Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-11
Food for the Sick.

IT is no easy matter to restrain the sick,
or some of them, from practical suicide
by eating without an appetite, while the
task of restraining friends ca and officious
neighbOrs is but little less than herculean
In the acute forms of disease-fevers and
ntlammatiOns-the appetite is wisely and
mercifully taken away; indicating that
the stomach has no. gastric juice, and
therefore cannot digest food, which, if
taken, must either be vomited or remain
as an irritant, fermenting and rotting,
necessarily aggravating the disease, if not
producing other and worse forms of sick
ness.
If the sick could be allowed to follow
their inclinations in this respect, con-
trolled by the appetite, which is really
the measure of the wants of the body, in
dicating more food in cold weather and
when over exercised, and less in hot
weather and when the body is unnatural
ly heated, there would be but little
trouble; especially if we would but fol-
low the example of sick brutes, all of
which, even the hog, knows too much to
eat without an appetite. Instead of a de-
sire for food in the acute forms of dis
ease, there is generally thirst, desire,
and positive demand for something to
cool the body, and not for food to warm
the already over heated system. And in
the first forms of disease, especially, we
may trust the indications Of the appetite,
always exercising reason and Judgment to
prevent excess. We drink water simply
to slake a thirst, and we should take
food to repair the waste of the system
and regulate the animal heat as indicated
by the appetite, never disregarding the
known demands Of the appetite, or forcing
the stomach to receive food when loss of
it or a nausea clamors for abstinence.
But some of the sick take food from
principle-thOugh not conscientious in
any other respect-suppOsing that they
must do so as means of gaining strength,
or of keeping the wind out of the stom-
ach,' ar idea too ridiculous ana false to
deserve a moments consideration, too alb
surd to be entertained in an enlightened
age, since the outer air does not reach the
stomach, and would do no special harm
if admitted If ''wind' is liz the stom-
ach, it is evolved by the rotting of the I'M
digested food forced in the stomach-the
product of fermentation, as seen in the
over raised dough. To keep the stomach
free from ''wind," fast when food is
loathed; remembering that if the popular
idea is correct, that food must be taken to
keep the air out of the stomach, constant
eating is required, filling it as fast as it is
emptied. Again, the sick will gain
strength by fasting more rapidly than
by eating without a relish and an appe-
tite, since forcing always tends to retard
the return of the appetite. Indeed, most
of the popular ideas, especially among
the ignorant, are highly preposterous
and totally absurd
1t is safe, therefore, in the first or acute
forms of disease, to abstain from food.
Drink freely of water-at least III the alb
sence of an appetite, and when thirsty
and to use only the simplest kind of food,
easy of digestion, while improving; tax
ing the more substantial kinds after being
able to labor-all at regular periOds.-J.
II. Hanqford, IN Physiological Journal.