s known as cane
sugar or dextrose, and that from the latter as grape sugar or glucose.
Like albumins they may be eaten without having been previously cooked,
and are unique in that they undergo no chemical change whatever as a
result of ordinary degrees of heat.

While the consumption of sugars in all civilized nations is rapidly
increasing, there can be no question that, irrespective of fruits, they
are, of all foods, the most frequent causes of digestive disturbances. It
is only within comparatively recent times that mankind has possessed
means of separating sugars in any great bulk from the plants containing
them, and as a consequence they have only entered prominently into our
every-day diet for a relatively short period of time. Before this, it is
true, they were consumed to a greater or less extent in various fruits,
but the quantity was insignificant as compared with the amount now
universally eaten. As a result of this we are now confronted with a new
dietetic problem. For ages the human stomach has been accustomed to deal
with only small quantities of these substances, and developed
accordingly a capacity to digest them proportionate to the amounts then
eaten. Now, however, we constantly call upon our digestive organs to deal
with large quantities of such foods, and it is not strange that there has
been more or less rebellion on their part.

Experiments have shown that a small amount of sugar assists in the
normal chemical changes that go on in the body, and it is,
therefore, obvious that nature intends us to take a certain
quantity of it. Moreover it is true that sugars while being burned
in the body give off much energy--mainly manifested in muscular
power; where then we are taking active physical exercise foods of
this kind are peculiarly appropriate. It would, therefore, not be
wise for us to leave this food entirely out of the dietetic list,
but to use it only in small amounts--particularly where we lead
sedentary lives. Sugar and alcohol play a more or less similar role
in the animal economy. It is well known that those who do not use
alcohol are peculiarly prone to consume considerable quantities of
sugar; and it is equally a matter of common observation that those
who habitually take alcohol rarely eat sweets to any extent.

When sugar is properly assimilated, as seems to be done most easily
by children, it is an excellent