p. 63 | Students' Diet

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 20, 1879

Students' Diet.

A CORRESPONDENT says: “The use of stimulants by students is a growing evil. I have known young ladies who felt weak to drink strong tea between meals to brace them up. I know a young lady who is in the habit of taking quinine just before going to church for recitation, because it makes her feel brighter. And I have known instances of the opium habit being formed by students. I am glad you are discussing this subject in your columns, and hope the discussion may do lasting good.”

There is a disease known to physicians as “gastrodynia,” which is frequent among the poorer classes, and is caused by the use of tea and coffee in place of nourishing food. In curing this disease the opium habit is very apt to be contracted, as opium is the agent employed in its cure. Students and all others should know that there is no substitute for wholesome, nutritious food. The stomach may seem to bear imposition with impunity, but its final resentments are terrible. For a brief time stimulation seems to produce great results, but in the long race those who avoid liquors, tobacco, tea, coffee, quinine, opium and all the class of unnutritious stimulants come out top, and are physically happy all the time they are running the race.

Soda biscuit is an article that should be eschewed by all students, also greasy food, fried meats, rich pastries; fruit and the cereals, with milk, eggs, fresh meat, oysters and fish, will make them strong to study, strong to succeed, strong to enjoy.— N. Y. Tribune.