The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-21

(Zeitschrift fur Krankenpnege, January
1898 No. y, discusses this mooted question
at some length. He considers soup, Pc
cause Of Its small percentage OF nourlsn-
ing material, merely as fluid; ne states
that. aside from what is directly taken as
drink, much fluid reaches the stomach
during a meal, through the sauces anu
from the water percentage Goth natafai
and by cooking) of the meats, y~egetables,
etc. Most persons feel the necessity OF
adding more fluid to the meal by rink
either ordinary water, ~carbonated wat
ers or alcoholic beverages. The more one
eats, generally the more one drinks, anu
the greatest eaters are generally the
greatest thinkers II drink be prohibited,
the amount eaten is less; indeed on the
above very greatly depends the secret OF
the ..Schweininger cure" for obesity. 1t
is a we'll known fact that If the appetite
is weak and the mind and nerves are
somewhat relaxed. a drink of water will
excite the appetite and stimulate poth
brain and nerves; and this is due directly
to the fluid and not to alcohol contained
for we find these facts the same in alb
stainers. The more fluid in the way OF
drink is added to the gastric juice, the
greater is the quantity secreted; hence the
greater the tax upon the gastric glands.
80
Under normal circumstances, however,
the stomach, without detriment, accom-
modates itself to a range of large quanti-
ties of fluid. Ewald says that much OF
the fluid passes into the estines, an
Their portion is absorbed; hence there
never is in the normal stomach a stagna-
ton of large quantities of liquor. Inc
widely-accepted belief that alcoholic
fluids mot taken to the point of toxiclty)
retard digestion does not seem to be
borne out by the recent experiments OF
Chittenden. Not even whiskey and brandy
seemed to retard digestion. The proteo-
lvtic power of the stomach and the power
of the pancreatic juice are u~ninfuenced
by small quantities of alcohol-contalnlns
fluids. The extraction of body warmth
through cold drinks he writer considers
as very much overrated. He attrlputes
the bad effects of such drinks to lrrlta-
ton of the stomach mucosa, which pe-
comes, therefore, a possible starving
point for acute or chronic infiammatory
conditions. In the normal stomach the
author concludes that not only does
drinking at meals, within certain llmlls'
not interfere with indigestion; it even aids
this process. With patients suffering
from stomach or other diseases, however,
the case is different. Drinking ad llpl-
tum cannot be allowed. gTo the question:
Shall patients drink nothing with their
meals? DIR. Ewald answers that he sees
no reason why small amounts of fluid OF
should not be allowed, excepting to pa
tients suffering from dilatation OF the
stomach. AS above shown, fluids, and
particularly alcoholic and c~arbonated
fluids. will. even in limited amounts, aid
digestion and increase the appetite, and
will more than counterbalance the So
called ill-efects of drinking at meals, VIZ,
the possible slowing of digestion, the dliu-
ton of the solid constituents OF the meal,
theo verburdening of the stomach, a very
improbable lowering of body temperature,
etc.
Even admitting that such effects do
occur, he question of drinking before,
during or after meals, DR.. Ewald consld-
ers as belonging to the hokus-pokus OF
suggestion therapy; the physioiog-
ical act is not influenced IT huld
is taken one-ha1f hour sooner or
later. The fluid should not be very
cold: further, we must follow the in
dications of the disease, and. as far as
possible. the wish of the patient. Natur-
ally, alcoholic fluids that have a direct
local irritating effect will be withheld, e.
G., in ulcer of the stomach. new infiam-
matory processes, Increasing neoplasms.
- --~
Another question is: How far shall we
allow abnormally increased thirst TO pc
uuenched. as in diabetes, fever and some
chronic diseases? The writer answers
that the thirst should be quenched with
as little liquor as possible. This is par
ticularly true in cases of stomach dlla-
tation, when the patients have the tend
ency to rim large quantities, partly be-
cause stomach absorption is very slow
and imperfect. Moreover, though this
seems paradoxical, thirst may be lessened
by %forbidding water as a drink. Then,
too. thirst very often depends upon dry
ness OF the mouth and pharynx; hence
frequent m%oistening of the mouth and
gargling will often lessen thirst.
49,
Probably, no one in his right mind ever
honestly echoed the poets wish to see
himself as others see hin. Nevertheless,
were it possible it would be a wholesome
and salutary discipline for which we
should all be much the better, says the
New Orleans Pieayune. A hall of mirrors
in which we could see on every side our
uncouth attidues, our awkward gestures,
our grotesque grimaces, would conduce
not to vanity, but humility.
To really know ones self n realize
ones possibilities and limitations is per
haps too much to be expected. It is only
our n%eighbors that we perceive. How
often must every one have wondered
what possessed such and such a woman
to buy an article so utterly unsuited for
her-why fat women will wear plaids, and
thin ones stripes, and sallow ones affect
art green shades, and elderly ones sailor
hats. We sigh at their mistakes, and
think that if only they could see them
selves as others see them, these sins
against taste would nave been SO easily
prevented.
1t is the same way in the other affairs
of life. If only we coul realize our limit
ations, what successes might we not
achieve. what humiliating failures might
we not be spared! Who has not seen some
elephantine girl playing at being kitten
ish, and longed to say My dear, you are
majestic. and imposing, and handsome,
when you are digniied. When you giggle,
and attempt to be coy and cunning, you