19

continued

contains much sugar. It was singular that D^r
Cullen should have doubted of sugar being nutritious,
how far he was right in referring so much to an
acid I shall not inquire. That the human
stomach can digest almost any thing, but that
oil & sugar are more nutritious than an acid
I am led to believe. D^r B Stark lived 14 days
on olive oil and flour & increased his weight
4 or 5 lb—oil though very nutritious is not very
easy of digestion. D^r Darwin said when not rancid
easy of digestion. Olive oil is much used in the
south of Europe where they use bread and oil as we
do bread & butter. Mucilage & gum are very
nutritious, the former is only a solution of the
latter in water. Gum arabic is the most
pure of these and as an article of diet in
bowel complaints it is invaluable, tis nutritous
& not acid, in cholera morbus an excellent
medicine mixed with loaf sugar.