The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-05-17
miscellaneous.
DIGESTION.
INFLUENCE OF THE DIET UPON
HEALTH.

HEALTH.
At lecture delivered at the Cooper
Institute the following suggestions were
made on "Animal Heat, on the influ- !
ence 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 recapitulate some points spoken
of in previous lecture. He then ex-
planned, with the aid of models con-
structed for the purpose, the various or
gans of digestion. The slivate glands
were an important agency in the utili-
zation of food. Their office was to mois-
ten and prepare it for the stomach.
Liquids taken during the meals usurped
their place, while they did not discharge
their functions. Hence, drinking dur
ing the time of eating was to be avoid
ed as far as possible. The teeth, the
masticators of our food, were, if used
properly, fitted to last a hundred years,
and still be in good order. How was it
that they so commonly failed us before
the middle age had been reached? The
answer was to be found in the large
quantity of hot liquids taken into the
mouth, and the inordinate amount of
sweets consumed. The tongue and tho
raX filed minor functions in the work
of digestion. Diseases of the throat
were generally the result of undigested
food in the stomach, affecting the mu-
cous membrane lining of that delicate
organ. This brought him to speak of
the stomach, the great agent in the
transmutation of our food. The doctor
here brought forward a model of this
organ 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, be-
ing 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
stimulants and condiments checked the
eXudation of this juice. Hence the food,
lying undigested in the stomach, fer
mented and evolved carbOnic acid gas,
which being absorbed by the blood and
carried to the brain, was productive of
most disastrous results. The use of ar
dent spirits, lager beer and tobacco,
were most vehemently condemned.
Men who in perpteXities 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
intestinal canal-thirty feet in length
by whose veins, arteries and lacteal
glands it is absorbed and distributed
through the body, to be built up in the
various constituent parts of the human
system. The blood, supplied with oXy-
gen from the lungs, was thus purified
and vitalized. The lecturer then en-
larged upon the great importance Of
his theme. The blood depended upon
the digestion. The health, happiness,
cheerfulness, intellect, faith, religion,
whole character, We're dependent in Il
large degree upon the quality Of the
blood. The food we eat and the way
in which it is cooked and eaten We're
thus widely influential in life. 1t was
more important to regulate the food
than the teaching OF the rising genera
: tiOn. Ignorance was more out of place
: i'll the Kitchen than any where else. The
lecturer went on to speak of the vari-
Gus kinds of food in their relative di-
tgcstibility, etc. This portion of the
, lecture was illustrated by peculiar
"bill of farc.n The various comesti-
5 bles We're arranged in list indicating
their respective qualities as afrording
nutriment, heat or calcareous matter to
the system. From this list it appeared
; that pOtatOcS-cOntrary to the usually
| received opinion-were not cheap ar
ticle of food, containing seventy-four
2 hundredths of water and but little
; nourishmcnt. They should never be
; boiled, the true object being to get as
: much of the water out of them as pos
9 sible. OF grains, rice and oats were the
l most largely nOurishing; wheat, rye
= and corn were the next. The Scotch
t Highlander illustrated the amount of
0 courage and vitality to he drawn from
!. oatmeal. His tenacity and bravery as
: soldier were prOverbial. OF meats
:, beef afforded the highest proportion of
nutriment, there being twenty-five
l pounds of actual vitality in every hun
: dred. 1t should be so prepared as tC
; avoid any waste of its juices. The doc
tor advocated boiling it. Beans and
G peas exceeded beef in their nutritivC
!; qualities. OF all food, pork is the least
/ nutritious and the most hurtful. Ii
y should never be eaten in any way. NJ
: man couitl-eat fat pork alone for foul
II consecutive weeks and survive In re
! gard to animal heat two-thirds of ou
food went to fttten and warm Us. Cream
{ butter, and the like were intended 70
$ this end. These articles contained
II large quantity of carbon. The lung
: breathing in oxygen, to be mingle'
u with this, generated animal heat. Henc
Z the importance of giving full play
% the lungs. BY diet regulated proper
d ly, all danger of cholera and contagiou
/ and epidemic diseases would beavoideC