Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-05-08
WASTE OF APPETITE.

mortar, a vessel OF cIay, so hardened Dy
fire, that it is stronger than stone, and
will resist the action of any chemical
agent. If our stomachs are not Wedge
wood mortars they should be, to fit them
for the hard usage to which they are
submitted, and which is borne, apparent
ly, with so much less wear and tear than
might be expected, that we are almost
disposed to question The dictum OF the /
great surgeon. He, however, is right
the stomach is not a Wedgewood mortar,
as he had frequent opportunities of see
ing for himself in the course of his busy
investigations into the human vitals; and
it would be well if all of US, by some
kind of clairvoyance or other, could just
take peep into our stomachs, and see
how unlike, with their delicate structures,
they are to mortors of any sort, before
we used them as though they were moth
ing else than such instruments.
The human stomach is delicate or
gan, and is not intended to grind stone,
like the gizzard of a fowl, or digest ten
penny nails, ike the paunch of an ostrich.
There is, however, a popular delusion on
this subject which leads many to use
their digestive apparatus for purposes
never intended by nature, and which
would overtask the strongest powers of
bird or beast.
There are certain laws of digestion,
founded on the constitution of man,
which, like all organic laws, require
obedience, or in case of disobedience de-
mand a forfeiture. This forfeiture is
nothing less than health, and perhaps
life, when vital organ ike the stomach
is concerned in the violation of the law.
There is no better established principle
of health than this: Eat and drink ast
regular periods; and it may be added
there is none so universally disregarded
For wholesome digestion, it is necessary
that food should only be taken at certain
fxnd times and that intervals of com
plete repose be given to the stomach
The ordinary division Of our feedin:
into breakfast, dinner, and tea, at four O.
five hours apart from each other, is no
only a conventional practice, but natu
> raj law. The stomach requires from
three to four hours do digest its food, an,
viii do so in that time, if the food be d
gestible, and the organ be not disturbe
g during its operations. 1t has, however
seldom fair play, and is constantly bein
interfered with by all kinds of impertir
ences of diet.
How many of those busily at word
our large cities, who have the privilee
of doing as they please, eat and drink {
health requires they should ? How man
dine at fixed hour, or even considt
~ their dinner as a previous engagemel
and thus allow it to prevent busine
" appointment? Men who are noted f
~ ~ the order with which they conduct the
~ affairs, or no less remarkable for the
d. regularity Of their lives. They kno
st wealth and influence cannot be acquir,
We without systematic effort; they, howevt
ou seem to think that health and streng
ng are the loose ends of existence, whi
'ct are to be picked up as chance may thrc
OF them in their way.
ne We do not mean to say that our M
Ia of business, because they occasiona
lose dinner, or put it off for what th
lat like better-a good bargain-are at
lot remarkable for their abstemiousness.
OF Their feeding-time may be at no fix
ol period, but there is seldom an hour in
Out day which their stomachs are not 81
e piled with food or drink to work with
Oh The statistics of the various eating-hou
drink-saloons, and oyster cellars wo
: show degree of daily voracity that,
per any less-abounding country, would fri
ing ten the people into famine panic.
oiu The mere superfuous consumpt
ler' must be enormous, for it is this whic
'eiS universally allowed TO be theIchief sou
of those great profits which have SO
riched the lords of the carying-knife
the spigot that they rank among
l0 wealthiest of the land. One who
'nP lately left fortune of five hundred Il
- sand dollars, said to have been accur
O-' ated from the daily profits of the ii
'"h his bar; and others who are still Ii,
y q to carve, to mix, and refresh, are rep
q = to possess much larger wealth.
The Amican, ike certain native
with an ugly name, is always eating
how unlike it, he has not that convenien
IS in cility of digestion by which benefi
ex- nature has compensated the feath
ewn biped for its evil gift of voracity.
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