Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-06-07
THE PROPER DINNER
HOUR.
What Physicians Say About q
Hearty Midday Meal = Why
Such Practice Would Be
na,uarNua I'm Active Mem

DANGEROUS W ACtIhC uACh.
From the New York Commercial.
A good deal OF attention has lately
been attracted by declaration made in
A paper devoted to the study OF proper
food for man that good health could
only be secured by taking hearty meal
AT midday, The writer went on TO say
n was better for business men to take
time for a substantial meal at midday
than TO snatch the hasty lunch that is
usual. for the latter proceeding was
simply inviting fate. This opinion at
tracted the attention oil some OF our
morning contemporaries, who seemed to
agree with il. Therefore, a Commercial
reporter was sent on tour among WE'LL
known physicians OF this city to as,
certain whether 1t is advisable ana
healthiul for active, pushing men 70
stop in the midst OF their days WORK
and consume a hearty meal. The
majority of those spoken to laughed al
the theory thus propounded. An emil
nent physician living an the upper part
ofthe city said the reason why heavy
midday meal would be injurious, while
the evening dinner Was really healthy,
Was that business and professional men
were generally in such hurry in the
middle of the day that they could not
spare time to masticate the food they
eat. much less allow it TO digest, before
rushing again to their work. de mad
visited restaurants in the lower part oil
the city between II and l o'clock In the
day and had seen respectable men grab
bingand swallowirg 90 the same 3hogs
at a trough. This method oil eating was
decidedly unhealthy, and 1t wonld be
far better il they would merely nibole
hard cracker during the middle oil the
day, for they would have to mastlcate
that and take a little time over 1t. 1t
was far healthier in his opinion Tor pro-
fessional men To dispose OF hearty
breakfast, say from to 8 o'clock in the
morning, eat lightly during the middle
OF the day, then take time to their din
ners after their days labors were over.
A dinner at about or q o'clock, eaten
slowly and enjoyed amid pleasant
family surroundings, intersPersed with
cheerful conversation, was far more
productive to health than all the midday
meals which could be thought CT. A
heavy midday meal would unit any
professional men for carrying on any
business in the afternoon, as It would
make them heavy and sleepy, for nature
reunires some kind Of repose TO aid
digestion.
Another well.kuown physician said
the system OF eating in this country was
ridiculous, as any person with common
sense would see The majority OF per-
sons thrust three heavy meals into
about ten hours, and leave the body
without fresh supply OF food for the
remaining fourteen hours OF the day
and night. lie thought two good meals,
morning and evening, would be the
proper plan, with perhaps light lunch
OF crackers and glass OF wine ut about
] O'Clock in the day. This would allow
both of the heavy meals an opportunity
to digest before the next was taken. AS
TO a heavy midday meal for men who
have TO tear around rs il the next mo-
ment were to be their last, it is perfect.
" ridiculous, as the food, instead OF
digesting and forming blood, muscle
and brain, would act as block to those
forces of Misunderstanding up a sewer,
as it were.
Other physicians expressed similar
opinions, the same ideas being given,
only in different phrases and modes OF
expression.