Foreword.
Harry Benjamin was from an era of remarkable people who fought an unceasing battle against a remorseless iatrogenic tide, for example, Mrs. M Grieve of �A Modern Herbal � fame, who helped to fight the vaccinators to a standstill in the British Parliament.. Thanks to such stalwarts the British people escaped the medical coercion of compulsory vaccines.

Harry was a Champion of the common man, a �Classical Naturopath�, No pills or potions for him, Nature was his unfailing guide. Generations of children and adults owe their good health to his wisdom words.

Things have changed since his day, our food chain has been severely compromised. Our seeming ignorance is played upon by fear. Disease for today�s generations is the ever lurking bogeyman. Numerology flourishes under the cloak of clinical trials whilst the monotonous chant �There is no scientific evidence� all but drowns out the sweet voice of sound commonsense.

When Harry speaks of a milk diet one must take that to be ORGANIC milk and preferably goats milk, the child can digest it easier due to its smaller fat globules. And just as important is the health of the Mother who should have been putting his principles into effect long before she conceived. If she is not healthy then the foundations are weak, for she is the seed of the flower to come. When she is well nourished and knows how to nourish her family then we can be assured that the world is in safe hands. It is a truism, �The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world�. Mother is the child�s first teacher!

It is not generally acknowledged that the dietary supplements, which are all the vogue, are in the main, synthetic molecules which have never known Natures kiss, and as such are inferior to natural products. If one is taking such preparations then it should be clearly understood that they are a stop gap for emergency use and not a permanent substitute for the real thing. When Harry speaks of Orange juice, then that should be understood as freshly juiced or squeezed from whole oranges. Not from a bottle or carton of pasteurised and fortified juice.

THE FEEDING OF CHILDREN.
The advice re the feeding of children that follows in this section is taken from the book How to Feed Children from Infancy Onwards by Mr. Stanley Lief, editor of Health for All magazine, with his kind permission. As this small book on child feeding referred to is out of print at the time of writing the present section can be taken as a sort of pr�cis of the contents of that book. For the help of readers of the present volume anxious to rear their children on right lines. I would also like to remark here that, as I do not regard myself as an authority on child feeding, any parents with problems on this subject can consult the "Mother and Child" Department of Health for All magazine for personal assistance. There is an excellent advice service run in conjunction with that Department, under the capable care of Mrs. Margaret Y. Brady, M.Sc. The fee for detailed advice on any problem connected with the feeding or rearing of children is 2s. 6d., and all enquiries should be addressed to Mrs. Brady, Mother and Child Department, Health for All, Proceeding with our pr�cis of Mr. Lief's book on child feeding, therefore, we commence as follows:

FEEDING DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE.
We have already stressed that wrong feeding in infancy is the chief factor concerned in the development of all children's ailments, and the main points to bear in mind are the following :

The following table is merely a general idea of what should be given. Some babies will need more, some will need less. It is the baby's own inclinations which must be studied, rather than set rules. Never force a baby to take food if it does not want to, and never overfeed. If a baby shows no inclination for food on a certain day, then give it just so much as it wishes for and no more. Never adopt the mentality which says the baby must have so much food every day whether it wants it or not. On the other hand, if a baby shows signs that it is not satisfied with the quantity of its food, and wants more at a feed, then give it as much as it wants. Let the child's hunger (or lack of it) be the guide all the time.

FEEDING OF CHILDREN FROM ONE TO TWO YEARS
When children reach the age of one year, most parents assume that they can be given bread, eggs, milk puddings, and even meat to eat. Such feeding is the very basis from which the vast amount of child disease of today springs ! A balanced scheme of daily feeding for a child from one year to eighteen months is :

Breakfast.. All the milk the child desires.
Second Meal.. All the milk the child desires, including fruit juice. (The juice may be put into the milk or given separately.)
Third Meal.. All the milk the child desires.

In addition to orange juice, prune or raisin juice may be given, also vegetable juices if desired. A piece of raw carrot or raw apple can be given to chew, and a little fruit or vegetable pulp may be added to the dietary after the fifteenth month. A crust of wholemeal bread may be given occasionally (for chewing purposes) after that time too; but the eating of bread should be left till later on, as starchy foods are not properly digested by the infant system until the age of two years, when all the first set of teeth have appeared and thorough mastication is possible. Remember that milk should never be boiled, but be only just warmed I (about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Up to the eighteenth month (or even longer) it is best to feed the child out of a bottle, as this ensures proper ensalivation.

