The Etiquette of Final Courses

The savory cheese swallowed in small morsels, and the sweet fruits, which strongly stimulate the nerves of taste, or nuts which require considerable mastication, cause an abundant flow of blood to the nerve centers…

Why Dessert, Cheese and Fruits End Meals

A writer in the Medical and Surgical Reporter explains the philosophy of taking bread, cheese and dessert at the end of dinner. He says that in order to supply abundant gastric juice for the digestion of the food introduced into it, the stomach requires an abundant supply of blood, and the nervous system must be kept active in order to respond to demands made upon it. 

The savory cheese swallowed in small morsels, and the sweet fruits, which strongly stimulate the nerves of taste, or nuts which require considerable mastication, cause an abundant flow of blood to the nerve centers; while the frequent movements of swallowing stimulate the heart and increase the rapidity of general circulation.— Good Housekeeping, 1885

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