Food-variety has long been considered a health-necessity. Diet can be more limited in variety if it is accurately adjusted to the individual food-need. Foods of different kinds are never fully interchangeable in the diet. As foods differ even in their most minute constituents, so do they in nutritive effect. Hence the necessity of considering the kinds of food and the palatability as zvell as the quantity.

Science finds that peoples in extremes of climate, which restrict the food-supply, live upon very limited food-combinations; also that those of curtailed resources eat only a few food-combinations of simple foods. Some of the latter foods of foreign origin have recently been introduced into American diet.

Diet-expansion has been directly effected by these foods that have come with the peoples long accustomed to their use in other lands. The food-preparations so brought are often unique. They are the age-long experience resulting from the effort to make palatable, nutritious diet from limited food-resources. Such are inexpensive foods, because this has been the need of the workers whose resources are least and food-needs greatest of any social group. What experience has taught them can be learned from them, though their food-needs exceed their present diet-possibilities.

Hygeia.

OLD CHINESE DISHES.