From eighteen to twenty-four months the diet should be :

First Meal. All the milk the child desires.
Second Meal.. From four to six ounces of fruit juice or vegetable juice.
Third Meal.. All the milk the child desires.

More fruit and .vegetable pulp can be added to the dietary during this time, and more raw fruit or vegetables to chew on (and eat). A wholemeal crust or wholemeal hard biscuit can be given more frequently, too, during this- time. Give no sugar at all, or sweets. The child will get all the sugar its system requires, and in the best form, from the fruit juices, fruit, etc. Sweets are the most pernicious things possible to give children !

FEEDING OF CHILDREN FROM TWO TO THREE YEARS.
At two years of age the child can be allowed to eat starchy foods, because by that time it will be able to masticate and deal with them properly ; but parents should see that all-bread and other cereals are thoroughly masticated in the mouth before being swallowed. This is most important. !

A balanced diet for a child from two to three years of age is as follows:

First Meal. Orange or other fresh fruit, one kind of sweet fruit (raisins, figs, dates, or prunes), and milk.
Second Meal. A whole-wheat product such as " Shredded Wheat," " Force," " Granose," or wholemeal toast, and milk.
Third Meal. Steamed vegetables with toast, milk; or as the morning meal.

If the child should be thirsty between meals, give only water to drink. Nothing in the way of tea, coffee, etc.

FEEDING OF CHILDREN FROM THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
Most people believe that meat is an essential in the child dietary (some going so far as to introduce it at the age of one or so !) ; but this is quite wrong. Until a child is five years of age it is not in a position to deal with flesh foods adequately. The thyroid gland, which plays such an important part in the metabolism of animal protein foods, of which meat is one, is not in full working order until the end of the fifth year of life. There is not the slightest need to give meat even after the fifth year, but parents who wish to do so may, in accordance with the child menus (from five onwards) to be given hereafter.

A Balanced Diet for Children from Three to Five Years.

First Day.
Breakfast. An apple. Stewed prunes (as many as the child wants). A glass of milk.
Noon Meal. Medium-sized baked potato with a little butter. String beans or other vegetable. Cottage cheese.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal toast, butter. Lettuce and watercress. Glass of milk.

Second Day.
Breakfast. " Shredded Wheat " eaten dry. A banana (very ripe). Glass of milk.
Noon Meal. Vegetable salad. Wholemeal bread and butter. Soaked prunes.
Evening Meal. Figs. An orange. Glass of milk.

Third Day.
Breakfast. Apples, raw, baked, or stewed (as many as the child desires). Glass of milk.
Noon Meal. Baked potato with butter. One steamed green vegetable. Glass of milk.
Evening Meal. " Force " or " Shredded Wheat." Some dates. Glass of milk.

It must be pointed out again that milk should not be boiled, but may be warmed if desired. It should be unpasteurised if possible. Do not force the child to eat; let its own hunger be the guide all the time. If the child does not feel hungry for any particular meal, let it miss the meal altogether. When it is really hungry, a child will eat anything placed before it. Never cajole therefore, but simply let the child have its way. Its own instincts are always a better guide in these matters than our own ideas or theories, let us repeat.

No doubt many parents will note with surprise that not only is meat or fish or other flesh food excluded from the foregoing scheme of diet, but even eggs also. The fact is that eggs are too highly-concentrated a form of protein food to be suitable for young children. Lest such parents will not believe that a child can be adequately nourished without the presence of eggs (or egg custard, etc.) in the dietary, they can be assured that the whole scheme of child and infant feeding here outlined is not just the result of mere theoretical reasoning into the food question, but the actual outcome of many years of practical experience in the realm of dietetics. Children brought up and fed in the manner herein indicated will prove far fitter and healthier in every way than children brought up in the conventional manner on the demineralised, devitalised, and high-protein foods of our present era.

Parents assume that the " children's ailments" of today are something inevitable. So they are, if children are fed as they are today ! But such ailments would be far from inevitable if a scheme of child feeding were universally adopted such as is herein outlined for the benefit of readers of this book. Further points to be stressed are : no sugar is to be given to children ; no sweets or confectionery of any kind; no condiments, sauces, seasonings, etc.; no tea or coffee. Sweets are the most pernicious.things it is possible to give children, it must again be pointed out. The less any child sees of them, the better will its health inevitably be.

