Doctor, What Is The Leading Fruit From The Tropics?

"Well, it is difficult to say whether the banana or lemon."

For A Food, Which Is Best?

"The banana. It is the only green fruit extensively used in this country, upon which life can be sustained for any length of time."

Then, The Composition Will Be Interesting?

"Yes, the banana contains one per cent or two per cent of tissue-forming food, or about one-eighth that of entire wheat flour. It contains quite a large amount of gum and sugar, amounting in all to about fifteen per cent. The banana contains less water than most other fruits, being only about eighty per cent water, while most of the others range from eighty-two to ninety per cent, except those which are principally seed."

Do You Consider The Banana A Wholesome Food?

"It does not agree with most people."

Why Is That?

"That is because it is pulled green, and ripened by an artificial process, so that when the banana is ripened for market, it is really ripened by a process of decay."

Then This Is The Reason Why Bananas Are So Likely To Disagree?

"Yes, being partly decayed, and containing a considerable amount of sugar, they are likely to continue to decay, or sour fermentation set in after they are eaten. It is no uncommon thing for bananas to produce nettle-rash, especially in children."

Is There Any Way Of Overcoming The Difficulty?

"Only by allowing the banana to ripen where it grows, and make it into meal. This is another peculiarity of the banana; it is the only fruit that can be dried and ground into flour, and when this is done the banana makes a valuable food."

I Notice That Its Use Has Been Mentioned In Typhoid Fevers?

"Yes, banana meal has been used with very good results in many hospitals, both for typhoid fever and other cases, but it must not be concluded from this that an ordinary tough banana can be used, because it would likely disagree with a well person, and be very dangerous to the sick."

Then You Rather Discourage The Use Of Bananas?

"Yes, until there is some way of getting the fruit to us in a better condition. It is truly a fine fruit and the time will soon come when its use will be such as to warrant some more satisfactory way of bringing it to the people."