St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-07-06
Cov1NGToN, TAMMANY PARISH LA, SATURDAY,

COVINGTON,
Why FOOD IS cHEWED.
Facts Bearing on Digestion ana Habats
that Disturb It.
The necessity of carefully chewing
the food is popularity considered to rest
upon the advisa bility Of separating it
into small portions SO that, when it
reaches the stomach. it may be better
acted upon by the gastric juice. But
important rs this is, there is another
reason, namely, the necessity Of mix
ing the food well with the saliva,
which has its own part to play in the
digestive organs. 1t is just as neces-
sary, therefore. to chew foods that are
already minced or pulverized as those
that require separation with the teeth,
and failure to do SO properly results in
indigestion. In Modern Medicine" /"
an interesting article deals with the
evils resulting from imperfect mastica-
tion. which it calls 'Salivary Indiges-
tlOn."
At the outset our attention is called
to the fact that accurate knowledge
on the subject was for time actually
observed by an important discovery.
Leuchs, about sixty years ago. found
that saliva converts starch into sugar.
To this fact, indeed, its value is due,
since the gastric juice will not digest
starch directly. But since the saliva
will not act upon starch thus when
rendered acid, it was at once con-
cluded that it could have no useful
digestive qualities, since the food re-
mained such = short time in the
mouth and the gastric juice of the
stomach is powerfully acid. Recent
investigations have shown, however,
that 1T the beginning of digestion the
fluid contains no free acid. and that
the digestive power of saliva goes on
increasing till its alkaline qualities
are actually neutralized. Hence it
has half an hour or SO to act-ample
time for its purpose. The article goes
on to say:
During the half or three-quarters
of an hour which intervenes between
the swallowing Of the food and the
production Of q degree of acidity suffi-
cient to prevent the action upon the
starch through the appearance Of free
hydrochloric acid. very active conver-
sion of starch is taking place. II the
food has been thoroughly masticated,
so that it is broken up into fine parti-
cles, thus also insuring an admixture
of an abundant quantity of saliva, the
great share of the starch elements Of
the food will be rendered soluble by
conversion into dextrin, even il not
completely converted into sugar, thus
setting free the nitrogenous elements
which may be acted upon by the gas
trio juice in their turn.
1T must not be forgotten. also. that
the saliva is the most active peptogen;
that is, the presence of saliva in the
stomach, in connection with the food,
stimulates glandular activity on the
part of the stomach, whereby an active
and abundant supply of gastric juice is
produced.
Another cause Of salivary indiges-
tion which we should mention is the
abundant use Of sweets. In order that
the saliva shall exercise its properties
efficiently it is necessary that it should
act in q suitable medium. A tempera-
turc of one hundred degrees and an
alkaline or neutral reaction are neces-
sary for prompt and vigorous action on
the part Of the saliva upon the IA
temperature hinders this action and
acidity stops it altogether. The pres
ence of a large amount of sugar also
hinders the action Of the saliva
1T is thus evident that the copious
drinking of cold water. or the taking
of iced foods in connection with meals,
is means of producing salivary in
digestion. The free use of strong
acids, such as vinegar, in connection
with cereal foods, is equally objec-
tionable. Nothing could be more alb
surd than the combination of strong
acids with vegetable elements, as in
pickles This is probably the reason
why SO many persons find themselves
unable to use acid fruits without fer
mentation. The acidity may be suffi-
cient to neutralize the action Of the
saliva upon the starch.
Evidently it is not only psycholog-
ically absurd to add sugar to farinace-
GUS foods. since the starch, which COM
poses one-half the weight of these
foods, is all converted into sugar in the
process of digestion, but the practice is
also highly injurious, since in prevents
the normal action of the saliva upon
the starch. In this way sugar, pre-
serves, sweet sauces, confectionery,
cakes and other sweets are
in the highest degree conducive to sa-
livary indigestion. The consequences
Of salivary indigestion are: Acid fer
heartburn. stomach and
intestinal collie, dilatation of the stom-
ach, catarrh of the stomach and many
evil effects arising from these condi-
tions.
'The remedy for salivary indigestion
in prohibiting sweets, ices and
soft foods. and requiring patients to
masticate thoroughly every particle Of
food swallowed. In many cases it is
we'll TO aid the process Of salivary
digestion by exposing the cereal food
to the prolonged action OF
heat, thereby converting the starch in
to dextrin, rendering it more readily
and hence more readily acted
upon by the saliva Granola and
swieback are invaluable articles of
food for use in cases Of this sort. The
malt preparations are useful rs pallia-
tives in some cases, but it should be re-
that it is wrong to become
upon any artificial digestive
Digest
THE WEAR ON PAvEMENTS.
Eject OF NlllIOus Of Feet - St0ae In Q
Large City.
New York furnishes . curious ex-
ample of the effect of time. traffic and
upon stones
In the crush Of people turning out
from and into Broadway in the neigh