New-York tribune., 1901-06-30
THE EVILS OF EATING ALONE.
DYSPEPSIA LIKELY TO RESULT FROM UN-
SOCIA ABILITY.
From The London Lancet.

From The London Lancet.
At a 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 good for
man or woman to live alone. Indeed. it has
been well said that for solitude to sjIcce Ssfu
"A man must he either angel or devil. This re-
fers, perhaps mainly to the moral aspects of
ISOLATION and with these we have now no con-
Germ. There are certain physical ills. however,
which are not the least among the Disadvantage
of loneliness. OF these there is many a clerk in
London, many young barrister rising. per-
hdps. but not yet far enough risen; many q busi-
ness man or journalist, who viii say that
Of the most trying features of his unmarried life
rs to have to eat alone. And q premature dyS-
pepsla is the only thing ever takes him to his
medical man
There some few happily disposed individ-
ualS who can dine alone and not eat too fast
Eor too much too little. With the ma jOrity
il is different. The average man puts his novel
his newspaper before him. and thinks that
he viii lencthen out the meal with due deliberl-
tlon 10y reading a little with and more between
the courses He will just employ his mind
enough to help and too little to interfere with
digestion. In fact. he Will provide that gentle
mental accompaniment which with happier peO-
pie conversation gives to- meal. This is your
soitary's excellent idea. In reality he becomes
engrossed in what he is reading till suddenly,
finding his choD cold. he demOliSheS il in a few
mouthfuls: or else ne finds that he is hungry.
and, paying no attention to the book which he
tings aside. he rushes through his food fast
possible 10 plunge into his armchair and
literature afterward. In either case the lonely
man must digest at disadvantage.
For due and easy nutrition food should he
slowly taken and the mind should not be in
tensely exercised during the process Every one
knows that violent bodily exercise is bad just
after meal. and mental exertion equally so.
Wise people 90 not even argue during Just
fter dinner and observation of after dinner
speeches will convince any ne that most speak
orS neither endure themselves nor excite in their
hearers any severe intellectual effort. IN fact
the experience Of countless generations. from
the red Indian of the woods To the white shirted
diners Of modern party. has perpctuatei the
lesson that a should not alone.
think much at this time, but should talk and
be talked 10 while he feeds Most people do not
think much when they talk, and talking is
natural accompaniment of eating and drinking
How does il fare with the many solitary
women of today No better. know. than
with the men. hut differently. Alone or not n
man may generally be trusted at any rate to
take food enough. tNe suppose, of course that
he can get itD With woman it is different
She is more emotional more imaginative. and
less inclined o. realize the gross necessities OF
existence. Therefore. the woman doomed to
dine alone as often not does dine at all
She gets dyspepsia because her digestion has not
sufhcient practice; a man gets ii because his
functions practise Il too often in the wrong way
Men ana women are GregarioUs animals PhySi-
CalIS ana intellectually we improve with com
panlonshlp. Certainly il is not good to eat and
10 drink alone II is a sad fact of our big cities
that they hold hundreds OF men and women who
IN the day are too busy and at night too lonely
|" iced with profit, much less with any pleasure.