of two-thirds of hot skimmed milk
and one-third coffee may be taken by many dyspeptics in reasonable
amounts without any particular harm. Parents should be warned
against allowing growing children to drink coffee; it seriously
interferes with the normal chemical changes going on in their
bodies, and is almost certain to be followed in later life by
nervous dyspepsia.

_Tea._--The stimulating principle of tea is chemically so nearly like
that of coffee that they are generally considered as being one and the
same. That they differ decidedly in their action on the stomach and the
body generally there can, however, be no doubt. The stimulating action of
tea comes on more slowly than that of coffee, and is correspondingly
prolonged. In most persons it is not so apt to produce nervousness, nor
is its action in preventing sleep so pronounced. On the stomach it also
produces effects that are diametrically opposed to those induced by
coffee, since, instead of stimulating, it seems actually to retard the
secretion of acids. It is, therefore, probably true that we should look
upon tea as a beverage with much less disfavor than we do coffee--though,
of course, it should always be remembered that there may be, and
unquestionably are, many exceptions to this judgment.

Probably no other daily article of food or drink is so commonly
prepared in an improper manner as tea--which is all the more
curious when we consider that perhaps none other that requires heat
for its preparation is so easily made. It should be brewed by
simply pouring boiling water upon the leaves, but the vessel
containing the decoction should not be placed over the fire while
the tea is being prepared. Of even greater importance is the
necessity of allowing the water to remain in contact with the
leaves only a few moments--_never more than a minute if we wish
the tea to be good._ The reason for the latter precaution lies in
the fact that tea-leaves contain a considerable amount of tannic
acid, and, as the longer the water and leaves remain together the
more of this substance is extracted from the latter, it is not
difficult to see that we should be careful to allow only a brief
contact between the two; the presence of this acid is undesirable,
not only on account of the fact that it gives to the decoction a
bitter and unpleasant taste, but because it h