The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-05-24
Dyspepsia and Long Life.

The dyspeptic as rule is not num-
bered among the happiest of men; and
there are good reasons why he should
not be. He has an abiding notion that
something is wrong somewhere in the
universe, maybe everywhere, though,
like the man who meets death suddenly,
he often does not know exactly what
hurts him. In some extreme eases he
doesn't much care; only he would like
to get rid of it, whatever it may be.
There is well founded American ira
dition that pie baking and the frying
pan have been a fruitful source of dys-
peptic woes, though there are many vic
tins of indigestion who have not fed
upon pie crust or fried meats, while
there are many people who have grown
robust and rudy on this diet, or in spite
of it. Randolph of Roanoke, who con-
tributed to the philosophy of dyspepsia
the cynical theory that though the Lord
had given us the meats the devil had
sent the cooks, only touched one part
of the evil, for there are more sufferers
from ill-regulated digestion among luxu-
rious people, who live upon. the most
nutritious and best cooked food, than
among those whom exercise and labor
give hearty appetite for whatever they
can get to eat.
According to the late DR.. w. w. Hall,
nine out of every ten cases of dyspepsia
are caused not by any defect of the di-
gestiye organs, but by improper dieting
and insufficient exercise, mental or
physical. People whom disordered
| nIUpStJnn tn oft fn
these matters, frequently outkve by
many years their more robust neighbors,
just as wild young men are sometimes
saved from becoming drunkards by the
fortunate circumstance that an excess of
liquor makes them wofully sick The
author cites the case of one poor dys-
peptic, in whose case no less than SO all
ments were manifested, among them
fretfulness, nightmare, and most dismal
OF all, sense of goneness. This was
undoubtedly a very bad case, for in
spite of all that wealth could supply or
careful treatment do to remove the dis
order, it remained undated, until finally
the offending article of diet was dis
covered, and then recovery was rapid.
In about a months time the only trouble
this restored dyspeptic had to complain
of was that she could never get enough
to eat. With this instance before his
eyes, the most desperate dyspeptic may
hope to live cheerfully to ripe old age
by searching out the cause of his troub-
les, and resolutely applying himself to
the removal of it.
DR.. Hall recommends the sufferer to
begin by eating little or nothing of one
or two articles of food at regular meals.
If that agrees with him, let him increase
the quantity; if not, he should try D, ne
thing else. In this way the dyspeptic
will soon find out what agrees with him,
and what kinds of food he should avoid.
After he has made these discoveries it
will be his own fault if he continues a
dyspeptic.
In the way of exercise DR.. Hall rec
ommends walk after breakfast, anoth-
Ell shortly before dinner, and yet anoth-
er shortly before supper. Visiting or
other cheerful enjoyment in the evening
he thinks advantageous, the night air
being healthy enough, though he pro-
nounces it the height of folly for any
body to go out in search of health early
in the morning before the earth has been
tolerably well aired and summed.
The grosser causes of indigestion are
classified as eating without an appetite,
eating too fast, too much, or too often,
one OF another of which offenses against
the gastric juices is often committed by
people who would be indignant if charg
ed with excessive or gluttonous eating.
The proper regimen is of course to eat
not what the palate Graves, but what the
stomach requires and can conveniently
asslmllate. A good set of teeth, or in
default thereof a sharp case-knife to
break up the food before swallowing.
are necessary adjuncts of a good diges-
ton. But after all, there is probably no
remedy or preventive of Indigestion as
efficacious as that prescribed by the IA
NOUS London physician, DR.. Abernethy:
Live on penny day and earn it. A
person acting on this advice would have
to undergo many hardships which might
prevent his living to old age, but he
would never die of dyspepsia.