meat, cereals, or vegetables, which a child habitually refuses, this
should always be given first at the meal and other food withheld until
it is disposed of. Children so readily form habits of eating only
certain things and refusing others that such an inclination should be
checked early.

8. If an infant refuses its food altogether, or takes less than usual,
the food should be examined to see if this is right. Then the mouth
should be inspected to see if it is sore. If neither of these things
is the cause, the food should be taken away and not offered again
until the next feeding time comes.

9. In any acute illness the amount of food should be much reduced and
the food made more dilute than usual. If there is fever, no solid food
should be given. If the child is already upon a milk diet, this should
be diluted, and in some cases partially peptonized.

10. In very hot weather the same rules hold, to give less food,
particularly less solid food, and more water.


FOOD FORMULAS

_Beef Juice._--One pound of rare round steak, cut thick, slightly
broiled, and the juice pressed out by a lemon-squeezer, or, better, a
meat-press. From two to four ounces of juice can generally be
obtained. This, seasoned with salt, may be given cold, or warmed by
placing the cup which holds it in warm water. It should not be heated
sufficiently to coagulate the albumin which is in solution, and which
then appears as flakes of meat floating in the fluid.