Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-04-03
influence of the Diet Upon Health.

The house to me may lowly be,
If but like the people in it.
influence of the Diet Upon Health.
At lecture delivered at the Cooper
Institute,,the following suggestions were
made on aAnimal Feat, and -,he influ-'
encc of Diet on Health, Strength and:
Long Life"
The lecturer commenced by saying
that he would speak upon food and drink,
As these topics were closely connected
with that of digestion, he would recapi-
tulate some points spoken ofin aprevious
lecture. He then explained, with the aid,
of models constructed for the purpose,
the various organs of digestion. The sal.
ivatc glands were an important agency in;
,ile utilization of food. Their office was
to moistcn and prepare it for the stomach.
Liquids taken during the meals asnrped
their place, while they did not discharge
their functions. Hence, drinking during
The time IF eating was to be avoided as
far as possible The. teeth, the mastiea-
tors of our food, were. if used properly,
fitted to last a hundred years. and still be
in GOOD order. How 8aS,it dhat they so
commonly failed us before middle age
had been reached The answer was to
be found in the large quantity of hot i:
ouids taken into the mouth, and the inGr-
dnate amount Of sweets CONSUMED. The
tongue and thorax filled minor functions
in the work of Digestion Diseases of the
throat were generally the result OF undI-
rested food in the stomach, affecting the
mucous membrane lining of that deli,
cate organ. This brought him to speak
of the stomach, the great agent in the
transmutation of our food. The doctor
here brought forward model of this or
ran of average size. Stomachs, he said,
varied much in size-one pint was the
average capacity, while there were some
which were able TO contain three gallons.
This member of the body. being made
of thin and elastic material, was capable
of great distension In it the food was
mixed with the gastric juice, necessary to
proper digestion. All stimuants and con-
'ltncnts checked the exu(ation OF this
iuice. Hence the food lying undigeStcd
i, the stomach, fermeuted and evolved
carbonic acid gas, which, being absorbed
sy the blood aud carried to the brain, was
productive of most disastrous results.
The use of ardent spirits, lager beer and
tobacco were most vehemently condemn
ed. Men who, i'll perplexities, resorted
to the intoxicating draught, were towards.
The true man should be able to stand
alone. The food, become chyle by means
of the action of the gastric juice, was
passed from the stomach through the in
testinal canal-thirty feet in length-by
whose veins, arteries and lacteal glands
/, is absorbed and distributed through the
body, to be built up into the various con
s.ituent parts of the human system. The
blood, supplied with oxygen from the
lungs, was thus. purified and vitalized.
The lecturer then enlarged upon the great
importance ofhis theme. The blood de-
pended upon the digestion. The health,
happiness, cheerfuhess, intellect faith, re-
lision, whole character, were dependent
in large. degree upon the quality of the
blood. The food we eat and. the way in
which it is cooked and eaten were thus
widely influential in life. 1t was more
important to regulate the food than the
teaching of the rising generation. lgno-
rance was more out of place in the kitch-
en- than anywhere else. The lecturer went
on to speak of the various kinds of food
in their relative digestib;ity, &c: This
portion of the lecture was illustrated by
peculiar abili of fare" The various
comestibles were arranged in a. list indi-
eating their respective qualities as afford
ing nutriment, heat or calcareous matter
to the system. From this list it appear
ed that potatoes-contrary to the usually
received opihien-we.e not cheap arti-
Gle of food, containing seventy four hun
dredths of water, and but little nourish-
ment. They should never be boiled, the
true object being to get as much of the
water out of them as possible. Of grai's S,
rice and oats were the most largely nour-
ishing; wheat, rye and corn came next.
Thes Scotch Highlander illustrated the
amount of courage and vitality to be
drawrffrom oatmeal. His tenacisy and
bravery as soldier were proverbial. OF
meats, beef afforded the highest proper
ton of nutrimcnt, there being twenty-five
pounds Of actual vitality in every hun
dred 1t should be SO prepared as to
avoid any waste of its juices. The doc.
tor advocated boiling it. Beans and peas
exceed beef in their nutritve qualities.
OF all food, pork was the least nutritious
and the most hurtful. 1t should never be
eaten in, any way. No man could eat fat
pork alone for four consecutive weeks
and sruyive. In regard to animal heat
two.shirds of our food went to fatten and
warm US. Cream, butter and the like,
were intended for this end. These arti-
cles contained large quantity of carbon.
The lungs breathing il. oxygen, to be
mingled with this generated animal heat.
Hence the importance of giving full play
to the lungs. By a diet regulated prop
crlv, all danger of cholera and contagi-
Gus and epidemic diseases. would be
avoided.
I, - rT, Tho Shalhu