could bear comfortably was injected in the bowel and retained as long as
possible. The effect was magical. The pain subsided, and the patient
ultimately recovered.

In the absence of _perfectly_ ripe bananas, baked bananas may be used.
But, although better than no fruit at all, cooked fruit is never so
valuable as the fresh fruit, if only the latter be perfectly ripe.
Bananas should be baked in their skins, and the stringy pieces carefully
removed before eating. From twenty minutes to half an hour's slow
cooking is required.

Bananas are excellent food for anæmic persons on account of the iron
they contain. A very palatable way of taking them is with fresh orange
juice.

A comparatively old-fashioned remedy, for sprained or bruised places
that show a tendency to become inflamed is to apply a plaster of banana
skin.


_Barley._

Barley is excellent food for the anæmic and nervous on account of its
richness in iron and phosphoric acid. It is also useful in fevers and
all inflammatory diseases, on account of its soothing properties. From
the earliest times barley water has been the recognised drink of the
sick.


_Barley Water._