The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-24
THE aluTroNous HABITS OF THE DAY
From the Chicago Daily News.


While modern experiments do violence
to the preconceiyed opinions of the people,
they do not do so to common sense 1t
cannot be denied that we eat too much, or
that we should enjoy better health If we
lid not eat one-haf the food we do. The
heaviest feeders are race OF invalids, the
English people are the race of dyspeptics;
the Indian of the frontier has no trouble
with the gastric juice of his liver. 1t is
probable that seven-tenths OF all the dis
eases that American flesh is heir to are di-
rectly due to overlooking -catarrh, bron-
chitls, and scores of similar complaints
may be traced directly to the gorging OF
the stomach; shattered nerves, want OF
sleep. headaches, rheumatism, neuralgia,
and many other ailments nave
their origin in an overcharged stomach
And such an overchargei Sit down at
table in one of the fashionable restaurants,
in front of well-to-do man, any one OF
these heated summer days and see what
he proproses to crowd into his stomach,
and wonder why he does not die before his
evening stuffiing Meats of the latest
and oreasiest kinds; butter ad libitum, ice
water by the quart; coffee strong enough
to bear an egg; side-dish rich with pep
per and other condiments; cucumbers with
vinegar, pepper and salt; and, last OF all,
pastry fiakey with lard and highly season
ed. This average meal is bolted into the
stomach in almost 15 minutes and the glut
| ton on ST. We submit that this is but an
ordinary case. Now, it is within bounds
| to say that probably any of the six or
seven dishes the person devoured was
ample for his noon meal; that there was
enough solid food in that one meal to have
served a stout, healthy man for the entire
twenty four hours. One great trouble is
| that we eat to much meat. Gluttony In
meat eating is, next to alchoholic intern
perance. the fullest Of danger, and there is
much more chance of long life, free from
disease, for the man who spares his stomach
| than for him who makes it beast OF
burden. Meats are heating and exciting,
and. in summer at least, should be almost
wholly discarded. A meat dinner once a
week in summer is all a healthy man OF
sedentary habits requires. 1t IS ques-
tionable whether man with q hod
| on his back needs more There Is
not man in Chicago would pass pleas
anter afternoon every day this summer II
he took half pint of good, pure milk and
| q couDle of crackers But one may say
ssI can't drink milk" Then teach your
stomach to take kindly to it. Amy one
| whose stomach will not rebel at the fash
| ionable meat dinner can teach 1t to take
so healthful diet as good milk. 1t Is
simple nonsense to deery a low diet on any
such grounds. The slavery that this intol-
cradle gluttony imposes on us is something
fearful to contemplate. Not only the man
himself, but his wife and household, are
simply panderers to this depraved eondit-
ion of things The cook is the lord OF the
house, and home is transformed into hot
bed of sensuality where the palate is a
hard and imperious master. 1t is not
probable that any reform in diet will be
! ushered in in day or two, but it is sure
to come in good time, and when 1t does
come we may look for the health of early
| days, if not the longevity of the Mosaic
| period.