The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-07-16

theological or morbid hunger-lS posi-
bic only after the consciousness of the
individual has become aroused to the
desirability of some gustatory act.
Then the sluices to the seccretory
glands are flung open. The streams Of
gastric juice thus turned out over the
interior walls of the stomach stimulate
the nerve endings Of the gastric nerve
plexus, which, being in communication
with the brain and spinal cord, send a
storm OF refiexes TO these centers, and
thereby give rise to the emergenee in
consciousness OF the snsation called
hunger.
Thus for the sensation of normal hum
ger three physiological factors must be
brought into activity; an empty stom-
ach, an intact nerve connection from
the gastric nerve-endings to the brain.
and the concentration of consciousness
on the gastric nerve reports. -
Thus the individual consciousness, by
forcing the flow Of gastric secretion,
gives rise to the sensation of hunger.
This fact readily explains why the
sight. smell or even the mere thought
of savory food may create hunger-or,
let US rather say, craving.
HOW KEPT IN ABEYANCE.
The sensation of hunger can be mod
flied by mental effort BY promptly re-
fusing to entertain the mind with
thoughts and images of food and its
relish, the gastric secretion will receive
in stimulation, and hence the hunger be
kept in allegiance. The sposthuInous
notations', of Antonio Viterbi-a Corsi-
can lawyer who, in the year 1921, was
sentenced to death for some political
reasons--furnish some very valuable
arguments in favor of this view. In
order 10 escape death on the scaffold,
for which he had an uncomfortable
aversion, he resorted to death by star
walton; and while awaiting a slowly
approaching dissolution took notes of
the rise and fall of the feelings cours-
ing through his consciousness.
From these notes we learn that on
the third day Of his death-fast the sem
satfon of hunger disappeared. HIS
head was clear his thoughts sharp and
lucid, and his eyesight extraordinarily
keen. AS the days went by, he felt the
coming and going of sensations OF
thirst, but not of hunger. His con-
seriousness remained alert and rational
to the last. On the eighteenth day of
his self-imposed starvation he died.
Neither thirst nor hunger had seriously
annoyed him, and his last moments
were painless.
I The calm intelligence and full reali-
zation with which Antonio Viterbi ap-s
preached his fate naturally held his
thoughts and imagination away from
representations Of food. Hence the re-
fiexes transmitted from the gastric
nerve-endings to the brain failed to
elicit a conscious response. Hence no
flow Of gastric juice, and no sensation
of hunger.
The same physiological principle Is
manifested in the behavior Of dement,
ed and hysterical persons who, their
minds being busy with subjective inn
ages Of fright and horror, have been
found to starve for weeks without ever
making known any sensation Of hunger,
on the other hand, II we inquire into
the mental conditions Of starving sail
ors straying travellers and other unfor-
tunates who have been forced to face
starvation with their bodies in full
health, ana their minds bound with
chains of torturing fascination to the
Imagery of a riotous appetite, we will
find that their sufferings have been tru-
LII Understandable. Like Tantalus in the
tale, surrounded by all the sumptuous
viands Of a highly wrought and NOR
bid imagination. which he found him
self unable to seize and enjoy. 50 these
nnfortunates, with their gastric juice
flooding the wallis of their stomach, and
with storme Of irritating impulses
rushing through their brain, have suf-
ferei untold agonies of hunger and
thirst. In most cases Of this kind the
victims lose their reason before they
lose their lives.
BY the strength Of those arguments
we are entitled to the conviction that
thereos a power resident In every indi-
vidual, enabling him to control and
|suhdue, more or less successfully, his
morbid cravings for food and drinks.
The secret Of breaking a habit or q
passion lies in the simple rule: Hands
off Keep the mind off the enticing
subject. Refuse promptly the idea Of
its qualification by removing the make
from the field Of consciousness. The
undue secretions of the gastric glands
will soon cease and with them the mor-
bid cravings.