Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-05-19
Don't Eat Too Fast.

Cooking. masticating, digesting. as
and absorbing are distinct
parts of that great process, that converts |
animal and vegetal materials into liv-
iig and growing animals. All food !
mus, be reduced To a fluid mass before !
this conversion can occur. Masses of |
food are useless until they have been
into particles too small to be |
even seen. They must he reduced 10 !
particles before they can be dissolved. |
The first two stages of this wonderful !
conversion of yegrtalS to living beings
is cooking and mechanical
processes. that reduce the size of food so
much as to bring each particle in close
contact with saliva, and then reduce
them still more by what is well called
digestion. These processes of insaliya-
ti0n or solution are chemical. We cook
orr meats. that we may lessen their
toughncss. or may diminish the adhesion
OF their iiberS, or compel the minute par
ticleS. of which their tibcrs are composed
TO separate from each other. The hard
digestion of any flesh. then. depends
upon the adhesion of these iibers and
their particles and the way OF preparing
them for the successive stages of sou-
ton. Mastication and in>alivation ac-
complish two important purposes. name
ly, to reduce masses of food into smaller
parts. and then to mingle them with
saliva The process of cutting them into
smaller masses than we can easily, or
safely ma>ticatc is of all others. not only
the first. but the most important. The
next process. that of cooking may pre-
ce,le ii. But all these processes are inn
portant. The tenderness of our food
depends upon the way of cooking we
may adopt Boiling more than any
other way of preparing for the several
changes that may succeed it in the regu
lar course of converting meats and veg
etals into living flesh, s0ftcnS ii and sep
aratcs the tibcrs into particles from each
other. FRYING har,lens them more or
less and so renders them indigestible.
The one way lessons the labor of masti-
cation and digestion. whilst the other
increases it, Bal teeth have similar
effect.
ANY imperfectionS in any one stage of
the preparation 10 convert food into 4
living organic mass may be considered
causes of indigestion. These few words
on indigestion may plainly show why
we should eat slowly. why we should
we'll masticate our food. and why some
persons do not easily digest it, and
/ change ii to milky fluid. that can be
! easily absorbed and contributed To the
quantity and richness of their blood
! Often We dine with friends who do not
B o., tlnt fhaN in aotinfr hny a
ANYTHING else to do but 10 place between
their jaws rs large masses of food as
they can place there and move then
Jaw little or just enough to shape the
mass Of their food SO that they can push
them down their gullet into the gastric
sack below. They do not seem TO know
that food is useless and may be injuri
Gus unless they prepare it for complets
digestion, and aid the normal function,
of the stomach and duodenum to convert
it into milky fluid that may pass eaSil,
through the mucous membrane of the
food canal Not long ago we wer'
called TO visit man who was in grea
distress He had crowded his breakfas
down some thirty minutes before. H'
was in greater distress than he corl'
possibly enjoy. The cause clearly wa'
an overloaded stomach. So we gave
him half bowl of mustard water, AM
he soon yomited four halves of breakfas
buscuit. The biiScuits were large ar
hard. He was astonished at the resul
of our prescription and was incline
to deny tnat he ever swallowe'
them. He paid our fee and We gay
him apod advice. First. to properl
cook his food; secondly, to place With
his mouth only small pieces of any foo
to Use his knife very freely; thirdly
to masticate every kind of food until
was reduced to soft pulp and had bee
mingled with 4 proper amount OF oNy
gen. All readers may not know tha
, one advantage of thoroughly masticatin
: our food is that in SO doing we nece'
sariy mix air with the pulpy mass. an
thus assist nature in the process of d
, gestion. In this condition of Il pulp I'll
gastric Juice combines with every part
cic. and converts it to milky fluid an
is readily absorbed. All kinds of foo
:, treated in this way mingle and form
= ! nutritious mass that never distresses (
tormentS.
Our readers should remember tn;
indigestion and gastric pain is induce
by neglecting the natural laws of ca
ing.
). People generally are not aware th'
meat. vegetables and fruits are uSeles
y except as qualification to the appetit
C unless they are reduced in size so mut
h that their nutritious particles may be o
e tanned and absorbed. and SO enter Il
h vital currents from which means
n growth are drawn.
q Artificial teeth. where natural ones a
Il lost, contribute largely To our streng
IL and beauty. They enable the most rec
:: less man to chew his food well, and
d increase the amount of food that his n
r and growth require. Those who wish
le possess health and beauty must use I
IS usual means of obtaining them. Th
l. must avoid inducing indigestion by ia
z ing to masiicate and absorb their food.
" Prairie Farmer.