The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-11-16

Dyspepsia anl Hew Much Il Means.
It is an encouraging fact that, in the
last few years, men ranking very high
as authorities have furnished us with
manuals Of health. Once such books
were written by those who thereby ex-
pressed the narrowness of their knowl-
edge. Now that we have hand books of
Physiology by such men as Michael Eos
ter and Huxley, slight Ailments" by
Beale. Health" by Prof. Corfield,
"Food and Feeding" by Sir Henry
Thompson, personal Care of HEALTH"
by Parkes, and scores of similar con-
densasions by men of repute. we are not
Mt a loss or apt to be misled in following
their suggestions. To these we add two
recent works by DIR. Fothergill-
one on indigestion, Biliousness and
Govt" and the other on 1.-THE Mainte-
nance of HEALTH"
Probably there are more chronic in
valids from dyspepsia in some one of
its protean forms than from any other
one disorder. This arises both from the
complicated system concerned in di-
gestion and from the various outrages
which our appetites and indiscretiOns
too readily commit. While we no longer
talk so glibly of liver complaint, and
do not attribute everything to bilious
ness. the liver is still an organ that
gives q great amount of trouble. But
now we recognize that indigestion
means more than a stomach ailment,
and has to do with the entire intestinal
tract and its appendages. The stomach
deals with one variety of foods, the up
per intestines with others. The pam
creas and the liver have functions to
perform in relation to the incoming
tide of chyle or peptonized and liquefied
food, which determines much either as
to the quality of blood or the energy that
has TO be put forth to separate the dross.
Organs themselves often come to have
an acute or more or less chronic state
of congestion, which units them to do
their work properly. Too often they
have to attempt repair while forced
into use by the eater, and so work at
disadvantage. The book referred to
necessarily repeats much that is the
common stock of knowledge and of in
PRODUCTION to such a subject. We de-
sire to make use of the newer and more
suggestive chapters. One of these has
reference to cases in which, for a time,
natural digestion has failed. When, for
instance, the stomach work of digestion
is feeble, so that meat or egg digestion
is imperfectly performed, we now learn
that the artificial addition of pepsin
and hydrochloric acid will often be of
great service. When. however, it is
the digestion of milk we are seeking to
aid, we need the pepsin or pancreatic
secretion in an alkaline vehicle. So as
to fat; the mere condition of warmth
has much to do with its digestion.
Fats, like those of beef or mutton,
which easily CONCEAL can not be con-
verted into heat and force by many.
Cod liver oil is so nutritious in part,
because it is fat so easily digested. 1t
Is because our knowledge has become
more specific that we no longer deal
with dyspepsia as general disease, but
find out what foods and what part of
tho digestion fails, and either seek d.
rectly to restore it or do the digestion
for it artificially. Thus we use pepsin
as an artificial digestive agent when we
want to assist the digestion of albu-
minoids; but to use it to aid digestion
of any form of fat would be simply a
waste. On the other hand, TO aid the
digestion of fats, 1.-THE use of an arti.
fetal pancreatic secretion" (alkaline in
its character) aids the further digestion
of starch and acts upon the fat. This
is but an illustration of how futile are
all the varied forms of bitters and
pills and other dyspeptic remedies
unless there is an adjustment
of the remedy to the known
character of the indigestion. There are
forms of indigestion for which the
alimentary system is not in the least
accountable. This is sometimes called
secondary Indigestion. If the mind is
overtaxed or in trouble, or there is a
worry of any kind, it is marvellous how
soon there will be interference with the
usual processes. The name hypochOn-
driac comes from the connection be-
tween low spirits and disturbances of
the digestive functions. We need to
repember that all the so-called systems
are parts of one great system. and that
anything that affects the whole man
may also affect some special locality.
MultitudeS of cases are on record where
some violent emotion has wholly de-
ranged the digestive organs and made
recovery slow. Pernicious anamia or
sudden and continuous loss of flesh has
resulted from a nervous impression.
Good food, good sleep. good content,
must enter into our calculation if we
would have good digestion. Then, again,
if the skin is neglected there will often be
congestion Of internal organs which
seriously interferes with the functions
of the organic viscera. Often the cure
of dyspepsia consists in a thorough rub
bling Of the skin. a frequency OF bath
ing, care as to clothing, and such
other items as tend to keep the fine net
work of nerve and blood-vessels and
glands, which the skin represents, in
4 working order. We may be clogged by
putting off on one class of organs what
belongs to another, just as eAectually as
I by improper food. Let it be remem-
bered that no part of the system so
much as the digestive apparatus indi-
Gates interferences with the general well
fare of the W. ole body; and that when
this is interfered with we are not at
once to suppose that all of the trouble
is of local origin or caused by some
error of diet or regimen.-M T. Inde-
| pendent.