17 kept working all the time cannot keap up its muscular vigour on such food materials- Not only is the vitality of the digestive organs lowered, but the digestive secretions are also vitiated in course of time. CAUSE (5) Fried Foods:— Frying of foods in oil destroys the vital consti- tuents. Since the oil is strongly heated in this process/ some oxidation products are formed which are poisonous. The oil itself is very difficult to digest. ^And what is worse/ the oil forms a thin layer covering every particle of every morsel of food and prevents the digestive juices from having an access to the easily digestible part of the food also. Vegetable or vanaspati ghee should on no account be used for cooking. It is much worse than vegetable oil. CAUSE (6) White Sugar ;-* White sugar is not food. The enormous increase in the consumption of this article is a curse of modern civilisation. It contains neither vitamins nor minerals and depletes the body of all its vitality. Besides, sugar is a preservative All perishable foods keep for a Jong time when they are soaked in syrup. Dr. Alsaker points out that this quality of sugar, is likely to hinder the digestive process, because digestion is the opposite of preservation* In this respect also/ the eating of sugar or of foods preserved in syrup is likely to lead to indigestion. CAUSE (7) Spices and Condiments:— Spices and condiments cater to our unnatural cravings. When our sense of taste is natural and not perverted, we not only find them unnecessary/ but do not relish them. Devitalised foods which are insipid are made palatable by the use of spices. 3