Fish, though some of them be light and easy of digestion, afford less nourishment than vegetables, or the flesh of quadrupeds, and are, of all the animal tribes, the most disposed to putrefaction. Salt water fish are, in general, the best; but when salted, though less disposed to putres-cency, they become difficult of digestion. Whitings and flounders are the most easily digested. Acid sauces, and pickles, by resisting putrefaction, are a proper addition to fish, both as they retard putres-cency, and correct the relaxing tendency of butter, so generally used with this kind of aliment. Oysters and cockles are eaten both raw and dressed; but in the former state they are preferable, because heat dissipates considerably their nutritious parts as well as the salt water, which promotes their digestion in the stomach; if not eaten very sparingly, they generally prove laxative. Muscles and periwinkles are far inferior to oysters, both in point of digestion and nutriment. Sea muscles are by some supposed to be of a poisonous nature; but though this opinion is not much countenanced by experience, the safest way is to eat them with vinegar, or some other vegetable acid. bread.

At the head of the vegetable class stands bread, that article of diet which from general use, has received the name of the staff of life. Wheat is the grain chiefly used for the purpose in this country, and is among the most nutritive of all the farinaceous kinds, as it contains a great deal of starch. Bread is very properly eaten with animal food, to correct the disposition to putrescency; but is most expedient with such articles of diet as contain much nourishment in a small bulk, because it then serves to give the stomach a proper degree of expansion. But as it produces a slimy chyle, and disposes to costiveness, it ought not to be eaten in a large quantity. To render bread easy of digestion, it ought to be well fermented and baked, and it never should be used till it has stood twenty-four hours after being taken out of the oven, otherwise it is apt to occasion various complaints in those who have weak stomachs; such as flatulence, heartburn, watchfulness, and the like. The custom of eating butter with bread, hot from the oven, is compatible only with very-strong digestive powers. Pastry, especially when hot, has all the disadvantages of hot bread and butter, and even buttered toast, though the bread be stale, is scarcely inferior in its effects on a weak stomach.

Dry toast, with butter, is by far the wholesomest breakfast. Brown wheaten bread, in which there is a good deal of rye, though not so nourishing as that made of fine flour, is both palatable and wholesome, but apt to become sour on weak stomachs.