Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-22
FOOD FOR NERVES"
PARAGRAPHS FROM THE LETTER OF
A NOTED PHYSICIAN.
Victuals and Drink Which NERVOUS Peo-
pie Would Do Well to Let Alone
Animal Food Recommended
-Eish, Flesh, Fowl.


[Dr. Vim. A. Hammond in Youths Companion
First of ALL the nervous person must have
his stomach put in order. He might just as
we'll try to run a steam engine without fuel
as to conduct his body through life with a
stomach incapable of digesting food. For
food stands in the same relation to the body
that fuel does to the steam engine. The next
question which naturally suggests itself is:
What proportion should exist between ami
nal and vegetable food in a dietary for the
nervous?
In every person, unless there is some
very special reason due to idiosyncrasy or
disease, the existence of which, however,
must be extremely rare, animal food should
10 in excess of that derived directly from
the vegetable kingdom. In nervous
persons the proportion should be still
greater. Indeed, l am not quite sure that
il would not be better to exclude, with the
exception of bread in some form or other
and perhaps certain kinds of fruits, all vege-
tables from the dietary of nervous people.
The two principal reasons for this opinion
are: First, the comparatively easy digesti-
bility of animal food. Of course all the It's
sues of animals are primarily derived from
the vegetable kingdom of nature. Carniv-
orous animals eat the flesh and blood and
bones of the herbivora. which are formed
from grass, grain and other vegetable SUBJ
stances; but the task put upon the digestive
organs of the former is much less severe
than that imposed upon those Of the vege-
BILE feeders
Second, animal food is more nutritious to
the nervous system and to the body gener-
ally than that derived from the vegetable
kingdom. As we ordinarily meet with it, it
consists of heterogeneous matter in union with
certain mineral substances and with fat. We
have therefore in it all the essential ele-
ments for the formation of the tissues of the
body, as well as those for the maintenance
of the animal heat, and on it alone it is
perfectly possible for man in any climate to
exist, and to continue in normal condition.
In cold climates the principal part of his
sustenance is derived from this source, and
indeed in polar regions vegetable food is
never ingested by the inhabitants.
The next point to be insisted upon in a
dietary for nervous persons, is that it should
contain a more than usually large porpor-
tion of fat The form in which this should
be employed may generally safely be left to
individual preference. Generally, perhaps,
it is best taken cream or butter, but the
fat parts of beef or mutton are very we'll
with most persons. Many nervous people
appear to have an instructive craving for
fat and have known many one to eat as
much as half pound Of butter a day,
besides drinking tumbler Of rich cream at
breakfast. The nervous system consists
largely of fat, and this substance must be
supplied in some form or other, in order
that the brain and other nerve structures
shall be properly nourished
But it is possible to get all the fat required
without taking single atom of it into the
stomach. The digestive organs convert
sugar and starch into fat, but in nervous
persons in whom, as have said, these Or
gans are weak, it is generally preferable to
get the fat required, ready formed, from
the animal kingdom, than to compel the en-
feebled stomach, intestinss and pancreas to
make it out of starch and sugar
Nervous persons require ordinarily a
larger quantity of water than those whose
brains and nerves are strong. Water not
only enters into the composition of every
tissue of the body, but it aids in the digestion
of the fool by helping to render it
soluble. Moreover, it seems often to have
directly tonic effect. A quart or two of
water, not too cold-and certainly not hot,
for nothing can be more relaxing to the
stomach than hot waterway be drank in
twenty-four hours. and in warm weather
double this quantity will be borne
Now as regards special articles of diet for
the nervous person Milk comes first. 1t is |
easily digestel and is nutritious 1t is some
times exped lent to confne nervous patients |
to diet consisting of nothing but milk, and |
when say nothing" l mean all that the |
word implies.
Eggs come next in point of general avail |
ability. They are nutritious and of easy |
digestibiity They possess moreover, the |
great advant ge Of containing a maximum /
OF MUIR ment in a minimum OF bulk, AMI |
hence they are especially indicated for those
lnvaliIs in whom it is not advisa BILE to load
the stomach with much food Raw egg,
contrary TO tee generally received opinion,
are not SO digestible as tho:e in which the
albumen has cen coagulated by heat
As regards the various kinds of 'fiesh fish
aad fowl"
SO far as the nervous person is concerned,
there is very little difference in the adapta-
bllity Of beef, mutton, venison or of the
flesh of the .everal birds sed as food Beef
may, however, lie taken as the standard.
w nen EoJ c. oke1 too much and when suffi-
Gently tender, It answers every purpose of
the system. Veal is not SO easily digested,
and the same may lie said of pork except !
the sucking pig, which is not only pleasant |
promptly acted up II by the digestive juices.
Salt meat is not adopted TO tee require
ments OF The nervous rerson. The nutritious
juices have to great extent gone into the
brine in which it has been soaked Never
theless, piece Of good ham las an indirect
value, in that it often serves as an appetizer, !
and, hence, as an excitant of the desire Of
other food.
Fill of all kinds used as food, oysters
shrimps, crabs, Holsters, are good for ner-
vous invalids All sea animals as well as
eggs contain large proportion of phos-
phorus, a sub stance that the ner-
vous system must have. Oysters are
more suitable when eaten raw than |
when cooked, but when roasted or stewed
are almc st equally beneficial, and to some
persons are mora palatable
AS regards vegetables, | am disposed to
exclude them with the exception of
certain grains used for making bread, and
a few fruits in their season, from the diet
airy of the nervous person. Of the cereals
oats are far preferable to any ether, and the
finer they are ground the better
A to tea, coffee, chocolate and all spiritu-
Gus, vinous or fermented liquors, thev fo;.r,
a law unto Them elve it being impos ible
to lay down any general rule on the subject
1t may, however, lie said that spirituous
liquors, such as whisky brandy, rum. gin
are never proper for nervous people
He WIS Too Excited.
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