ods as Sources of Uric Acid.~--Formerly no difference
was made in food; all were supposed to cause uric acid formation, but
with the exhaustive investigation of food materials this sweeping
condemnation has been to a great extent removed or narrowed down to a
few foods, those rich in purins being the chief offenders.

~Chief Causes of Gout.~--Without a doubt, overeating, overindulgence
in alcoholic stimulation, lack of exercise, etc., are chiefly to blame
for the large percentage of the cases, but upon investigation it will
be seen that those individuals are as a rule large protein eaters and
that their mode of living is not such as to assist the body in
throwing off the poisons which form as the result of their
self-indulgence.

~Rules to Combat Gout.~--To successfully combat the retention of a
large percentage of uric acid in the blood there are certain definite
rules to be observed: (1) The general diet must be reduced not only in
amount but also in purin-bearing foods; (2) All foods which are liable
to cause digestional disturbances, with the attending evils of
intestinal putrefaction and constipation, must be avoided.

~Alcohol in Gout.~--If the patient is accustomed to alcoholic
stimulants and has been in the habit of taking them constantly for
years, the amount of alcohol consumed daily must be radically reduced
and only the amount prescribed by the physician taken. Alcohol without
a doubt assists in the retention and increases the difficulty of uric
acid elimination by the body. In view of the present knowledge of the
cause and effect of uric acid in the body, the treatment of gout is
directed with the object of relieving the condition (1) by
facilitating the elimination of uric acid from the body, and (2) by
so regulating the diet as to exclude as far as possible those
purin-bearing foods which, by reason of their chemical composition,
augment the general amount of uric acid formed within the organism.

In gout, as in other abnormal conditions, no set rule can be laid down
to cover the treatment of every case. The individual must be taken
into consideration, his daily habits studied and the extent and
character of the disease known before it is possible to prescribe a
treatment or formulate a diet which would adequately meet his needs
under the existing conditions.

~Obesity and Glycosuria.~--Gouty individuals often become obese and
show evidences of glycosuria. Consequently it is important to regulate
th