Fruit, however, is not so plentiful, and milk becomes a luxury. A Syrian woman who had tubercular glands was advised to use one quart of milk a day. She showed no improvement, after being treated for some time, and it was discovered that she had not had the milk. When asked why she did not take it, she said: "The milk come in a bottle; in my country I get it from the goat. The doctor ordered milk, and I do not know what else is in the bottle; there must be something besides milk, to make it cost so much." All was explained, and milk ordered for the patient. She began to improve, and then she was convinced that although we have an expensive way of obtaining milk it has the same virtue as at home.

Among the Syrians, Armenians, Greeks, and Turks we usually find the children well nourished, with plenty of growth material and mineral matter in their diets. They do not have milk and fruit in as large quantities as they should, because of the

expense.

The undernourished children need more milk added to their diet. Wheat is used extensively, either whole or cracked; it is cooked in water until nearly done, then milk is added for the last few minutes' cooking. Even the candy or sweetmeats, called medley, is made with wheat. The green-leaved vegetables are not used in cream soups, but are cooked in stock. This must be remembered in diets for children.

A Greek boy, a patient at a dispensary, was referred to a food clinic for a constipation diet. When questioned about the delicious orange compotes the 1 See Appendix, recipes 20, 21.

Greeks usually have two or three times a day on their tables at home, he said: "Oh yes! My mother makes it, but she keeps it for company. When she is out I crawl in the window and eat some on my bread. Oranges cost a lot for boys, my mother says." Dried as well as fresh fruits may be prescribed, but they should be as compotes, not "stewed." 1 The national dish of the Turks is pilaf; of the Armenians, herissa. Both of these are good foods for the children.2

When vegetables are prescribed, it is well to remember that the Oriental cooks them with olive oil. They are known as basidis, and are used extensively cooked with meat or in olive oil, or both. One of the best dishes for a patient with constipation is cabbage with meat. Another dish equally valuable is tureli ghuvedge, or mixed vegetables with meat.4

Nephritis seems to be almost unknown among these people. A patient may have any of their cereal dishes made of wheat or rice and any of their green vegetables cooked in olive oil. Suggestive combinations for them are given in the Appendix.5

Because of the large amount of rice and wheat used in Oriental dishes, it is difficult to plan a diet for a diabetic patient. In prescribing low-carbohydrate vegetables cooked in olive oil and lamb and chicken cooked on skewers, one can be sure no rice or wheat is used.

The tuberculosis patient should have black coffee replaced by milk in his diet. Several milk dishes are

1 See Appendix, recipe 22.

3 Ibid., recipe 25.

5 Ibid., recipes 27-30.

2 Ibid., recipes 23, 24. 4 Ibid., recipe 26.

given in the Appendix. Tzouvatzegh, the Armenian egg milk toast, is very good.1 Matzaun is always popular and may be combined with eggs.2 A favorite egg dish is made with orange and is called sudeli youmourta. Buttered bread is often served with a pitcher of hot milk, and eaten as we eat bread and milk.

The people of the Near East seem to have a greater knowledge of food combinations than any other people. It is generally supposed that their cookery is spicy, but it can be seen from their recipes that the cooking is rich, not in condiments, but because of the number of ingredients.

POLES AND OTHER SLAVIC PEOPLE

The Poles come from a northern climate, where the summers are not so long as the winters. Very few people from the cities of Poland come to America. Those we find here are the peasant class. On their farms they raised the grains and vegetables that develop during a short season-beans, carrots, turnips, parsnips, cabbage, lettuce, and other summer vegetables. Tomatoes are not raised nor are they known outside of Warsaw. They raise stock from which they get milk and meat.

Meat has a prominent place in the Polish dietbeef, veal, and pork being the kinds in common use. These are roasted plain or boiled in various combinations. Pork is perhaps the favorite, and they have many ways of making it into sausage and of smoking it. When smoked it is often covered with Ibid., recipe 32.

1 See Appendix, recipe 31. 3 Ibid., recipe 33.

2

mace to add flavor. This is true not only among the Poles, but among other Slavic people. Pork is frequently used with beef and made into puddings or loaves. In the winter the only fresh meat used is game, and it is customary to roast this over an open fire. Eggs instead of meat form the dinner dish on Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes chickens or ducks are used.

Fish is used fresh in summer and pickled in winter. It is rarely preserved by salting. Fish is boiled or baked, but for special occasions the best cooks prefer to make it into cutlets. These are made of cooked fish blended with a sauce or gravy, shaped into cutlets, and fried or baked with a sauce or gravy.

Potatoes are served at almost every meal. The preferred grain among all the Slavic people is barley. The Poles use corn meal and oats also.

When the man of the family gets his first job in this country, it is as a laborer, sometimes building our railroads, bridges, or subways. He generally carries his noon luncheon to work and it consists of bread broken from a loaf, either round or oblong, according to which shape fitted the oven. With this he may have some bizos, if he is Polish. Bizos is made of two kinds of sausage, red and white, sauerkraut, tender beef, pork, and barley, all boiled together into a thick pudding. It is sliced, and eaten cold or warm. In his own country bizos was one of the luncheon meats taken on hunting trips, and as the laborer sits on the curb, or out along the railroad he is helping to build, his enjoyment of the lunch is accompanied by memories of those hunting expeditions and the friends who were with him.

The family diet slowly changes from flour gruel and potatoes, with coffee, for breakfast, to more American dishes. They continue the custom of having eggs for dinner on Wednesday and Friday as long as they are able to afford it. In winter, because of the high price of eggs or because the man is out of work, they must find a substitute or, what is more frequent, go without. Flaxseed oil is their favorite fat. That is hard to find here, and this necessitates learning to use some of the vegetable oils which we have.

The Polish children, and those of the other Slavic people, come from sturdy stock. Upon arrival in this country they have round, well-shaped heads, rosy cheeks, and strong bodies. With their kerchiefs over their heads they make fascinating pictures of health. They have had an abundance of milk and fresh air in their own countries.

Here they live at first in crowded districts. Milk is counted as a drink, not something to eat; therefore, because the family income is small, it is left out of the diet almost entirely. If these children are fortunate enough to belong to Polish families that have saved and bought land in the country, for tobacco or onion farms, they have goats' milk, vegetables, and fruit. Otherwise they eat what the grownups have, and they pay the price. Sometimes they are constipated, with accompanying ill feelings; sometimes they are under weight.

In cases of undernourishment among the children it is necessary with the Slavs, as with all other foreignborn people, to help plan for milk in the food budgets. Among their soups, children may have rosolzlazan