The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-06-28
Dyspepsia Often Mental
Nv n. ADolNcToM BRUCE.
Author Of The Riddle Of Personality"
Psychology and Parenthood." etc.

Today want to tell little story that may
b Of direct personal stgnincance TO you you
belong to the great army OF dyspeptics
Two months ago journeyed TO New Eng
land town to visit . friend reported to be In
poor health. found him In seemingly 20 bad
condition that he believed he had not long
to i've.
he declared. Il am constipated all the time.
and IN such pain that cannot sleep. ! have
bsen In the hospital. but IL did me no good.
know am going TO die"
Questioning him closely soon felt satisfied
that his plight was not ~ bad a. he thought
Il: that, In fact, he was suffering from no or
ganic disease. His physician bore out this view.
There ID nothing the matter with your
friends stomach. said he. the trouble y en-
And he touched his head significantly.
At my suggestion the sick man consulted
Boston specialist Again . reassuring diagnosis
Was made. The specialist added
"Just stop thinking about your stomach. my
friend. and your stomach win take care OF IT,
SELF"
Unhappily. he has not yet ceased thinking
about his stomach. He not only thinks Of It.
but talks of It ali the time He still suffers
tostures from IT, and he IL certain to continue
suffering tortures until the sanitarium experts
who have him In their charge succeed In get
ting him to CHANGE HIS MIND.
That IL al he really needs to do in order to
regain his health. AND 1T IS ALL THAT
NEED BE DONE BY MOST OF THOSE TOR
MENTED IN SOME DECREE LIKE HIM BY
THE DEMON INDIGESTION.
One welLknown physician has boldly affirm
ed that the state Of the mind II responsible for
90 PER CENT OF ALL CASES OF DYSPEP
STA. This may be an exaggeration. but II GER
tainly holds good with astonishing frequency.
Again and again II has been found that inabil-
ity 70 digest food IL directly due to an erroneous
belief that the digestive power has been weak
ened.
Possibly there has been in the beginning a
al n "a.
erection. This would have been Of only tenn
porary effect had not the victim allowed II TO
become q starting joint for fixed idea" that
he was doomed TO dyspepsia.
By brooding over this thought he took pre-
cisely the course most likely to throw his d.
gestive organs out Of gear.
For. ~ has been demonstrated BY scientific
experiments. the secretion OF gastric Juice and
the movements Of the ahmentary tract in gen
eral are sadly interfered with by any depress
ing emotional state.
For the same reason worry over business
cares, domestic problems, ETC., may be quite
enough to bring on q serious attack of indiges
ton, even In person In perfect health. This
again serves to turn the thoughts to the
stomach and to give rise 10 fixed idea Of d.
gestfve weakness.
Thence may result a real and lasting dyspep
STA, In spite OF every effort at cure through
medicine and dieting.
Dieting. for that matter. frequently helps moi
to cure but TO prolong mentally caused dyspep
STA To diet means to be continually preoccu
pied with choice Of food. and this means e
concentrate the attention steadily on the STATE
Of ones stomach.
| Whereas the stomach like every other organ
Of the body. PERFORMS IT'S FUNCTION BEST
WHEN LEAST ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE
WAY IT WORKS
This II physiological law that all dyspeptics
should bear IN mind
| II they act on it-if they dstsrminedly occupy
their minds with thoughts extarnal 10 them
ss!vss-ths chances are that their dyspspsia
WIN ere Iong cenes troubling then.