upon one's physical condition. The amount of liquid taken during a meal
must also be regulated by one's needs. For instance, if you are poorly
nourished and apparently need more weight properly to round out your
body, then an additional amount of liquid will often be of advantage,
provided you do not take so much as actually to interfere with
digestion. Where increased bodily tissue is needed, therefore, in
virtually every instance the free use of water during the meal will be
of decided value; though one should always keep in mind the
necessity of drinking these liquids warm or even hot if taking any
quantity.

The use of a large amount of cold water at meal-time is likely to be
detrimental. There is a wide-spread custom of drinking ice-water during
the meal. This is one of the most pernicious of all dietetic errors,
since chilling of the stomach invariably retards digestion and
favors dyspepsia. Even water that is very cold, though not iced, is not
desirable, unless used in very small amounts. Also the use of ice-
water or extremely cold water between meals is inadvisable, since
because of its low temperature one cannot comfortably drink enough of
it to satisfy completely his bodily requirements. Water that is only
moderately cold or cool can be used liberally, and is always to be
preferred in the case of overheating through violent exercise. It is
usually advisable to drink water at the temperature that is most
pleasant to you, though large quantities of cold water should always
be avoided. And, as I have said, at meal-time, especially, if much water
or other liquids are used they should be either warm or hot.

Without question, the greatest of all dietetic errors is to eat without
appetite. It is nothing less than a crime against the stomach, and yet
this practice is one of the most common of all those which contribute to
the prevalence of dyspepsia in civilized communities. No animal, the
human race excepted, would attempt to eat without the relish that
absolutely depends upon the possession of a keen appetite. Many
thousands of people attempt to eat their meals regularly without regard
to the demands of hunger merely because it is "meal-time." Eating in
such cases has only the excuse of habit, although frequently it is
regarded as a duty. Eating should never be regarded as a duty, nor
should it be allowed to become a habit, for when not pleasurable it is
not benefici