The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-05-23
From the Scientific American
The Instinct of Appetite.

The Instinct of Appetite.
Chemical analysis and physiological
research have established, be, Und dispute.
that every nr icle Of food and drink Is
Composed of elements differing in qranti.
~ or quanty. ii is equally ;:"e IAa. .he
various parts If the human frame are diff
ierent IN their composition, as the bone.
The nesh, the nerve, the tendon, &c. But
there is no e'ement III the human bod,
which ls not found in some article of food
"r drink. A certain normal proporriou
ot these elements. proper V distributed,
constitutes vigorous health, and .Orms a
perfect body. Ii one Of these elements
he IN excess, certain forms Of disease
manifest themselves; ; if there j. not en-
ough, some other malady affects III.
! FRANC. Whea the blood contains less
'han its healrhfu! amount of iron, it is
poor, watery and comparatively coIorIe,>;
| the muscles are ilabhv, the face pale, the
eyes sunkcn, the whole body weak, the
mud lstc>s and sad. II tie bones have
| not enough lime, they have no strength,
are easily hent, and the patien, is rickety;
If there is too much lme, then the bone,
! are brittle, aud are broken hy the ,hrh,
est fail OF unusual strain. The highest
skill ot 'he physician IL these cases Iun
sIs's III determining the excess or deficit
OF any element, and in supplying snch
| food or drag as will meet tie case, when
| the medical attendant cannot detertniu.
what Is wanting nor furnish the supply,
nature Is often loud enough III her calls.
through the tastes or appetilcs, to inhl
cate very clearly what item of food or
drink contains lhe needed elements; this
s the ''lnst'nct Of Apretle' Chemis,r,
! Is unable 70 say oi but oIe article OF hu.
man food, that it contains all the con
sutuehis necessary 10 supply the humai
BODY with every element requisite for it's
welfare, aud thAt is pure mix, as supplied
hy the mother of the new being but AZ
| ter the first years of lie, ;ho ood, de
! mands new elements, in order to enable.
| IT To meet the duties which increasing aye
imposes; hence, utiture dries up this
! Spr'ng. AS beng no ;Onger adequate, aud
c"inreIs the search for other kinds Sus
tenance, showing that mix is proper
sole fooo Tor the Young ones and heat
thy grown persons who live upon it main.
y will always become nyalds.
Al kinds Of hf., whether vegetable or
animSl, have within l. EN- a principle OF
preservation, as well as OF perpetuity :;
were not the case, all that brealhs ot
grows would die this principle or Gual
! tv is common to man and beast, and all
that springs from root or seed it Is nam
! ed "lnstinct." IL is instinct which calls,
by thirst for water, when there is not flu.
| id enough III tie system. Ii is instinct
which calls for food. by hunger, when n
man Is weak and needs renovation. IL In
curious and practically valuable RS u
means for the removal uf disease. TO no
! tee the working of this instinct, for u
seems TO be almost possessed with a dis
crIminatlng Intelligence certain it is,
that standard medical publicatiors give
weIhauthenticated facts, showing, that
following the cravings of the appetite.
the animal instinct, has accomplished Tor
more than the physicians skill was able
TO do; has saved I;fe in multitudes of ca.
ses. when science had done its best. but
IL vain.
About three years ago, the little dauph.
ter "f farmer on the Hudson river, had
tail, VII hch induced = long, painful and
dangerous illness, ending III blindness ::
medication avsiled nothing. BY accident,
a switch containing maple buds was pa.
ced in her hands, when she began to eat
them, and called earnestly for more, and
continued to eat them with aviditv, i'm
proving. neanah bile in her general health
for some fifteen days or more. wher this
particular relish left her, and size called
for candy, and, rs in the case Of the buds,
ate noibing else for two weeks, when this
also was dropped, a more natural taste
returning With returning eyesight and
usual heslla. This was instinci calling
for those articles Of food which contained
The elements, the want Of which laid be
tween disease and recovery.
gentleman aged thirty.six. seemed
to be in the last stages of consump;ive
disease, when he was seized with an I'm
contTollahle desre for common table salt;
he spread IL in thick layers over bis meat,
and over his bread and butter he car.
rled Il in his vest pocket, which was dai
" emptied by eating a pinch at a time.
He regaiHed his health, and remained
we'll for years afterwards.
Mere recently, case occurred in Eng
land Of child gradually declining in
health, in spite of al that could be done
! by remarkably shrewd and obseryanl