Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-07-06
TD True Elixir of Life.

1t is theremark that Americans are more
frequently Victims of impaired digestion than
any other leople in the World We believe
medical stttists assert the same whether this
state ofthilgs is unavoidable, whether, in other
words, it the result of climate, or Is caused
by our owl excesses.
That Impaired digestive organs are enemies
to long lifl need hardly, we suppose, be re-
peated. The stomach is the great alembic, so
to speak. h which all animal vitality is distil-
led If is powers are weakened, if it does
its work ndiferently health is nearly impos-
sible, andprotracted years utterly so. All
persons wlo have attained unusual longevity
have notqiously possessed good digestive or
gans.
Thoma Parr, who died in the reign of Ja-
mes the Arst of England, at the extraordinary
age of on hundred and ffty-twO, was proven
bal for hs sound stomach. So was Henry
Jenky, rho lived to the age of one hundred
and fort -fouf-Slender, who died at one
hundredhnn three, and numerous others, who
died, WIN over century old, were proverbial
for theirexcellent appetities and their capital
digestiol
But tie advantages Of good stomach are
not conined merely to the possessor. 1t is
now WEI understood that the qualities of par
ents artmore or less transmissible to children.
Consequently, the parent, who has good di-
gestivf organs, is more likely to have progeny
simila1y favored, than one, who is the victim
of discpsia. With the PARIS for example,
a goodstomach being heriditory, long life was
q common thing for a great grandson of the
famor ancestor died at Cork, in Ireland, to-
wards 3eaclose of the last century. at the age
of one sindred and three. 4 sound digestion,
moreoyr, is necessary to happiness. Dispep-
tic peo,le are confessedly irritable. More per-
sons owe fits of mental depression to weak
disgestDn than to any other cause 1t IS anu
Zing hoT much ignorance there is on the sub
iect hundreds who suppose their stomach
to be il perfect health, have the organs of di-
gestion slightly impaired and should attribute
to this siuse their unaccoutable heavmess af-
ter eating, and their periods of profound de-
lection The hilarity of early youth when we
feel as we trod on air. comes from perfect
stomael Could we retain the digestion of
childhood, we might also keep much of child
hood 'sjoyousness.
VIII can we not? To some extent we may.
Advarring years necessarily wear out the hu-
man fame, and the stomach suffers with the
rest ofthe body, but the digestive powers are
ofteie impaired by excess at least in Amerl-
ca, TIM by age Intemperance is fertile
sourceof impaired disgestion. 1t is to his
having nearly destroyed the coats of his sto-
mach hat the drunkard pertly owes hi shatter-
ed nerves. Even many persons who cannot
be called inebriates, and who perhaps have ne
yer ben Intoxicating in their lives, mjure
their digestion by the daily use of stimulating
Liquors The dropping of water will wear
away ihe hardest rock. 1t is astonishing,
therebre, that the drinking of ardent spirits,
habitJally, even in comparatively moderate
quantities, will weaken the stomach at lastt
Americans are VIGOROUSLY the largest consul
mers of brandy in the world. Other nations,
generally, when they resort to stnnulants, use
light wines or preparations Of malt. The
Freshman takes his claret, the German his
Lagerbeer, the Englishman his ale. But Anne
ricans must have brandy, or at least whlskey.
Even if the amout of stimulant IN the light
wine, or in the preparation of malt, is not SUI
ficieat to be injurious, the distilled spirits
which form the common beverage of the Ame-
rican people are undeniably so. 1t is fact,
which any man may verify, that habitual
brandy y-drinkers, even if they never become in
toxicated, rarely attain old age.
But there are other excuses almost as fatal
to the digestive organs. Intemperance in
eating is as injurious as ntemperance in drink
ing, and it is, perhaps even more common.
An old writer has said Whoever feels that
he has a stomach, cannot have good one"
Tried by this test, how do Americans stand
The majority, perhaps, are born, with diges-
tive organs naturally strong, but men soon
learn to overtaGk them, and indeed it is the
ordinary practice not to stop eating till the sto-
mach begins to feel uncomfortable 1t is
strange therefore. that dyspepsia is so general?
What with the habit of bolting food, the ex-
cessive use of pastries, the fondness of hot
cakes, and the late suppers, so popular with
many, it would be extraordinary if Americans
were not sallow, thin-faced, nervous and lowe
spirited. Thousands who religiously abstain
from ardent spirits, gorge themselves at every
opportunity, little thinking that they are shor-
tening their days, and impairing their capacity
to enjoy life, nearly as much as the brandy
drinkers they condemn.
Avoid excess in e1ting, well as IN drink
ing, if you wish 10 attain old age. mode
rate diet adopted to your pursuits, and varied
according to your constitution, is better thar
all the physicians and all the schools. IL
short, keep your digestive organs unimpaired
for that after all, is the true elixir Of life.