Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-15
EATING AND SICKNESS.
A Practice That Can Not lie Condemned
Too STRONGLY.

Too Strongly.
know of no more absurd and I'M
physiological notion than that which
prevails in many, If not most commu-
mites, that one must take food when
sick, with no. regard to the appetite,
the attending circumstances or the
state OF the digestive powers. The
folly OF this ought to be apparent, TO
tho more sensible class, when they
remember that the appetite is tho
guide to food-taking, as this indicates
the waste Of the body, this waste i'm
peratively demanding food that may
be supplied. This should be appreci-
atcd from the fact that this appetite is
increased by hard, active labor, wear
ing away the tissues, while inactivity.
mental and physical, reduces it, so that
not moro than one-half of the food
needed by the active toiler oan be
readily disposed Of by tho inactive, the
indolcnt.
In sickness tlere Is but little activity.
but little waste of tho tissues, conse-
9uently. but little appetite, relatively
Indeed, in cascs OF acute disease,. as
levers, inflammation and the like, as a
means of preventing harm from over
eating. the appetite IS utterly des troyed,
rs the first precautionary step. and, as
II to make safety doubly certain, the
taste is taken away, that there shall be
no temptation, as a matter Of sensual in
dulgencc, TO which is aided, as q very
decided precautionary measure. q nau-
sea rendering IL quite certain that food
can not bo rellshed. This, then, is
very merciful arrangement, since TAX
ing fool at such time would tax tho
digestive powers, aggravate the disease,
and, In extreme cases, might destroy
life. Indeed, the brutes either know
too much TO eat when sick, or arr so
controlled BY their instincts that they
will not, since even the swine, very low
in the scale OF creation, peremptorily
refuse to eat even the simple food taken
by them. naturally, when in health. In
acute diseases 1t is wholly unnatural to
take food, for both human beings and
brutes, since such food would not only
tax the digestive powers, but derange
the whole system. We may reasonably
infer that this arrangement is made on
the principle that, while in sickness, the |
system has enough to do without at
tending to the digestion of food.
But it is asked how one can be nour-
ished without food during the several |
weeks in which the appetite is sus-
pendedp That is plain. We are so
made that, In such an emergency, the
system feeds upon its fat, ETC., MS we
may see bv the "hollow cheek and
sunken eye" after the ''run Of fever"
Turing which it is by no means unusual
Ior the appetite to be suspended for five
Dr. six weeks. Again, since tho human
'odyis composed to very great extent
'f the three gases Of air and water, and
''nco, in the absence of the appetite, a
'ery urgent thirst is substituted, it is
,lain to see how the system can be sus-
aimed, during the inactivity of fever,
~ a free use Of water, cooling the body,
'apid breathing, when the carbon Of the
'ody fats Is added.
A still more conclusive argument
Igainst eating in acute diseases IS found
n tile fact that the gastric juice Is net
eoreted at such time, at least in tho
lsual qualities, if at all, while 1t should
70 plain that digestion can not proceed
without the digestive juices. Eating is
me thing; nourishment quite another.
t may be impossible to be nourished,
efficiently, without eating. under or
linary circumstances, but It Is possible
o eat and not be nourished, since we
70 nour;shed by what is digeslel, not
y all that is eaten, for much may pass ]
Then, never eat without an
ppetita II this is foolishly done. nat- :
re may, very wisely and mercifully,
,row of such food by vomiting. The d
lore we follow the dictates Of nature
| these matters, the safer 1t is for as, t
nd tho more healthy we shall become.
DR.. Hanqford, in Golden Rule.