The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-11-18
when to Take Food.

The time of taking food is impor-
tant. This Is true even for adults.
Many find il out by experience. IT.
regular and frequent eating in infan-
cy and childhood is particularly
harmful. We have often said that
the stomach IS composed of muscles.
and. Ike other muscles, needs rest.
The heart, lungs, liver and other in
ner organs may toll continually. but
the stomach resents the harm arising
from over action No organ is abused
so much as the gastric sack. The
necessity Of rest in II i not appre-
ciated, and so rood Is hurried into
this suck At irregular periods Of
time-I0od OF various sorts. often a
mixture of fresh food with that
whie,r has been partially digested.
Exp once has already determined
how 'ng the intervals between
ines hould be. Il has been found
thas l'iierent kinds require different
periods for digestion, but four hours
Is !. ac onough for jLc prop
or q DIGESTION o- snY food, ana two
hours tgr.a % me too lone a period
Tor the digestive urrrs TO rest and
regl-n strength fer executing their
proper duties Regular meals. then,
should recur nos ottener than once in
five hours. Infants who live on milk
can digest it IN two hours, and the
stomach needs one for rest. so that
feeding them once in three hours
satisfies their needs and promotes
their growth. Older children are
also growing and need food enough
to retain the substance they already
have aud enough to promote their
grow Oh and increase their strength.
They are usually active-their di-
gestiye powers act rapidly, so that
they not only need food every fifth
hour Of their waking and active life,
but often a simple lunch between.
One rule experience teaches, name
", that health, growth, and comfort
imperatively demand that food
should be taken at regular intervals
of five hours or less, according to the
age, exercise and digestive powers
OF each person. The regularity Is
more important than the length OF
the intervals. One meal should be
fully digestcd before another is be-
gun. Mothers make a great mistake
when they feed their infants at
shorter intervals than once in three
hours.
Exercising the muscles compels
the blood 10 flow more freely and so
supply TO them the means Of growth
Moving the muscles DESTROYS the
particles Of which they are COM
posed and augments the need Of
food. In this way exercise of the
body increases the desire for food.
The exercise of the stomach III di-
gestion brings into its substance an
increased amount of blood. Exer-
cising the limbs and body at the
time we exercise the stomach in the
process of digestion, lessen the ease
and complete action Of tho latter.
teaching that exercising Mt once al
ter eating is not wise. Nature gives
US the same lesson. All animals. az
ter eating a full meal, lie down and
rest. Intellectual effort after n
square meal. lessons the digestive
forces Of the stomach. Experience
and observation teach US that we
should rest after partaking d hearty
meal, or, at any rate, that we should
avoid great mental or bodily eXer-
ton after eating freely. Ease OF
body and quiet Of mind contribute
largely to good digestion.
a very similar principle appears
before eating. Excessive exercise
exhausts the body, OF which the
stomach forms an essential part. So
that they who labor hard should rest
awhile previous to eating much.
The stomach, as well as the other
muscles, are more or less exhausted
by their special functions.-Prairie
Farmer.