Chapter 6

DRINKS, TOBACCO. Breakfast usually scampered through--Monotony of the ordinary breakfast--A plea for something better--Butter during Australian summer months--The ice-chest an absolute necessity-- Breakfast should be a substantial meal

Fruit fortunately abundant in Australia--The agreeable qualities of fruits reside in three factors--Fruit must neither be over-ripe nor under-ripe--The anti-scorbutic properties of fruit--Changes in the blood in scurvy--Mild forms of scurvy not uncommon--Symptoms of an excess of uric acid in the stem--A word for olives

Abuse of tea by the gentler sex--Protest against lunch of tea and broad and butter--An admirable opportunity for philanthropic efforts-- Tea to be enjoyed, and not misused--The making of tea--The anti-tannic teapot

The three active principles of coffee--Coffee stimulates the brain-- Coffee relieves fatigue and exhaustion, whether mental or manual--The virtues of coffee--Coffee as a remedy in different diseases--The details of coffee roasting--The art of making coffee--The cafetiere, or French coffee-pot--Proportions of coffee and of chicory in "cafe noir" and "cafe au lait" respectively--Minute instructions for making coffee

Universal use of ice in America--Ice indispensable in hot climates-- Expert opinions upon the value of ice in India--Medical authorities practically unanimous in favour of ice when used with discretion-- Purity of the ice must be ensured

Proportion of smokers to non-smokers--Five out of every six men smoke --Amount of tobacco used in Australia and in other countries--The effect of tobacco on the system provisionally divided into three classes--The principles contained in tobacco--Different results of combustion from a cigar and from a pipe--Effect of tobacco when it is unsuitable--Symptoms following excessive smoking--The smokers heart-- Men of middle age often compelled to give up tobacco--Effect of tobacco upon the palate--Power to appreciate good wine lost after the first whiff of cigarette, cigar, or pipe