heaten bread.

Often the water with which bread is baked causes it to be difficult of
digestion. Hard water is bad for this. For an invalid, bread baked with
distilled water, or pure rain water, is often a means of great comfort
and help. A slight admixture of pure CANE SYRUP (_see_) or liquorice
juice in the water will tend to prevent bile and costiveness. A
sufficient action of the bowels is of great importance for where good
nutrition is desired.

Bread, especially when fresh, is made much more digestible by slowly
toasting it in the oven till it is a golden brown throughout. It is
then known as "zweibach" (twice baked). When eaten dry, it requires
considerable mastication, and for that reason is much better than soft
bread. It can be also broken up and eaten with hot milk and sugar.

Breast with Corded Muscles.--Often a slight hardness shows itself in a
woman's breast, when the muscular tissue becomes what is called
"corded." It is well, first of all, in all cases of breast trouble to
avoid alarming the patient. Great anxiety is often endured through fear
of cancer when there is no need. A "corded" breast may usually quite
easily be cured, and the patient should be made perfectly easy in mind
about it.

Take a good lather of soap (_see_ Lather; Soap). Apply this night and
morning, gently lathering the breast for some time. After this, each
time, rub the back well with hot olive oil, so as to produce a thorough
glow of heat all over it. Sometimes the swelling will disperse under
this treatment. It may, however, grow larger and show a tendency to
break. In this case treat as in next article.

We shall also probably find, on examining, that the skin was failing to
do its part well. If rubbed with Cayenne lotion the clean, healthy skin
will send off much more waste than was allowed to pass through it
before.

Breast, Swelling in.--A blow on the breast, or the drain of nursing a
child, along with a chill, often produces swelling, sometimes hard and
painful. This, if left uncured, may even develop into an ABSCESS
(_see_). As it sometimes arises from dirt being left on the nipples,
all nursing mothers should be particular about cleanliness, which
itself prevents many ills.

For cure, bathe the feet in hot water (_see_ Bathing Feet), rub them
over with warm olive oil, and wear good cotton stockings if in bed. If
going about, put a pair of woollen stockings over the cotton ones. Rub
the back as recommended above