Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-07-18

DISCIPLINE FOR DYspEPTICs. DIR. Felix
Oswald, a summary OF whose treatise on
the remedies OF nature as cure for
consumption we have already published,
contributes a companion article to the
Popular Science Monthly for July, setting
forth the advantages of the remedies Of
nature as cure for dyspepsia. Daily
alcohol fevers, he says, combined with
pepper and mustard inflammations, would
ruin the stomach of an ostrich; but, in
favor of the unfeathered biped nature
accepts such vicarious atonements as gout
and dropsy. Thousands of crapu GUS
Bavarian beer swillers, who are hardly
able to walk, are still able to digest their
food. Indoor life and want of exercise
then added their quota of provocatves; :;
but, where the lungs would have rebelled
after seven protests, the stomach forgave
seventy seven times. Medieval prelates,
squires and aldermen tried in vain TO
exhaust the patience of the long suffering
organ. But the descendants finally solved
that problem by adding tea, coffee,
tobacco, absnthe, chlora, opium and
pungent spices to the stimulanls used by
the ancients. We do not take time to
masticate the ever increasing list of un.
wholesome dishes; we bolt our food and
grumble if we cannot bolt it smoking hot.
We eat at hours when the demands of
business afford no leisure for digestion,
and when the opportunity for leisure
arrives we counteract the efforts of the
stomach to do its work by hot stove fires
and sitting bed rooms. But, even after
such provocations, says the doctor, the
stomach does not 60 on a strike without
repeated warnings These come in various
easily recognizable forms, and nine out of
ten of the victims resort to tonics and
quack medicines. The drug but compli-
Gates the disease. Cold fresh air is an
invaluable aid to the assimilation of fatty
food, and DR.. Oswald asserts that people
who have got rid of the night superstition
can almost defy dyspepsia by sleeping in
cross draught, or, in winter, near q half.
open window. Aid nature, says he, by all
legitimate means. "Masticate thoroughly
every mouthful of solid food Eschew
spices Avoid pickles, cheese, salt meat
sour krout and hot drinks. Take Il lighter
lunch post pone the principal meal till the
days work is done, and make the after
dinner hour as pleasant as possible. Court
fresh air at all times of the day and night,
and in course of two or three weeks the
capacity for active exercise will return.
That point gained, the problem of recov-
cry is reduced to question of perseverance,
Two hours each day of active cut door
exercise, of such nature us to give the
system thorough shaking up, is recom-
as are cold baths before dinner in
the summer season and open bedroom
windows the year round. Deletc reforms
should begin with Il strictly non.stimuld-
ting diet. Even salt is not quite above
and the doctor advises dyspep-
tics to stick to cOmostibles that can be
eaten with out it. To limit the number OF
meals he considers important. il proof
that one meal in twenty-four hours is
quite sufficient to maintain strength he |
cites the fact that for more than Il thousand |
years the one meal system was he rule in |
two countries that could raise armies of
men every one of whom would have made |
his fortune as a modern athelic-men |
who marched for days under load of
iron (besides clothes and provisions) that
would stagger modern porter. The best
time for that one meal, says our athorty,
is at the end of the working day. For all
conditions of working day. For all condi.
lions of working people he recommends
hat hour for the principal meal. Mind
and body being at rest favors digestion.
The danger of sleeping on full stomach
IS delusion of man. Animals, which
Follow the dictates of nature, always sleep
Or rest after heavy meal; only man
1isregards the promptings of his instinct
and relies on dyspepsia pill.
Open air exercise and dietetic reforms
he dyspeptic is warned TO supplement
with u liberal allowance of sleep. But
.hese remedies says the doctor, cannot
save dyspeptics WHO insist on swallowing
their food smoking hot. The walls of
he stomach are lined with nerye.in,er.
woven delicate membrane, which suffers
from scalding fluids as much as any other
egumental tissues of the body, and by
1aily torrefactions becomes either calious
or chronically intlamed. and in either case
ess fit for the performance of its important
functions"
Ola certain form of dyspepsia, which is
he result of an advanced stage of alcohol.
sm DR.. Oswald proposes to treat in
separate paper. With this exception,
which often yields only to the heroic
'emedies of the pedestrian cure, he thinks
en- weeks of strict temperance, fresh air
md moderate exercise will generally
uflice 10 appease the resentment of an
stomach. Mountain excursions
further the good work, and
concludes the doctor, gymnastics com.
,ined with the other remedies of nature
viii speed the advent of the time when the
fter dinner hour shall cease 10 be the
saddest of the sad twenty-four nav,
vhen digestion, like all functions of the
nimal organism, shall be once more not S
My painless but u pleasurablc process.