The Washington critic., 1888-03-17
VIRTUES OF caEw1NG.GUM.
Its Medicinal Qualities, as Stated by a
Prominent Washington Physician.

Its Medicinal Qualities, as Stated by n
Prominent Washington Physician.
"One of the simplest, and at the same
timemost eflicacious, remedies for dyspep-
sial is the indulgence in chewing-gum,"
remarked one of the foremost physicians
ofthe Capital City, in conversation with
The CRITIC last evening,
ut is simple enough, surely, but
wherein Is IL remedy?"
by creating saliva, which is the nat
ural accompaniment for food taken into
the stomach. Dyspepsia results almost
entirely from boiling food--that is by eat
ing hurriedly, without proper mastica-
ton. Our teeth are for the very purpose
ofproperly chewing our food before swal-
lowing 1t; by masticating food thoroughly
the esalivary glands perform their functions
and the salivaaccompanies the food into
the stomach and produces proper diges-
ton, and with good digestion there is no
"That is philosophical and probably
physiological, but where does gum-chew-
ing come IMP"
II assert this, that if persons who are
accustomed to the vile habit of eating
with Tush--as many Americans do
and swallow their food without first prop
erly chewing 1t, if such persons will, after
each meal, take a stick of gum into their
mouths and chew it for half an hour,
swallowing the saliva which is produced
by its mastieation, that it will, in nine
cases out of ten, within brief period,
give relief to the most chronic cases of
miserable dyspepsia.
"You speak fiom experience, judging
by your eamestnessP"
II do; my attention WAS first called to IL
few months ago bya prominent states
man, q patient of mine, who had long
suffered from indigestion. l had pre-
scribed the usual remedies, but with only
temporary relief, as his custom ofswaf-
lowing his food without sufficient masti-
cation TO excite the glands and produce
long habit and, of course, in consequence
he continued TO suffer-"
This gentleman recently returned
from several months visit In the West,
and his first salutatiOn on meeting me
was: Doctor I'm well of the dyspepsia;
I've found remedy which is a sure cure
every time. OF course was glad to find
him in such joyous spirits and congratu
lated him on conquering his ancient
enemy.
"'You..will probably laugh at-me,' he
remarked, when l tell you of the simple
remedy which has cured me- but I've told
it to more than dozen of my acquaint-
ances who were similarly afflicted, and
it has relieved them all as it did me-
"And then he told me that after each
meal he had chewed gum for half an
hour, and the saliva generated by the
gum-chewing process mixed with his food
had produced thorough Digestion"
teDid you laughat bim?"
mot at all. But 1t set me to philos-
| ophizing, and / readily came TO the con-
| clusion that there was great force in what
he said. I've frequently since then tried
1t on myself. When suddenly sent for in
urgent cases, while at my meals, I've hur-
riedly gulped down my food without
properly masticating y, and then, as got
into my buggy, would tackle chew of
gum for little while and find no dis
agreeable sensation resulting from having
hastily bolted down my dinner.
Yes, there is a great deal of physical
philosophy IN the use Of chewing.gum as
indigestion try it."
The cRITIo promised its 'Esculapian
friend that it would indulge in the gum
chewing remedy the first time it was
afflicted with the pangs of indigestion
resulting from an overdose of its daily
Cuisine OF terTapin and canvas-back.
The name OF the physician with whom
The CRITIC conversed as above reported
is purposely withheld, AS it,does not de-
sire to provoke another controversy in
the medical society OF the District Of Col.
uInbia or create ground for charges
against any member of, that body to the
effect that. he had violated the ethics Of
that exalted association by freely talking
with,a neighbor about the medical bene,
fits 10 be derived from gum-chewing.
The interyiewis genuine and Is no ad
vertisement for Tolu or any other sayory
masticatng solvent. ~