Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20
SCIENCE AND HEALTH

An important class of food substances is
that known as the xanthins. These occur
in the juices of meat and in tea, coffee and
cocoa They are also formed by the cells
of the human body. They are in reality ex-
crementitfous in nature. and when they
reach the blood are rapidly got rid of
through the kidneys. They are the chief
source Of what is known as uric acid. AS
the kidney is capable of coping with only a
limited amount of this substance per day, it
necessarily follows that we should avoid
their Indigestion as much as possible. The
average man himself manufactures fifteen
grains per day Of this substance, and this
should be excreted as it is formed. An
amount largely in excess of this tends to
accumulate in the system, and when under
favorable conditions it suddenly enters the
circulating blood an enormous amount of
work Is thrown upon the excretory organs.
This state Of affairs Is favored by warmth,
an active circulation and highly alkaline
state of the blood. A sudden chilling of the
body is then apt to cause a rapid deposition
Of the circulating uric acid in susceptible
parts of the body. These parts are those
in which the circulation is least active,
such as cartilage (gristle) and the fibrous
tissues, especially those covering the joints.
The symptoms which then occur are those
known as acute govt.
Short of this, constant Saturation of the
blood with uric acid, with occasional par
tial or slight precipitations thereof, Is fer
tile source of megrim. chronic headache,
dizziness of spirits, want of interest in life
and backward intellectual development Of
children, according to the degree of the
mischief and the constitution of the subject.
For in many cases a heightened irritability,
a business Of disposition, an irascible tenn
per, proceed from this cause. These differ
ences depend to great extent upon the ac-
tfvity of the circulation. A weak heart is
apt to induce a man who feels depressed
to remain quiet or even to rest in bed, while
one with an active and powerful heart is
more inclined to work off this physical state
either in physical exercise or in some at
tractive pursuit.
To avoid these conditions coffee cocoa
and tea should either be abstained from or
partaken of only when exceedingly weak
soups, grayes, meat extracts and jelly
should be almost entirely avoided. The
chief factory of uric acid and allied sub
stances, the liver, should never have it's
circulation and activity impeded by any Of
those conditions which were pointed out
previously as being preventable by suitable
exercise, absence Of impure air and non-in-
diligence in excess of heterogeneous food
1.-The saline flood" previously described
may be required at first daily, but in course
of time its necessity will be only occa-
sional.
Condiments should be abstaned from. es-
pecially in cases like the foregoing. They
act as irritantS to the mucus membrane of
the stomach, and after absorption, to the
cells of the liver. They cause a fibrous
thlckening toughening of all structures
with which they come in contact, and
while they temporarily stimulate the flow
of gastric juice, they in the long run inter-
fere with the functions Of that organ. The
best stimulus of gastric activity is suf-
ficient rest for that organ between meals
The average meal is uIgested, as far as the
stomach is concerned, in about four hours
during which time the pepsin and acid pro-
ducing cells are working to their utmost
capacity, and are in a condition of empti-
ness and starvation at the end of the period
They require to feed on the blood, so that
they may manufacture and fill themselves
with a supply of digestive juices for the
next meal.
One hour is not too long period for this
Therefore no food should be eaten until
five hours have elapsed since the compile
ton of the last meal. The fermentation
which so often takes place in the stomach
after a large meal, especially of starchy
food, can occur only when the gastric Juice
is deficient, the organisms causing the fer
mentation being Immediately destroyed by
an active gastric juice; so that the wait of
one hour not only secures more perfect
digestion, but prevents the waste of nutri-
ment which fermentation causes and OBJ
viates the manufacture of the poisons
thereby produced, the injurious action of