oint of contracting upon its contents at that
time and under those conditions regularly, and this will be a strong
factor towards regulating the movements of the bowels.

But the most important thing to consider in this condition is the
dietetic regulation of the bowels. There are some foods that tend to
constipate while others act as a laxative.

Such foods for example, as contain a considerable portion of tannin,
are always constipating. Strong teas have a constipating effect,
particularly such as the bitter English Breakfast teas, in which there
is a very large proportion of tannin. This large percentage of tannin
accounts for the prevalence of constipation among female tea drinkers.

Unripe fruits contain a high percentage of tannin which, in the
ripening processes of the fruit, becomes changed into cellulose and
sugar. Any fruit that quickly turns brown after a cut surface is
exposed to the air and that stains a steel-bladed knife black quickly
when the fruit is cut, possesses a high percentage of tannin, and is
not in a wholesome condition to eat. Unripe peaches and apples possess
this characteristic. These fruits should be eaten only when ripe.

If one's diet contains too small a percentage of cellulose or pulp
material, a tendency to constipation will be noticed. It has been
found from investigation of this subject that the cellulose or
undigested material of the cereals, vegetables and fruits, is an
absolute essential to good bowel action. The cellulose makes bulk in
the bowels and the simple presence of this bulk of undigested material
stimulates the muscular contractions.

If one were to choose for example, a diet of meat, eggs, nuts, corn
starch, tapioca, sugar, fats and oils, i.e., diets which will be
almost completely digested and absorbed, leaving a very small amount
of undigested material in the intestines, the bulk of the material in
the intestines would be so small that they would not be stimulated to
contract. Therefore this small bulk of material, together with certain
excretions from the liver and other organs, would be retained in the
bowel and undergo fermentation there. Injurious substances which
result from the fermentation would be absorbed, causing what is known
as autointoxication, complicated with constipation. If one, however,
mixes with the condensed foods named above a good proportion of
cereals, fruits and vegetables, all of which possess a considerable
percentage of undigestible ma