The Tucson citizen., 1902-08-08
FEED BABY SLOWLY.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FAC.
TORS IN CHILD REARING.
Reasons why Food should Not Re
Tumbled Rapidly Into the Little
StOmach-AdvIce which Applies 20
Grown Folks ns Well as Babes.

IN lue proper brtnSIllS up OF Culll
there is nothing absolutely more inn
portant than this one thlng-to teach
1t to eat slowly.
Every groom knows and observes the
rule in the care OF n horse that rapid
eating Is fatal to digestion. There are
all sorts of patent managers to prevent
the horse swallowing his oats too
quickly. The man who has no patent
mau-er knows enough, when ncceS-
saIT. to put Il stone In the mangcr,
scattering the oats around it, SO that
the horse may be compelled to eat
slowly. If the horses inclination is
to sGlp down water too fast. the caro-
ful man viii pvt a big sponge in the
water. compcdiuS slow drinking.
\ chiId's appetite whom he is al
lowed 10 eat rapidly, is always In cX-
cess Of bis actual needs unless the
child is In bad health. The reason for
this is extremely simple. The cAui
Graves food because his body requires
( 10 manufacture new tissue. He IS
growing ana he must not ouly repH""
the used UP tissues that his daily IRE
destroys but he must maize new hesA,
new muscles new bone a"I new blood
every day, adding weight ana size
The sensation of hunger is not the
craving of an empty stomach. satisfied
as soon rs the stomach is tii!cd; It is
craving that is felt by the nerves all
over the body This craving cannot
possibly be satisfied until the stomach
has begun the work OF transforming
the food into blood, flesh. muscles etc;
consequently the sensation which we
call hunger persists long after the
child or grown person has rapidly alb
sorbed as much food as 1t really needs.
a million foolish parents urge their
children to eat n great deal and always
let them cat as much as they want to.
Yet all OF these know that Il famiShed
man taken of wreck viii eat himself
to death If allowed to do so. The very
hungry child goes to the same excess
only in lesser degree The great !
safeguard against that excess in eat, /
Ing, which kills 90 per cent OF men be !
fore their time and which accounts for
% per cent OF ch.ldren's diseases, is
slow eating.
Nearly al! children cat too rapidly
They 90 50 by nature. Slow eating is .
a matter Of education But too often /
the mother or the nurse teaches the /
child the habit of eating fast. When /
the baby Is little. it Is fed one spoonful /!
at time. Before it has time to half |
chew or even gulp down the first tea I
spoonful of food another is held to its
lips. OF course 1t swallows what ii
has in its mouth and srizcs upon IL,
next mouthfuL The habit thus iucu.
Gated by foolish adults often ruins tn.
child permanentIy
Four factors count in the healthy "a
slm!lation Of food factors which Il,
ents and nurses should remember. AS
Suming the food to be properly prcpar-
cd. thoroughly cooked and wisely SO.
lecte,I, there comes. first. the work OF
the teeth. which prepare the food for
easy Digestion: second. the action Of
the saliva, with which the food must
be thoroughly mixed in order to mini.
mize the necessary work of the gastric
juices in the stomach third the work
or the stomach itself; fourth, and most
important, proper supply of blood
and of heat.
Force your child to chew slowly and
thoroughly every mouthful If moth.
Ing else will do, compel him at fire.
luent intervals to lay down his knife
and fork that the Importance of pro-
onged chewing may be impressed upon
him Don't allow your child To gu!p
1own water or any other liquid with
his solid food. IL you allow him to
rink while he eats. the saliyary
glands will not act. They will not
leed to act. for he will be able to swal.
ow his food easily when it is made
moist by water
You can't do anything to help along
he unconscious process which goes
IN In the stomach but you can do ev.
'rything to help that process by at
ending to the fourth necessity. which
blood and the heat OF the
Hood in the stomach. Allow no child
fter eating to take violent exercise.
o study or even to read an exciting
'ook. The brain has first call upon
he service Of the heart and as soon
IS the brain Is excited the blood leaves
he stomach and goes to the head. The
muscles also when too violently ex. =
rted draw the blood away from the 6
tomach.
1t Is absolutely Impossible for child
# grown person to digrst pronerIy
r TO get strength and vitality from
what he eats unless for at least half
our after eating the stomach be al.
owed to monopoize the blood supply.
Children should be kept uuirt in
ONE way, especially very youn. cha.
ren. after they have eaten. In the
ase OF very young babies nature Mt.
ends to this nercifully by making
lem 80 to sleep as soon as they have
bsorbed their milk. Older children
uSht not to 20 to sleep directly after |
ltlng for physiological reasons which
Iay be explained at some other time:
Ill they OllFhf n hn 4