The Wilmingtonian., 1885-01-17

and quiet pastlns of mind. All violent
exercise of body and mind Immediately after
eating is meaus of retarding digestion and
produces mischief
Cold bathing, as, FOR instance, river swim
ming, very soon after eating full meal, has
an injurious effect aud should be avoided.
An angry temper excited soon after a
meal has been taken is prejud cial to dges-
ton, and therefore TO good health. A fit of
sulss, or angry outburst of temper, has often
excited apoplexy which attack has pro-
duced paralysis and death.
Very few persons can bear, with impun-
ity, an instantaneous arrest or diversion OF
the act of digestion. They will suffer at
least headache and other discomforts.
Having considered, with as much thor
Oughness as circumstances will allow the use
of food, let us, with exceeding brevity,
glance at the abuse of food. In considering
the abuse Of food we will be manifestly con-
templating the use of food in the light solely
of gratifier and not as our resturer and
promoter.
That, of course, would be an aspect the
reverse of the physiological or healthful. 1t
would be the pathological side of the ques-
tion, by which we mean, states and condi-
tions resulting from deviations from the
standard of health, or, in other words, the
conditions due to ill-health or disease.
To abuse our bodies with the food we ear,
ii that abuse is frequent or constant and not
merely accidental, implies wilful ignorance
| of the Office and object Of food, or wanton
| disregard of the requirements of our bodies.
In either case it is criminal infidelty to
| God, who has intrusted to our care won-
derful, intricate and delicate machine, the
motive power of which is Gods gift, ''the
breath of life.'
Life can be cherished and preserved or be
wasted beyond redemption. If our food, in
the matter of supply, should be insufficient,
then it is an abuse of food as well as of body,
Should we fail to make our labor conform to
the strength of our bodies, though our food
supplies should be superabundant, it would
be abusive to oyerburden the organs of di-
yestion with either superfluous quantity or
incongruous variety. 1t is abusive to eat
at markedly irregular periods, simply to
comply with our own or others convenience.
1t is abusive to eat articles between the
hours Of the usual meals, if the articles re-
quire appreciaOle periods of time for their
| digestion.
1t is abusive to eat the heartiest and full
| est meal of the twenty-four hours during an
evening hour. 1t is abusive to eat late
Chat is midnight) repast if there is any
expectation or wish to enjoy beautiful
refreshing slumber during the balance Of the
night, or the comfort and recuperation sleep
brings with it on the following day.
1t is abusive to eat rapidly SO that the pre-
paration Of food which goes in the mouth
before it is in suitable condition to be
received into the stomach is incompletely
performed 1t is abusive to drench the
stomach with copous draughts of fluids,
just previous to and during the taking of a
meal. 1t is abusive to quarrel or. even TO
converse with too ardent a temper during a
meal
1t is abusive to spice ones food to any
considerable degree beyond what it has
received in the cooking. 1t is abusive to
last immoderately, as to frequency, and
duration. Religious fasting, in solemn and
reasonable moderation, has not been found
injurious to health. Enforced fasting from
accidental causes if brief, has sometimes
been salutary. 1t is abusive to eat things
that the appetite does not crave, and still
more so, what the appetite loathes. 1t is
very abusive to disregard, in the smallest
particular, the directions and injunctions of
your physician with respect of diet when
you are ill and under his medical obserya-
tion and care
If you are in doubt about the propriety of
eating certain things, Or perhaps of partak-
ing of things in certain way, it is very abus-
i've not to apply to competent authority for
the requisite information before making a
haphazard experiment that may entail dis
order and suffering. 1t is very abusive to
treat SO delicate, pleasant and important a
function, as that of partaking of food, in a
way less intelligently loyal to ourselves, and
our best welfare, than would be the case
with any other act of our lives.