The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-05-27
Quantity Of Food.

People often ask us, "What is the proper
quantity of foodP This depends very
much on what the food is, and who the
person is, and what his pursuits are. We
doubt not that most people who have the
means eat a third more than they really
need, and venture the assertion, that if
each man of good constitution and health
could begin at twenty-one, having lbeen
properly fed until that time, he might live
TO be seventy or seventy-fve years of age
and not need the aid OF doctor at all.-
We believe that nine out of ten could do
so. But just howSa person should live to
avoid entirely all causes of disease, no man,
perhaps, is wise enough to prescribe. 1t
may be safe to assert that most people who
are healthy and hearty eat little more at
every meal than they should. That sense
Of fullness, that extra heat of the face, and
the inclination to be sleepy after meal,
shows that it has been too sheavy. Most
people eat too rapidly and takeI in more
food than they are aware of. The appetite
rs not allayed, and they eat as long as they
can hold it, because it tastes good.
Suppose one were to eat parched wheat
or corn were obliged to masticate it, moist
enirg it by the saliva, having no coffee,
tea, or water to "wash it down." he would
not be likely to eat too much for several
reasons, the chief one being, that while
eating so slowly, his stomach would begin
to appropriate the food, some of the juices
of the food would be absorbed and carried
into the circulation and the appetite would
be partially satisfied before he had finished.
Moreover, there would be mechanical
satisfaction on the part of the stomach. 1t
would take perhaps three-quarters of an
hour to eat as much of that kind of food as
would satisfy him. Then he would get
exercise enough for his teeth, SO that they
would be healthy, and all the glands of the
mouth would do their work. The stomach
would come into healthy action, and the
person would be satisfied as soon as he had
eaten enough. Doubtless he would eat
but little more than half as much in that
way as he would to have the wheat ground
and made into mush, that could be eaten
without the use of the teeth, and lsurfeit
obtained before the stomach had time to
respond.
Persons, generally, who are fat, and are
anxious to reduce their flesh, can do so by
eating third less of food than is their
customary habit. Some would have to
reduce the amount one-half to bring them
to proper standard. This plan would re-
quire self-denial but people undergo,
through self-indulgence and its consequent
vexatioi and annoyance tent lines more to
mitigate OF rid themselves of trouble than
would be necessary to avoid it altogether.
A lady came to us for a chronological de-
scription whose face was thiclIly covered
with pimples, fiery red blotches, like mos
quito bites. Thinking we could hardly do
her better service, we asked, at the close
of our chronological description, If she
would like to be rid of those pimples. She
started with delight and hope, and said,
Certainly what shall put on 9'' We
replied, " Nothing but eat less sugar and
butter, eat lean beat, fruit and keep clear
Of griddle-cakes and their accompan iments
for three months, and your face will be
clean and fair" In one month after she
came in without pimple on her face, to
show us what virtue there was in our
simple pre- scription. She had doubtless
been buying cosmetics at dollar bottle
for year, greatly to the advantage of the
dealer. Like the woman of the Scripture,
she became no better, but rather worse.
We eat TOO much. We cat the wrong
articles OF food. We have pimples, head
aches, dyspepsia, kidney complaint, liver
difficulties, and rheumatism. The old
rough statement that "men dig their
graves with their teeth,' has more truth
than poetry in it. If men would use their
teeth properly, they could postpone the
time for having their graves dug for many
years.--PhrenolOgicaI Journal.