invite such disaster by overeating, or by the partaking of
any food which is liable to bring about indigestion, either in the
stomach or in the intestines. Most authorities advise four or five
meals a day rather than the regulation three, and limit the fluids at
meal time to a few ounces only, when any are allowed, and to a
maximum amount of 1500 c.c. during the day, chiefly between meals.

Second: the need for limiting the amount and type of exercise taken,
especially after eating, since the work of digestion requires all the
power and strain of which the heart is capable, and since an
additional tax placed upon it by muscular exertion might readily be
just the final straw, the added fraction which weighs down the balance
on the scale of life.

Third: the advisability of abstaining from alcoholic beverages, unless
specially prescribed by the physician in charge.

Certain elderly people suffer from a condition known as senile heart,
which is more or less associated with arteriosclerosis and high blood
pressure. These individuals should be prevailed upon to take the
precaution of regulating their habits of life, avoiding excesses of
all kinds, not only on account of the weakened condition of the heart,
but also on account of the condition of the arteries. They should
avoid excitement and worry, since the very fact that they are worrying
increases the blood pressure. Simple foods in limited quantities, five
meals a day instead of three, and an avoidance of too much fluid,
should be the keynote of their daily regime.

Tact on the part of the nurse is necessary in all cases, both young
and old. It is often more difficult to instill good dietary habits in
heart patients, after acute symptoms have subsided, than to carry them
out during the acute attack, when the life itself depends upon a rigid
adherence to the diet prescribed. But as these rules and regulations
are essential to the future welfare of the patient, he must be taught
with care, and in such a way that he will not be alarmed to an extent
when more harm than good will come of the teaching.

The diet should consist chiefly of milk, eggs, rare meat in
moderation (mutton, chicken, fish, and oysters), well-baked bread,
well-cooked cereals, potatoes and green vegetables, and simple
desserts. All foods which in any way cause gastric or intestinal
disturbances must be avoided. If these disturbances arise during the
course of the disease, the patient should be prompt