretion of gastric juice when taken in any but quite small quantities.
When taken in quantities so small as to occasion no considerable
irritation of t