The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-19
HOW TO ENJOY A GOOD DIGESTION

Considering tins amount OF suffer- ng
that indigestion has caused in this
world. it seems exceedingly strange that
no really scientific investigation as 70
the cause or causes of good digestion
has ever been made. Theories in aDund-
anoe have been offered but they have
been mere guesswork, or pure magma
ton. An investigation to be scientific,
must lay aside all preconceived theories
and explanations and view the facts of
the case with an absolutely unpreiudiced
eye. Such will be the object of this
editorial. careful observation will be
made OF the methods of eating employed
by people who have succeeded in build
ing up strong digestive powers. and the
facts so noted together with the conclu
sions they suggest, however strange and
novel they may seem, will be carefully
considered without any effort to harmon
ize them with the theories handed down
to us by the materia medica OF the Mid
die Ages.
Let us seat ourselves in two-ht res
taurant. No better field for our investi-
CATION could be found. for man whose
stomach thrives in such surroundings
must indeed employ some method OF eat
ing that Is truly admirable. Having Sc
lected noticeably large and rugged, per-
haps somewhat burly, man as the sub
ject of our observation, we notice in the
first place that his hands and face have
not been washed very recently. Can this
be OF benefit to his digestion? Extend
our investigation to as many cases as we
may, we will ind that it is an almost in
variable rule that people of noticeab bly,
strong stomachs do not wash for some
little time before eating, and however
reluctant we may be to accept this fact,
if our investigation is to bs carried on
in strictly scientiofic spirit, we have
nothing to do oIt recognize it and seek
for an explanation. This is n OF hard to
find. The application OF water to any
part Df the body tends to draw the life
and energy-giving blood to that part.
In eating, all the strength of the system,
except such as the jaws may require fol
mastcating the food or giving orders tc
the waiter gil, should bs concentrated
in the stomach, and hence to draw the
blood away frvm the stomach by wash
ing the hands and face must necessarily
lower its tone and inoapacitate it for do
ing its best WORK. Another preliminary
subjects hair is somewhat long and de.
cidedly uncombed. Just what connec
tion this has with his1dikestion would
be- hard to say, but true science records
facts, W neither 1t can explain them or not.
BY this time the soup has been brough
on, and we notice that our friend. who's,
bright eye, rosy cheeks and entire free
dom from after dinner sensations nave
caused us to single him out for observa
tion, drinks his soup with vigorous
sucking sound as though he were deter
mined to swallow not only the soup blu
a. much of the circumambient atmos
phere as possible. 1t would be strange in
deed, il this sound should have any in
fluence upon digestion, but we are no
driven to any such absurd conclusion
The decom posing effect of oxygen as
chemical agent is we'll known to science
and there can BIZ little doubt that tn
nun erous bubbles of air, which the above
described method of eating soup enab e.
the eater to swallow, carry vita then
sufficient oxygen to materially assist til
Juices of the stomach in changing th
otherwise som.what jndigestible Iestaur
snt soup into rich red blood.
The Doxt course being fish, we motto
that cur friend proceeds to eat it dow
In = whule-heartsd sort of a way wit
an easy indifference to the presence u
any bones not larger than No. Sharp
needle. Before the fish is disposed Of
however one of thea bones. will stick j
his throat, causing him noisy and mos