This section is from the book "The Relation Of Food To Health And Premature Death", by Geo. H. Townsend, Felix J. Levy, Geo. Clinton Crandall. Also available from Amazon: Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You.
"Cases of diabetes have been reported cured with lettuce, although this is a matter in which mistakes might easily be made, but inasmuch as it does not contain any considerable starch or sugar, and is quite a sedative, it ought to be c{ great use in disease of the kidneys of the character of diabetes, although we would not be willing to stand on a declaration that anyone can be cured by a lettuce diet."
"Yes, owing to its effect akin to that of opium it is said to be good food for sleeplessness and for that purpose should be eaten in some quantities late in the evening. It has a tendency to diminish action of the heart, and should be avoided where there is great danger of heart failure,although no attention ordinarily should be given to any danger so remote as this'
 
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