The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-01
HEALTH HINTS.
The Dietary i'm IndigestiOns
by j. MINER FoTHEReILL, NJ. D., EDIi

by drugs only ? do not think anyone will !
support that proposition. Medical agents |
are not without their value but the medical
treatment of indigestion is surely but auxil-
larry to the dietetc management. That a
regulated dietary is too often restricted
dietary-so restricted indeed that the patient
practically half-starved-may be admitted
But need regulated dietary necessarily be
very restricted one? opine not if the
matter of the dietary of the dyspeptic be
given little more attention.
And for this it is we'll to keep the physio-
ogy of indigestion in mind. Digestion is
solution by hydration SO that the carbo-hy-
drates and albuminoids may pass through
the wall of the alimentary canal after which
they are de-hydrated-else they would pass
out by the kidney. giving glycosuria and
peptonaria and leaving the body unfed. Bnt
preliminary to solution is disiutegration.
If mastication be not properly performed
the ''lumps' of food find their way into the
stomach and offend it.
Pastry, pieces of hard potato, cheese, are
notorious offenders. The solvent action of
ing effect upon these substances, while they
act as irritants and set up pain. piece of
meat comparatively unchewed is less objec-
tionable because the gastric juice acting upon
the connective tessue allows the muscular
fbrille to fall asunder. But even with mus
cular fibre there is wide difference. Pork
and veal are hard meats, and not readily
falling to pieces in the stomach under the
action of the gastric juice, are held, and
rightly too, TO be indgestible. On the other
hand thin slice of well boiled ham, cut
across the fibre is very digestble. So is the
loose fibre of sleeps head. This is the
mechanical aspect Of the digestibility of
food. Hard stringy meat is very indigesti-
BILE. So are ll-cooked vegetables and es-
pecially the crucifeIe, so are hard boiled
eggs.
Fish, and especially white fish, whose
fibres very readily fall to pieces, are in re-
pute with dyspeptics for obvious reasons.
Fish which are fatty, are indgestible (be-
cause the fat resists the action of the gastric
iuce) as the flesh of the salmon, the mack
erel and the herring. The short fibre of the
whiting, "the chicken of the sea-" makes
this fish especially digestible. Then come
the flatfiishes, the haddock and cod. They
all are best boiled, for if fried, care is requis
ite that the flesh be not soaked in fat
when it is highly indigestible. There are
few more ndigesible matters than fried
sole which has not been skillfuly cooked.
And the same holds good Of birds Chicken
and game are digestible, while the duck and
goose, greasy-fbred meats are as certainly
indigestible.
Potatoes have an evil reputation, but that
again is largely matter of cooking. A
potato which is imperfectly cooked has a
hard centre. A "stone" an Irishman calls
and if papable pieces of such hard indi-
gestible matter be swallowed gastric distress
if the intelligble result. But if the potato be
well cooked and put through a sieve it ceases
to be indigestible from ''the mechanical
point of vew." 1t is the question of disn-
tegration which initiates against vegetables
and uncooked fruit. Pieces of hard apples
are notoriously indgestible while baked
apple will sit lightly on the most irritable
stomach The flesh Of the grape is in great
repute in all conditions of gastric irrtability
and debility whether primary or secondary
10 some general Sickness.
Fat ia an offence to susceptible stomach
even as liquid fat floating about in it; but
still more as Jumps of fat upon which tie
stomach can exercise no solvent influence.
Hence many persons, children and adults.
RI iect sweet pieces of of fat, and CATER the
meal) take some fishy oil. AS the digestion
of fat does not commence till the food has
left the stomach, it is not well to give fat
till its "time draws NIGH" Thin stale bread
with butter rubbed we'll in and doubled is
much more digestible than the same bread
cut thick with a stout layer of butter plas.
tered over it,
Pastry, when fat and flour are well rub
bed together, form most indigestible com
pound resisting all disintegration except
mastication. Suet puddings and dumpling'
also are indigestible.
On the other hand milk puddings, espec
ially if made without AN egg, are in repute
and not without reason for dyspeptic. The.
are light and are easily disintegrated, ant
what escapes dislntegration is soft and doe
not give offence to the stomach.
There is another matter not of accult bu
of microscopic disintegration, or actual solu
which has yet to be diGussed-a matter o
vital importance As savage man sat grind
lug the cereals which form SO large factD
in human food the action of the jaws produ
ed a free flow ofsalipa, and as fastas the fine
particles were broken off the seed, by tn
crunchipg of the teeth, diatase Of the saly
converted the insoluble starch into the solu
BILE dextrne and grapesugar. The toll 0
the miller produces dsintegration ami re
lieve, the laws of much of the labor Bl
disintegraton is only the precursor Of solu
tion. The starch granule remains. BY hea
the cook cracks the starch granule so tina
the solvent dastase can readily act upon il
So far, so good but heat does sometnin
more. 1t has an actual solvent action an
heat will, if sufficient. cause conversion {
starch into dextrine. A thoroughly we
baken -four il subjected to the iodine tei
under microscope will readily show this
When large quantity of raw uncoveltt
starch enters the stomach it is a burden
that viscus. The gastric juice has no etfe'
upon starch and the starch ganules merel
r ~