ion, which will increase the health of both mind
and body and prevent many nervous disorders such as neurasthenia.

CHAPTER XXXIX

THE PUNY CHILD

In every neighborhood there is to be found the delicate child, and
everywhere anxious mothers are putting forth every effort to improve
the condition of their puny boys and girls. In carefully looking over
the puny child, we see an underweight little creature with pale skin,
and as he comes to the table everybody notes that he refuses more or
less food.

DIET AND HYGIENE

As we give the child a closer examination we find that certain lymph
glands are enlarged, possibly adenoids are present in the post-nasal
pharnyx, and, in many instances, there are badly diseased tonsils.
Usually the puny child is constipated, hands and feet are cold, and he
jumps and starts at any unusual noise, thus showing a tendency to
nervousness. One of the first things necessary is to take this little
one to a good specialist and if necessary have the adenoids and
tonsils removed. This having been done, the diet should be carefully
looked into. There should be served him for breakfast a generous bowl
of dextrinized grains with a good portion of diluted cream, a glass of
rich milk, a baked potato, and fruit. For lunch at twelve o'clock he
should be given a glass of malted milk with egg, or eggnog, six or
eight dates or three or four figs, a handful of pecan kernels, and
perhaps a lettuce sandwich. For dinner at half past five, another
nourishing meal of baked potatoes, a protein dish of either cheese and
macaroni or eggs or meat, a generous fruit salad, a glass of rich
milk, and bread and butter, should be enjoyed.

There is no class of little folks who eat between meals more often
than do these delicate children, for mothers painstakingly endeavor
to feed these children all they can possibly take; so one mother
thoughtlessly went about it something like this: the half past seven
breakfast having been only touched--nibbled at--with the ten o'clock
hour came this request: "Mother, I am so hungry, I want something to
eat." Eagerly the mother prepared either a meat sandwich or a jelly
sandwich and possibly a glass of milk.

When it was time for the twelve o'clock dinner hour, or lunch hour,
again the well-filled plate was refused, the appetite having been
satisfied at ten o'clock. Having taken very little nourishment at
noon, by half past two the plaintive plea again came to the mother