FEEDING CHILDREN FROM FIVE YEARS ONWARDS.
After the child has passed its fifth year it may adopt a scheme of feeding more in line with that of its elders; and a balanced weekly dietary for children from the age of five onwards is here being given as a guide to all parents as to how such children should be fed for sound health and fitness, and not for disease.

First Day.
Breakfast. One apple, one orange, four or five dates, glass of milk.
Lunch. Poached egg, steamed spinach (or other green vegetable), baked potato in skin. Dessert : baked apple.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread and butter, with lettuce, tomatoes, watercress, or celery, etc. A few stewed prunes to follow if desired.

Third Day.
Breakfast. Two apples, one banana, milk.
Lunch. A little chicken or lamb, with one steamed green vegetable, steamed carrots or turnips. Dessert: stewed fruit.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread and butter, with lettuce, tomatoes, watercress, celery, etc. One or two black figs or a few dates.

Fourth Day
Breakfast. Grapes, prunes, milk.
Lunch. Poached egg, one steamed green vegetable, potato baked in skin. Apple or pear.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread (or " Ryvita ") and butter, with lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, etc. Ripe banana.

The child will get all the sugar its system needs from fresh and dried fruits. This is sugar in its best form. Black figs may be obtained at any Health Food Store.

Fifth Day.
Breakfast. " Shredded Wheat" or " Force," (Muesli) with raisins and milk.
Lunch. A selection of fresh fruits (apples, pears, grapes, or oranges), a sweet fruit (dates, figs, or prunes), and milk.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread and butter, with lettuce, tomatoes, watercress, celery, etc. Milk.

Sixth Day.
Breakfast. Half grape-fruit, apple, three or four black figs, milk.
Lunch. Steamed fish, one steamed green vegetable, steamed carrots or turnips. Dessert : baked apple.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread (or " Ryvita ") and butter, with lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, celery, etc. Ripe banana.

Seventh Day.
Breakfast. One apple, one orange, one pear, glass of milk.
Lunch. Nut cutlet or grated or, cottage cheese, with one steamed green vegetable, potato baked in skin. Dessert : stewed prunes.
Evening Meal. Wholemeal bread and butter, with lettuce, tomatoes, watercress, etc. ; a few nuts and raisins.

SOME NOTES ON THE FOREGOING DIET-CHART. Milk should always be either cold or just warmed, never boiled."}" For stewing fruit, always use either honey or Demerara sugar, never white sugar. Never give stewed rhubarb. When giving a cereal in the morning it is best to let the child eat it quite crisp or else with just a little milk on it. Do not let it get soft and mushy before eating, for that will prevent proper ensalivation of the food, which is so essential to its thorough mastication. The rest of the milk can be taken afterwards.

Allow no eating between meals. Do not give tea or coffee, and do not allow drinking with meals, except in the case of milk (which is a food really and not a drink). Water can be taken between meals as thirst dictates. (It will be found that on the foregoing diet a child will not be nearly so thirsty as on a conventional diet.) Some orange juice in water (or alone) can be given first thing in the morning, and a hot lemon drink (with honey) at night. See that the child masticates all its food properly ; do not allow any " bolting " of food. If a child does not feel hungry, do not press it to eat, but allow it to miss a meal. It will eat soon enough when in need of food.

Milk. It should also be unpasteurised if possible. Milk that has been pasteurised has had much of its food-value impaired.

Give no white sugar or jams, marmalade, etc. Keep the child away from ice-cream, pastries, puddings, and pies. Do not give even milk puddings; these are too " mushy " to be a satisfactory food for children , or for anyone for that matter, and being made with refined cereals are very defective from the health point of view. Sweets and confectionery of all kinds should be " taboo " ; such things work more havoc in the child system than anything else in the food line that the ingenuity of man has devised.

In the case of children who are quite healthy and are following the foregoing diet-chart, these may be given a piece of home-made wholemeal fruit cake occasionally (as a special treat), with the evening meal, or a wholemeal scone and honey, or a piece of good chocolate. But the above must not be allowed children who are suffering from some ailment and are following the diet-chart for the purpose of cure. The former may also have a little cream or egg-and-milk custard two or three times weekly.