The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-29
Slow Digestion.

This. tho simple and most common
form of the malady. is sometimes called
simple dyspepsia. 1t is more common
in men than in women. and especially
affects sedentary persons and those
nervous individuals who eat rapidly,
swallowing their food without proper
m%asticatiOn. 1t is also common in per.
sons whose teeth are defective. Its i'm.
mediate cause is deficient activity in the
muscular walls of the stomach and in.
testines, and also deficient quantity Oh
quality of gastric juice. The symptoms
are much the same as those which fol.
low the taking an excess of food, but
are felt only when 3 moderate amount
has been taken. An hour or two alter
eating a sensation of weight and Op-
preston is felt. The discomfort con
tinues for some hours, gradually wear
inc off before the next meal The APP
petite is usually pretty good, but
often the stomach will not be pre-
pared for the reception of food at
meal time, as the work of digesting
the previous meal has no yet
been accomplished. Sometimes there
is considerable flatulence of the
stomach, the eructations being tastelesS,
however, never offensive: often pain
between shoulders or beneath one
the region of the heart. Palpitation of
the heart often occurs in the night. caus-
ing great alarm on the part OF the pa
tient and his friends, who entertain fears
OF his sudden death. Sleep is disturbed
and unrefreshing. The tongue is often
foul in the morning. with a bad taste in
tke mouth. All the symptoms men,
toned are greatly exaggerated by a late
| supper, or by an unusual excess i'm guam
tity or quality of food. The bowels are
usually constipated, but may be regu-
lar. When the difficulty has been long
continued, there Will BE- observed a
marked dispositiontosleep aftermeals,or
unnatural sleep;ness at other times. and
q decided loss of natural vivacity and en-
ergy. Acid dyspepsia is that form of
Indigestion in which the slowness of
digestion is such that the food under
goes fermentation. forming acids which
~irritate the stomach and give rise to
the same symptoms, much exaggerated,
which have been mentioned as attend
ing slOwness of digestion with several
others, the principal Of which are heart
burn. regurgitat' o n of intensely sour
liquid from the stomach. acid eructa-
tiOns, a white tongue. frequently
with transverse assures, often fab
by and indented at the edges, acid
saliva, causing decay of the teeth. bow
els likely to be either constipated or un-
naturally loose. grinding of the teeth at
night. and a reddish sedim ent in the
urine. No one patient presents all the
symptoms, but more or less of them.
There is quite likely also to be pain at
the pit of the stomach, with soreness on
pressure. On account of the extreme
slowness of digestion. farinaceous food
always ~ageravate this form Of dyspep-
STA. Starchy-lood, sugar. fruits. and
especially vegetables of al kinds, cause
great increase of acidity and heartburn.
In some cases even bread and all sorts
of preparations from grains will disa-
gree. Sugar. or any food containing it.
will give rise to great dis Tess. A meal
consisting of animal food almo-t entire
ly may be digested without difficulty,
though milk frequently sours. The di-
gestiOn being very slow, portions Of fer
manting food remain in the stomach
from n meal to another. so that acid
ity becomes habitual. Patient, suffer-
ing with this form of dyspepsia are
usually very thin and blOOdless. Occa-
s;onally, however. we meet with a case
of the opposite kind, in which there is
an abundance OF tissue. though of a
loose, tiabby texture. Women suffer
from ac;dity more than men.-HerId
of Heath.