Practical Dietetics, with Special Reference to Diet in Disease: With Special ..

Practical Dietetics, with Special Reference to Diet in Disease was first published at the turn of the 20th century by Dr. William Gilman Thompson, a professor at the Cornell University Medical College. During an era when the nutritional treatment of illness was transitioning from traditional guesswork to a more rigorous clinical discipline, Thompson’s work served as a cornerstone text for physicians and hospital administrators aiming to standardize patient care through calculated dietary management.

The volume was published by D. Appleton & Company, a major house for medical and scientific literature at the time. Thompson’s design favored a systematic, encyclopedic approach, organizing food chemistry and therapeutic menus into a structure that facilitated bedside reference. The work was widely respected in medical circles for its thoroughness and remained a staple reference in nursing and medical education for decades, reflecting the growing professionalization of the American medical establishment.