Meal-Times.

before meals retards digestion , and exertion immediately aftenvards deranges it . 7 . Sleep retards digestion , but makes it more complete . 8 . Alcohol retards digestion , and renders it also incomplete . 9 . Earnest pre-occupation of mind retards digestion , and may even quite annul it .

10 . Water quickens digestion , and encourages the absorption of fatty and saccharine matters ; but its effect on the complete solution of albumen is doubtful . There can hardly bo two opinions among physiologists as to those facts . Few as they

arc , they may still clear up a considerable number of the misconceptions and contradictions begotten by the traditional empirical ideas regarding meals and meal-times . As an example , try what they have to say respecting—¦

Breakfast . Let a healthy man really " break" his "fast" Avith a substantial meal , and not break his breakfast Avith irritating little nips or slops beforehand . After the stomach has at its leisure emptied itself during sleep

of its contents , and sent them to repair the worn tissues and exhausted nerve force , and the blood has been ventilated and purified by washing and dressing with the window open , then is the time Avhen the most perfect of all nutritive articlesfarinaceous

, food , can bo consumed in largest quantities Avith advantage . Butter also , and fat and sugar , troublesome customers to Aveak digestions , are then easily coped with , and contribute their invaluable aid to performing the duties of the day . For example

, many persons can drink milk to a fair and useful amount at breakfast , Avith whom it disagrees at other hours . And the widelyadvertised " breakfast bacon" by its name warns the consumer against indulgence later on in tho day . Cafe au tail and

swoet creamy tea are to many men poisonous in the afternoon , though in the prime of the morning they are a wholesome beverage to the same individuals .

Let the vigour , good humour and refreshment then felt by a healthy man be utilized without delay in eating a hearty meal immediately after he is dressed , and not frittered away * in the frivolities of other occupations . Let not reading , Avriting , or business —• muscular , political , or economical

— exhaust the nervous system . The newspaper and letters should not be opened , preferably not delivered , till the appetite is thoroughly appeased . A Christmas-box to the postman -will probably set you iu such a part of his beat as will keep these unexploded shells out of sight till the proper

moment . Or , let the master of the house have a bag , and sufficient self-command to retain it locked till his household ' s stomachs are read y to receive the contents Avithout spoiling a meal . Commercial men should insist upon being written to at their offices

, and " 0 Lectores benevoli , " pray don't bother the doctors too early . As to the hour of the clock at Avhich breakfast should be ready , that must depend on the avocations of the breakfaster , on his dinner-time , bed-time , and time for rising .

Practical and scientific members of agricultural societies say that the most important part of a prosperous farmer ' s Avork , be he great or small , is OA'er by eight in the morning . The more acres he farms , the earlier must it begin . And this is not a li ght occupation , mind and body being earnestly active at the same moment , moving about quickly over a considerable

space of ground , and foreseeing the successful carriage of the day ' s labour . Many robust agriculturists fall into severe forms of dyspepsia , heart-burn , water-brash , intestinal neuralgia , emaciation , consumption , hypochondriasis , or , still Averse , into

dram-drinking and its baneful consequences , solely from attempting this task before they have fortified themselves by a breakfast . Purveyors of all perishable produce , butchers , fishmongers , green-grocers , market-Avomenetc ., have laid upon , them

, the same necessity of getting their most serious Avork over , and beginning tho mechanical occupation of selling , by the hour Avhen their customers are abroad . And medical men know how frequently these classes suffer from neglecting the

precaution here enforced . At the hour Avhen these people are , or ought to be , taking their breakfast , or even later , there is a continuously recruited army of Avorkers , purveyors of intellectual food , food as perishable and as eagerly hungered

for as the last named , AVIIO are just sitting down to supper . They prepare themselves for rest , if prudent , by a moderate meal principally of animal food and fermented liquor , Avhich they have then leisure to