THE HIGH-CALORY DIET IN TYPHOID FEVER

The fear has at times been expressed that the administration of large amounts of food during the febrile stage of typhoid fever may cause too great an increase in heat production and in turn a rise in temperature. From a purely clinical point of view von Hoesslin¹ long ago doubted this possibility. The modern conception of the specific dynamic action of the foodstuffs in metabolism has, however, again given some justification for the reconsideration of the question. It is now admitted that the total metabolism of normal individuals is raised after the taking of food when the latter is furnished in quantities larger than the "basal" requirement. If, for example, the energy metabolism of a subject at rest and without food is determined, the administration of a diet just equivalent to the requirement thus ascertained will not suffice to maintain the usual energy balance. The metabolism of the ingested