The Brookhaven leader., 1885-05-07
Slow Digestion.

This, the simple and most common
form of the malady, is sometimes called
simple dyspepsia. IL is more common
in men than in women, and especially
affects sedentary persons and those
nervous individuals who cat rapidly,
swallowing their food without proper
mastication. 1t is also common in per-
sons whose teeth are detective. Its i'm
mediate cause is deficient activity in the
muscular walls of the stomach and in
testines, and also deficient quantity or
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 a moderate amount
has been taken. An hour or two after
eating a sensation of weight and OPP
preston is felt. The discom ort con-
tinues for some hours, gradually wear
ing off before the next meal. The ap-
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 not yet
been accomplished. Sometimes there
is considerable fatulence of the
stomach, the eructations being tasteless,
however, never offensive; often pain
between shoulders or beneath one
shoulder blade, and not infrequentN in
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 unrefreshiHg The tongue is often
foul in the morning. with bad taste in
the mouth. All the symptoms men
toned are greatlye aggeratsd by late
supper, or by an unusual excess in guam
tity or quality Of .ood. The bowels are
usually const pated. lut may be regu
lar. When the difficulty has leen long
continued, there will be observe n
marked disposition to sleep after meals,or
unnatural sleep!ness at other times, and
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 pr n ,ipal of which are heart
burn, rcgurgitat on of intensely sour
liquid from the stomach, aid eructa-
tions, white tongue, frequently
with transverse assures, oft N fab
by and indcntCd at the edges, acid
saliva, causing decay of the teeth, low
els likely to lie either constipated or un-
naturally loose, grinding OF the teeth at
ght, and 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 aggravate this form # dyspep-
STA. Starchy-.ood, sugar, fruits, and
especially vegetab es OF kin Is, cause
great increaS, of a:idity and heartburn.
In some cases even tread and al sorts
of preparations from grains will di5a-
gree. Sugar, or any 20 d containing it,
will give rise to great dis rrsI. A meal
consisting Of animal f. OIL almo e! tire
ly may be d gested without difficulty,
though milk frequently Sours. The di-
gest:on being very slow, portions Of fer
menting food remain in the stomach
from one meal to another, so that acid
ity becomes habitual. Patents suffer
ing with this form of dyspepsia are
usually very tn II and bloodlesS. Occa-
sionally, however. we meet with a case
of the opprs te kind, in which there is
an abundance of tissue, though of a
loose, tlabby texture. Worcu suffer
from ac dity more than mcn.-HeraLd
of Heath.