The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-11-13
Food.-tl uantity Ieqllired--SleeP
after Eating.

The Cornbill Magazine has an interesting
article on this subject, from which we quote
FAT LEIsURELy.
Ifto digest our food we should enjoy it. il
should of course, be taken leisurely, and ir
a pleasant frame of mind. The cheerful So
ciety of friends should not be absent. Chat
ted food, the provcrb says, is half digcsted
And the longer time spent over the meal thus
socially enjoyed, has its part in the benef
Next to anxiety, the worst foe to digestion
is hurry; aud this. for several reasons.S Tht
stomach, in its normal action, contracts OF
each morsel as it is swallowed, and relaxes
again to receive the next. insufficient time
allowed for this, interfercs with the rhythn
of its movements, and destroys the play o
its muscles. Cramps and painful feelings o.
distension, could have nc more likely cause
That haste cuts short mastication is obvious,
and on the perfection of that process. chiefly
depends the rapidity with which the solution
of the food can be effected. Again, it ere.
ates an artificial thirst, partly by not allow.
ing time for the due admixtures of saliva
and above all, it deprives us Of the natural
guide to the proper amount of food, and re.
mits almost to chance decision than which
scarcely any is more important to our well
being. For the natural indication Of suffi.
cheney of food is the feeling Of satisfaction
not safety, which is always symptom oi
excess, but feeling of perfect comfort, the
true luxury of eating. This feeling thc hur.
ried eater cannot know; it'never exists for
him. Either the unnatural violence to the
stomach induces premature feeling of re-
pletion, and stints hi i'm of his due supply, OF
he eats on until the warning (Which ever
comes too late) of safety arrests him. But
perhaps it is vain to protest, to hurried men,
against hurry in their eating, and it is well
therefore, that there exists means by which
its i'll effects may be, to a great degree es-
capped. Meat may be eaten rapidly; il Gu.
small, even " lth very little mastication. An
imal food, if well divided, may be, withou.
much risk, almost polted but vegetable food
may not The rcason of this difference is
that the digestion of the former is Carried on
entirely by the sccretions of the internal or
gans; that of the latter depends in consider
able part upon the action of tie saliva.
s.s THE QUANTITY REQUIRED.
In respect to the quantity of food requir-
ed to support life in the best way, some re-
liable information has been obtained by ex
pertinent. The precise amount which in the
adult maintains the weight of the body un-
changed during life of moderate exercise is
theo, etically the right average quantity. OF
course, it varies with the kind Of food en-
ployed; some articles furnishing much more
in an equal weight than others.
On diet Of fresh meat, bread and butter,
with coffee or water for drink, DR.. Dalton
found the entire quantity required during
twenty-four hours by man in full health,
and taking free exercise in the open air, to
be, of meat, tb; Of bread fb OF; of butter
or fat, 81 OF; water 81 lbs. That is to say,
rather less than p lbs of solid food, and rath.
or more than 3pints of liquid. These weighs
would of course be exceeded in less nutri-
tious substances, such as rice, potatoes or
fruits formed any considerable portion of the
diet. DR.. Hammond found that he main,
tanned his exact weight by daily consump-
ton of / 10. Of meat, 1S OF of bread, 6 or OF
soup, 4 OF. of beetroots, OF. of butter, with
salt, drinking at The same time pints Of
water and ID OF. of coffee, with cream and
sugar, Any excess Of this caused an increase
of weight ; any diminution caused q loss
Remembering that the doctor is feet in,
ches in hight, and weighs IA stone, we may
take these quantities as fair average for a
strong man somewhat beyond the ordinary
stature.
Generally speaking, the average amoun,
of food necessary for healthy men is estima.
ted at II OF. of beef, 90 or. of bread, with
about ! o. of butter These articles con,
tain force capable, if applied by machine,
Of raising fourteen million pounds weight to
a height Of one foot that is, the oxidizatlon
of the elements contained in them would
give rise to ar amount Of heat equivalent to
that effect. But in the human body, though
it far surpasses all machines in economy Of
force, the utmost amount of power attaina,
BILE from them is not more than equivalent
to three and half millions Of pounds raised
to the hight of foot and an average days
labor does not exceed two millions of pounds
thus raised. The difference is mainly due
doubtless to the number of internal actions
which are carried on in the living body, such
as the circulation, the movements of rcspir
alton and the production OF animal heat
These consume great part Of the force o
the food, and leave only remainder to b.
disposed of in muscular exertioa.
Bat no average is Of much practical avail
for individuals, in this respect, differ very
widely, as much as different breeds of cattle
Some can be kept in health only by continu
al abundance; with others, small, ligh
diet will alone agree. But, as rule, good
and liberal diet is the right thing for healtl
liberal diet and plentiful exercise in tn
open air.
"Rob, how is your sweet heart gettini
along?"
"Pretty well, guess; she says nee'