Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-11
DIGESTION AND HEALTH.
The Stomach Should Be Neither Over
Worked Nor Given Too
Much Rest.

Our digestive organs form the found
alton on which the whole living struct !.
ure rests. Their well-bcing is essen
tial to our very existence. A man can
survive with very few brains: this is
q fact of daily observation, if not OF
| experience But when the digestive
/ system fails the whole body collapses.
| The strongest muscles and best brain
cannot save It. Its destruction is sure
and near. A good stomach with a
moderate brain is better than the best
brain with feeble stomach. The bet
ter the brain and muscle the greater
the need of good digestion. The stomach
| is far older than brain, or even muscle.
| 1t was almost the first organ to take
form in the evolution of the animal
kingdom. 1t is worthy of a reverence
To neglect or dcspise it is about as
wise as the objection of the lady to
paying so much for the foundation and
| frame of her new house because no
body would ever see them.
Certain hints as to the PROPER usa
| end care of this venerable system ran
| be drawn from it's purpose and struct-
ure. Its business is to dissolve and
prepare materials for the growth and
lGpIll VI Oul DOIleS anu 1OT lu'si.
Three or four different kinds of sub
stances are required for these differ
ent purposes. We need albuminoids
fats, starch, etc. Each of these is
needed in a certain amount or proper.
| ton, but no one article of diet contains
| the desired proportion of each and all
Lean meat, eggs, peas and beans are
rich in albuminoids; potatoes and
l IN, rioI, r.4 -.
onions and cabbages are poor in both.
A mixed diet is desirable We may
crowd our alimentary canal with more
than it can possibly dissolve, or we
may eat and digest a larger amount of
certain substances than the body can
use. In both cases loss and harm must
result.
The stomach is lined by very d Ii
cate membrane. In the folds of this
lining. near the inner surface, are the
glands which secrete the gastric Juice.
These delicate glands are evidently
not benefited by being parboied with
ccalding tea and coffee or continually
deluged with ice water. Extremely
cold or hot drinks should be taken very
slowly. The digestive fluids are weak.
Too great diluton by large amounts G.;
water taken with the solid food cannot
be helpful. Shall we, then. drink
nothing with our meals? This would
be to rush to the other extreme. Tho
food can best he digested in the ston-
ach when that sack is moderately dis
tended.
The muscles of he tubular intestine
work best against n moderate amount
of resistance. Food is ell the better for
containing certain amount Of in
soluble matter. This stimulates tie
action of muscle ard gland by the fri :
ton which it produces.
The digestive organs. like nerve and
muscle improve by fair amount Of
exercise. and degenerate through dis
use. If we live for long time on pre-
Jared, already semi -digested foods. the
stomach forms habits of iaziness. and
rebels when a moderate effort is re-
quired of it. The woman who tries 10
preserve her digestive powers by re-
curing the least possible exercise from
them is almost as unwise as the man
who overtaxes them. An eccentric
physician once said of teachers: .They
live on tea and crackers: their
stomachs shrink; then they can't fight
After that what is the good of Them"
But only a very athletic stomach can
be helped by half a mince pie just be-
fore retiring.
Certain very valuable foods may con !
tain but little nutriment. An apple Or
an orange probably contains hardly |
more solid material than large mar |
roWfat pen. Yet the juice of these
foods contains water in very refresh
ing combination. while tie sugar, acid |
ETC.. are the very best promoters Of |
health. especially in hot weather. Spic- |
es and condiments have their place. /
They improve the taste or the .oosi. and
this aids in no small degree in it's di-