Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-07-07
THE HOME DOCTOR.

BAD cooking Is responsible for large
amount of ill-health, and SO is rapid
eating. Few persons chew their food
perfectly fine before swallowing it.
They have, so they think, not time to
eat as they should, and SO they swallow
something and go about their work. A
writer says: Three digestions are known
to physiologists-mouth digestion,
stomach digestion, bowel digestion. To
make the first complete the food should
be ground fine by the teeth and mixed
with the saliva and nothing else then,
and not till then, it is ready to be in
troduced into the stomach, and go
through the second process. The stom-
ach is patient, long-sufering organ,
but it cannot always do the work of the
teeth and its own too, and when from
sheer inability to meet the unjust de-
mands forced on it, dyspepsia with all
its annoying train takes possession, the
hapless victim can only mourn over his
unwise haste and. repent of his omis-
sions when it may be too late to repair
them. Children, especially, need to be
| instructed as to the necessity of thor
ough mastication of their food, and
the habit formed in them of chewing
it fine and taking ample time to eat.
1t is an old German adage that ''more
people dig their own graves with their
teeth than with spades," and verify it
would seem so, if we could look at the
immense number of dyspeptics, rheu-
matte and equity individuals, creeping
through life in pain and wretchedness.
Yet it is impossible to induce even
thinking people to control their appe-
tites, and to eat such things and at
such times as nature shows them is
necessary and right. DIR. Hall declares
unhesitatingly that it is wrong to eat
without an appetite for it shows that
there Is no gastric juice in the stomach,
and that nature does not need food, and
not needing it, there being no fluid to
receive and act upon it, it remains there
only to putrify, the very thought of
which should be sufficient to deter any
man from eating without an appetite to
the remainder of his life. If tonic is
taken to whet the appetite it is mis-
taken course, for its only result is to
cause one to eat when already an
amount has been eaten beyond what the
gastric juice is able to prepare. The
! object to be obtained is large supply
of gastric juice; whatever fails to ac-
complish that essential object, fails to
have any efficacy toward the cure of
dyspeptic diseases. The formation of
gastric juice is directly proportioned to
the wear and tear of the system, which
it is to be the means of supplying, and
this wear and tear can only take place
as the result of exercise. The efficient
remedy for dyspeptics is work-out-door
work-benefcia and successful in di-
rect proportion as it is agreeable, inter-
esting and profitable.
It is generally supposed that solids
| are more favorable to the health than
liquids, which may not be wholly true.
While solids absolutely demand consid-
cradle chewing, that they may be
swallowed decently, most of our liquids
and semi-liquids are swallowed about
as the anaconda disposes of it's prey.
The first step in the digestive process
is chewing, but that act is made nee
essary means Of causing the saliva to
| flow freely from the glands of the mouth,
that this saliva solvent absolutely
needed in a perfect division and prepar-
alton of the food for assimilation-may
perform it's office work. Insalivation
cannot be secdred by hasty swallowing.
It follows, therefore, that soups and the
like must remain for a time in the
mouth, that their stimulus may cause
a free flow Of this solvent, by which
only it can be combined with the food.
If not so combined, either the digestion
must be imperfect or the organs of di-
gestion must be overtaxed, performing
their own labors and that of the mouth.
If the smoker and chewer destroy part
of this saliva, may not the result be the
same as when one swallows soups, etc.,
rapidly, without insalivation?
It is true that there are some liquids
like the fruit juices, beef tea, crust
coffee, etc, demanding no digestion,
and yet it is safe to insalivate all pass
ingin the stomach.-Dr. IT, H Handford.