Hoffman's Diet consists of protein and fat, in four meals. Plasmon, nutrose, etc., can be added. Calorie value 2,000-2,500.

1. Milk, 200; cream, 50; meat, 100; 2 eggs, butter.

2. Meat, 200; peas and greens.

3. Milk, 200; cream, 50.

4. Ham and 4 eggs.

Analysis Of Special Diets. (Amounts Are Given In Grammes.)

The obvious objection to all these diets lies in the high proportion of protein. Average diets such as those of v. Ranke, Moleschott, and Pettenkofer and Voit contain from 100 to 137 grammes of protein, or 15.5 to 19.5 of nitrogen. Chittenden has shown that in professional men, soldiers and athletes, a diet containing about half the above amounts of protein and nitrogen, or even less, is sufficient to maintain nitrogenous equilibrium. It is, therefore, a most irrational proceeding to give the obese an excess of protein food to provide the calories of heat required. It is much more rational, besides being physiologically sound, to reduce all the different constituents of the diet to such an extent that the relative proportions are maintained, but the calorie value is brought down to 1,500-2,000, or even lower in suitable cases. In order to meet these requirements recourse must be had to a free supply of foods containing very little nutriment, such as the vegetables, and the calorie value of different foods must be studied. The Calorie Value of Common Foods per Ounce.

Meat, fish and cereals are cooked. Vegetables are boiled.

In urgent cases and in fat anaemic women complete rest in bed, milk and massage should be tried. At first skimmed milk is added to the ordinary diet and then finally substituted entirely for it. The quantity is reduced until the patient loses about half a pound daily. The pulse, temperature and weight must be carefully watched and the diet increased, if necessary. The milk cure, really a starvation method, may be adopted (vide p. 175).

Reference to the preceding table enables one to draw up a diet suitable for the obese in quantity and variety and yet not containing an undue proportion of nutritive material. The following dietary may be adopted as a basis, being modified according to the bulk and age of the patient, the mode of life, and the progress of the case.