Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-01
WHEN TO EAT.
It Ia = Debatable Question, Says DE.
james III. jackson.

1t Ii . Debatable Question: Says DE.
James ii. jackson.
A well-known physician, James H.
jackson, says: 1t is debatable ques-
ton how often food is required to pre-
serve health or aid in resoring il, but
the important point is gained when suf-
ficient nourishment is applied to make
good the continual waste of tissue, thus
tanning the normal expression of the
vital forces.
To fulfill the demands of the system,
the blood should be kept in condition
to nutrify all the tissues of the body,
neither falling below nor rising above
heaithful standard of nutritive power.
AS the process of nutrition, involving
the removal of waste and the assimila.
ton of new material, take place moro
rapidly in some cases than in others, no
absolute rule can be laid down as to the
frequency of eating, but in general it
may be said that nourishment must be
adequate TO prevent deteriation of the
blood. The average man in active life
requires daily from 16 to % ounces Of
food, free from water, representing be-
tween three or four pounds of the or
binary nutritive substances. Now,
scientifically it would seem to be of
little consequence when this amount is
taken into the system, but practically
1t does make considerable difference.
First, 1t is necessary to prevent exhaus-
tion of the nutritive elements in the
blood, and second to guard against any
functional digestive disturbance, thus
precluding an abnormal manifestation
in the organs of digestion. In other
words, il the demands upon the diges-
tive functions are too frequent there is
liability to irritation, exhaustion, in
Summation, and the whole train OF
functional disorders. Overlooking the
stomach tends to produce the same or
similar conditions. Habit largely con-
trolls the times of eating. but habit is
often formed without regard to any ne
cessity on the part of the organism, and
may be arranged with equal facility to
conform to longer or shorter intervals
as may be desired.
The quality of food has also an inn
portant bearing on this subject. Per-
sons who live on stimulating articles OF
diet, including tea, coffee, animal flesh
in considerable quantities, cond ments
or alcoholic stimulants, seem to require
food oftener than those who choose an
unstimula ting diet. The reason is that
regardless of the nutriti"e material al
ready in the blood seeming demand
exists for an additional quantity which
Is expressed by sense of hunger or
weakness as the result of reaction from
the stimnlants taken; and this reaction
usually asserts itself more imperatively
;han the natural desire for food. when
there has been no undue stimulation.
True hunger is always call from the
| tissues of the body for nutritive ma
terial, while much of the so-called hun
ger is merely an expression of irritation
Of the nerves of the stomach arising
from Inflammation or Initiative condi-
tons as he result of reaction from pre-
Vious sti mutation.
Persons living on stimulating foods,
| when called upon to foIego an accus-
toned meal, complain OF weakness,
"goneness" and hunger, to a far greater
degree than those who live on an I'M
| stimulating diet. AS a lule meals re-
cur too frequently, compelling the or
cans of digestion to undergo the ply
siological congestion which follow. the
| introduction of food into the stomach
so often that after a longer or shorter
period pathological or abnormal con-
gestion is set up which results in lack
of secretion or changes the character of
the fluid contents of the stomach to
such an extent the fermentation and the
formation of gas follow. Unquestion-
ably the majority of people would be
| better in health to take but two meals
day, breakfast at eight or nine o'clock
| IN the morning, and dinner at five or six
| in the afternoon =WeStern Rural.