SUMMARY
Food Poisoning is more or less common, being induced by polluted water, milk, or other foods, bad sanitation, and imperfect canning, as well as by certain obscure substances known as ptomaines.
Shellfish have often been found to cause poisoning in certain individuals. Stale fish may cause the most violent type of poisoning in any individual.
Chicken Salad which has been kept overnight in tin receptacles has been known to cause violent attacks of poisoning.
Ice Cream which is melted and re-frozen is likewise a source of a number of the cases reported.
Symptoms.—Very like those of auto-intoxication, and violent intestinal disturbances are manifested.
Prostration may be great, according to the violence and duration of the attack.
Anemia follows many cases of poisoning as a result not only of the impairment and lack of nutrition of the blood-making organs, but also on account of the other symptoms, especially diarrhea occurring in the disease.
ACIDOSIS
This condition is more or less common, especially in the disturbances manifested by children.
Cause of acidosis is believed to be an impairment of metabolism, especially in regard to the fats.
Starvation or Malnutrition is believed to produce many cases of acidosis in childhood and adults suffering from diseases in which certain foods have been limited.
Dietetic Treatment like that used in acute gastro-intestinal disturbances begins with a starvation period and is followed by a simple fluid diet until violent symptoms subside. Examination of the stools and the material vomited will, at times, furnish an insight as to the source of the poison.
Convalescent Diet is begun after the violent symptoms have subsided, but care must be taken not to increase the diet too rapidly, owing to the danger from relapse.
Method of Administering Diet.—First: a period of total abstinence from food.
Second: fluid diet consisting of broth, buttermilk, or some of the predigested liquid beef preparations which furnish both food and stimulation necessary in such cases.
Rectal Feeding may be found necessary when the prostration is great.
Personal Idiosyncrasies should be taken into account and effort made to find whether or not the attack is caused by any one food material or by bad sanitation or unclean food. The patient should be warned against the danger of taking a food which has caused a previous attack of poisoning, especially in cases where a personal idiosyncrasy against a food has been manifested.
PELLAGRA
The cause and cure for this disease are still a matter of discussion. Whether it is due to the presence or absence of certain substances in the food materials, is as yet to be determined.
Diet in Pellagra is most important. It is impossible to say that pellagra is a nutritional disease, but it is certain that in balancing the diet much has been done toward relieving the condition.
Diarrhea is one of the chief symptoms of the disease and great care is needed in formulating the dietary in order not to increase this condition.
Conclusion.—The diet is thus shown to be directed toward overcoming the emaciation and anemia and relieving or preventing the gastro-intestinal disturbances which are so apt to occur. It must be remembered that even a well-balanced diet will not materially relieve the condition unless it is instituted sufficiently early.