The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-14
THE EVIL OF EATING ALONE.
Talk and companionship Essential to
Digestion.


From the Lancet.
At the time like the present, when
the marrying age of the average man
of the middle classes is being more
and more postponed, the physical ills
of bachelordom come increasingly
under the notice of the medical man.
1t is not good for man or woman to
live alone. Indeed. it has been well
said that for solitude to be successful
g man must be either angel or devil
This refers, perhaps, mainly to the
moral aspects of isolation. and with
these we have now no concern.
There are certain physical ills,
however, which are not the least
among the disadvantages of loneli-
ness OF these there is many a clerk
in London. many young barrister,
rising. perhaps. but not yet far
enough risen, many a businessman or
journalist who will say that one OF the
most trying features Of his unmarried
life is to have to eat alone. And
a premature dyspepsia is the only
thing that ever takes him to his medi-
cal man. There are some few happi-
" disposed individuals who can dine
alone and not eat too fast nor too
much nor too little. With the ma
jority it is different The average
man puts his novel or his paper be-
fore him and thinks that he will
lengthen out the meal with due de-
liberation by reading little with. and
more between. the courses He will
Just employ his mind enough to help.
and too little to interfere with, di-
gestion. In fact. he will provide that
gentle mental accompaniment which
with happier people conversation
gives to a meal.
This is your solitary's excellent
idea In reality he becomes. engrossed
in what he is reading till suddenly
finding his chop cold he demolishes It
il few mouthfuls: or else he finds
that he is hungry and paying no at
tention to the book. which he filings
aside. he rushes through his food as
fast as possible, to plunge into his
armchair and literature afterward. In
either case the lonely man must
digest at a disadvantage. For due
and easy nutrition food should be
slowly taken and the mind should
not be intensely exercised during the
process Everyone knows that VIC
lent bodily exercise is bad just after a
meal. and mental exertion is equally
so.
Wise people do not even argue dur.
ing or Just after dinner. and observa-
ton OF afser-dinner speeches viii con
vince any one that most speakers
neither endure themselves nor excite
in their hearts any severe intslIectu.
al effort.
In fact. the experience Of countless
generations. from the red Indian Of
the woods TO the white-shirted diners
OF modern party. has perpetnated
the lesson that man should not eat
alone nor think much al this time
bat should talk and be talked to while
he feeds Most people do not thfni
much when they talk, and talking i
q natural accompaniment OF eatlns
and drinking
/ Il needs no moralist 20 declare ths
evils Of solissriness. Man and NO
man IS gregarious animal Physf
eally and intellectually Ne improv.
with eomparionship Certainly II /.
not good 70 eat and 20 drink alone
Il IS sad fact Of our big cities TIA
they hold hundreds OF men and no
men who IN the daF are too busy am
at night too lonely to feed with pro
at much less With any pleasure