The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-05
Slow Digestion.

This the simple and most common form
of the malady, is sometimes called simple |
dyspepsia. 1t is more common in men
than in women, says the Herald Of Health.
and especially affects sedentary persons
and those nervous individuals who eat
rapidly swallowing their food without
proper ,masticati0n. Ifis also common
in persons whose teeth are defective.
Its immediate cause is deficient activity
in the muscular walls of the stomach and
intestines, and also deficient quantity or
quality of gastric juice. The symptoms
are much the same as those which follow
the taking an excess of food, but are felt
when only moderate amount has been
taken. An hour or two after eating a
sensation of weight and oppression is
felt. The discomfort continues for some
hours, gradually wearing off before the
next meal. Tue appetite is usualls pretty
good, but often will not be prepared for
the reception of food at meal time, as the
work of digesting the previous meal has
not yet been accomplished. Sometimes
there is considerable fatulency Of
the stomach, the crucations being
| tasteless. however, never offensive;
often pain between the shoulders or
beneath one shoulder blade, and not in
| frequently in the region of the heart.
! Palpitation of the heart often occurs in
the night. causing great alarm on the part
of the patient and his friends, who enter
tain fears Of his sudden death. Sleep is
disturbed and unrefreshing. The tongue
is often foul in the morning, with bad
| taste in the mouth. All the symptoms
mentioned are greatly exaggerated by
| late supper, or by an unusual excess in
| quantity 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 marked
disposition to sleep after meals, or un-
natural sleepiness at other times, and
decided loss Of natural vivacity and ener
Icy. Acid dyspepsia is that form 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 attending slow
ness of digestion with several others, the
principal of which are heartburn. regur-
citation Of intensely sour liquid from the
frequently with transverse assures, often
f1abby and idented at the edges, acid
saliva, causing decay of the teeth. bowels
likely to be either constipated or unnatur-
ally loose, grinding of the teeth at night,
and reddish sediment 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 diges-
ton, farinaceous food always aggravate
this form of dyspepsia. Starchy food,
sugar: fruits, and especially vegetables of
all kinds, cause great increase of acidity
| and heartburn. In some cases even bread
and all sorts of preparations from grains
will disagree Sugar, or any food con-
tanning it. will give rise to great distress
A meal consisting of animal food almost
entirely may be digested without difficulty
though milk frequently sours. The
digestion being very slow. portions oi
lfermenting food remain in the stomach
from one meal to another, so that acidity
becomes habitual. Patients suffering with
this form of dyspepsia are usually very
thin and bloodless. Occasionally, ,howevel
we meet with case of the opposite kind
= in which there is an abundance of tissue
though of loose, fiabby texture. WomeI
suffer from acidIty more than men.