Some People Say That Radishes Do Not Agree With Them, Why Is This?

"The radish is sufficiently pungent to irritate the stomach; besides this, it is tough, solid and stringy. It is therefore difficult to dissolve and undesirable for persons of weak digestion."

"But, Doctor, there are other people who claim that radishes aid their digestion."

"That is rather doubtful, but if it be true, it could only arise from one fact, and that is that the eating of a small amount of the vegetable stimulates the secretion of gastric juice because it irritates the stomach while there is not sufficient amount of the tough insoluble part to seriously disturb digestion.

As a relish, to eat a bite or two, the radish may be of some use, and is certainly very pleasant, but no considerable quantity should be eaten by anyone, no matter how good their digestion may be. It is so near all water and fiber that it has no particular value as food."

"Pepper is a name for vegetables which includes quite a number of varieties, differing much in their degree of pungency. There is the common red pepper used only for sauces and then there are both sweet and pungent mangos. The mango pepper is used as a case for pickled cabbage. The flavor is much relished by many people, but it is exceedingly tough and indigestible. It has no value as food whatever and peppers do not deserve a place in any dietary as food, although they might occasionally be useful in a medicinal way for pepper tea."

"Rhubarb occupies a peculiar field among vegetables, for it has little similarity except in the manner of its growth."