Cassell's dictionary of cookery

cation and sanguification have been established, the natural propensity of the body is for activity, and the invalid awakes at this period and remains in a feverish state for some hours. Upon this general principle, then, suppers are to be avoided; that is to say, hearty suppers which require the active powers of the stomach for their digestion. The same objection cannot be urged against a light repast, which is generally useful to dyspeptics; and it has been truly and facetiously observed that ' ' some invalids need not put on their nightcaps if they do not first bribe their stomachs to good behaviour." An egg Lightly boiled, or a piece of dry toast, with a small quantity of white-wine negus, will often secure a tranquil night, which would otherwise be passed with restlessness. Amongst the intellectual part of the community there has ever j existed a very strong predilection in favour of I suppers ; the labour of the day has been perj formed ; the hour is sacred to conviviality, and I the period is one which is not likely to be j interrupted by the calls of business. To those I in health some indulgence may occasionally be I allowed ; but the physician should be cautious I how he gives his sanction to their wholesomeness. The hilarity which is felt at this period I of the day must not be received as a signal for j repairing to the banquet, but as an indication of the sanguification of the previous meal. — Dr. Paris. "Much," says Dr. Spenser Thomson, "has been said respecting the wholesomeness of eating suppers — much depends on circumstances. Generally speaking, animal food once a day is sufficient for most ; if, therefore, an individual for whom it is enough, after a sufficiently good meat-dinner, adds a superfluous meat-supper shortly before retiring to rest, there can be little wonder if he pays the penalty in sleep disturbed by dreams and nightmare, and by a furred tongue and unrefreshing waking in the morning. This is especially the case if the superfluity is indulged in after a dinner made in the latter part of the day. If dinner is early, if much exercise is taken between that and the evening meal, and if supper is not eaten at too late an hour, many persons can take with benefit a moderate proportion of animal food. It certainly is better not to eat a meal heavy, either in quantity or quality, before a period of inactivity and sleep so prolonged as that of the night ; but there is no doubt that much of the bad character of supper as a meal has arisen from its being so often one of superfluity. Those to whom suppers are most injurious are the plethoric, or such as suffer from head symptoms. Some persons, however, especially dyspeptic invalids, do themselves harm by abstaining from suppers of every kind, even after the principal meal has been taken early in the day. They do this under the idea that all suppers are bad, and suffer in consequence from uneasy sensations in the stomach during the night and from a sense of exhaustion in the morning, both of which may be prevented by a moderate supper of light food, such as is generally found to agree best; many a dyspeptic will find his morning meal better digested after a light supper than without." SUP (946) SWE