1 Time the patient rises
2 Hour the first meal is eaten
3 Of what that meal consists
4 Time the second meal is eaten
5 Of what the second meal consists
6 Time the third meal is eaten
7 Of what this meal consists
8 All mental influences under which the patient is laboring, especially fear or worry
9 The condition of the bowels as to congestion
10 The amount of liquid taken during the day and at meals
In nearly all emaciated cases it will be found that the patient is suffering from premature fermentation, intestinal and stomach gas, and a congested condition of the bowels commonly known as constipation.
Foods that are necessary in the treatment of emaciation
The first remedy lies in the selection and the combination of foods which are readily soluble and assimilable, and which contain the best flesh and cell-building properties. The chemical properties or elements most necessary are albumin, phosphorus, casein, proteids and carbohydrates. These elements are supplied best by milk, eggs, nuts, sweet fruits and coarse cereals, followed by a limited quantity of fresh green vegetables.
Value of milk and eggs in the remedial diet
The nutriment contained in the egg is all that is required for the young chick, while the nutrient contents of milk is all that is necessary for the young animal. Therefore these two articles contain the most reliable and speedy counteractive elements known to chemistry, but in dealing with the adult they should be supplemented by fresh vegetables, coarse grain, wheat bran, raisins, and the seeds and skins of grapes.
Constipation must be overcome in cases of emaciation
It must be remembered that milk has a constipating tendency when taken in ordinary quantities—from one to two glasses at a meal. Therefore in laying out the diet for the emaciated, it is vitally important to avoid constipation, which may be done by giving milk during the first two or three days in quantities ranging from two and one-half to three and one-half quarts a day, together with a liberal quantity of coarse cereal. (See "Constipation—The Remedy," p. 436.)
These remedial methods may be repeated day by day until a substantial gain in weight is noticed, when the diet may be normalized—such articles selected as will give to the body all the required elements of nourishment in the right proportions.