Intestinal indigestion comes, as a rule, from continued overeating of starchy foods and sweets. It is found among people who eat large quantities of bread, and drink at the same time two or three cups of tea or coffee, with sugar and milk, or to those who eat large quantities of illy-cooked cereals, pastries, pies, cakes and puddings. This form of indigestion is most common, and may be cured permanently by living for three or four months on chopped beef or milk, cream soups, eggs and stale bread. In this disease, the secretions of the intestines become dull, deficient, abnormal fermentation is set up, gases are formed, the abdomen becomes distended, and, unless taken in time, the patient goes from bad to worse until he is really ill. Nervous and mental conditions have their origin frequently in intestinal indigestion. The bile is insufficient and poor in quality, and constipation follows. The skin becomes dry, dark, and loses its activity, and this overtaxes the kidneys. The care of the skin is of equal importance with correct diet. Use water freely, inside and out. Do not drink at meals.

Cut down at once the quantity of food taken, especially the sugars and starches that require intestinal digestion. Give this part of the economy which is affected by disease, rest, that it may regain its lost strength. Koumys, buttermilk, leban, matzoon, milk with barley water, cream soups, white of egg and milk, may be used for a week or two in severe cases; then add a scraped beef cake, broiled; broiled birds, broiled chops, breasts of chicken, coddled eggs, a piece of hard toast, well masticated; or well-baked whole wheat bread; and so continue until the patient is relieved of all unpleasant symptoms. The patient may now add broiled, boiled or roasted meats, an occasional baked potato, boiled rice, bread made without shortening, either pulled or toasted; fruit juices alone, either early in the morning as a breakfast, or between meals; a little broiled fish; the heart of lettuce, with French dressing; mush bread, rice puddings, cup custards at meals where meat is not served; a little carefully-boiled macaroni with Parmesan cheese, and delicate green vegetables, simply cooked.

Fats must for a long time be used sparingly and carefully. A teaspoonful of pure olive oil once a day may be taken on lettuce or cress, or over carefully-cooked spinach. Use a tablespoonful of cream over the breakfast cereal, or it may be taken from the spoon, and masticated thoroughly.

Bear in mind that a small quantity of food taken at frequent intervals will bring about a cure more quickly than larger meals at long intervals. Do not drink with meals.

May Eat

Beef, mutton and chicken, broiled, boiled, baked, roasted

Birds; venison

White-fleshed fish, broiled or boiled

Eggs, soft boiled, steamed, poached; yolks hard boiled, pressed through a sieve, on milk toast

Sweetbreads, creamed or broiled

Olive oil (a little)

Butter (a little)

Whole wheat bread, well baked

Bread sticks; mush bread

Boiled rice; rice pudding

Warm cup custard; junket

Soft custards

Koumys, modified milk

Orange juice

Prunes, dates, or figs, stewed without sugar Lettuce; celery Cream soups, as spinach, celery, or lettuce Carefully-cooked cauliflower Roquefort or other ripe cheese in small quantities The early spring mushrooms New turnips, cooked below boiling point in unsalted water, served with cream sauce Stewed cucumbers, stewed squash Baked bananas, cream, horseradish sauce Young peas pressed through sieve Cress, chicory, endive, lettuce A cup of coffee once a day Very weak tea

Avoid

Boiled coffee

Boiled tea

All sweets

Fried foods

White bread

Crackers

Cakes

Small acid fruits

Pork in all forms

Veal

Turkey

Duck

Cooked cabbage

Beets

Corn, green

Potatoes Pickles Spiced foods Gelatin desserts Red or dark fish Salt foods All the Crustacea Clams Oysters Iced water Acid drinks Flavored soda water Starchy foods and sweets in general