The Washington times., 1916-08-26
Water, When Taken
At Medltine, Is an Aid
To Proper Digestion
By DIR. LEONARD KEENE HIRsHBERG.

bulk Of the food and allowing the ptya-
lin more time to continue Its work. The
normal tone OF the fundic as well as OF
the whole organ causes the food to Se
gently forced down into the main body
and pylorlc region OF the stomach. as Is
required by orderly digestive progress.
II has also been observed that the sue
cessive portions OF a meal As taken. IN
stead OF being readily mixed, are ar
ranged in definite strata. The food nrst
stomach and the succeeding portions
are regularly arranged.
The cavity Of the stomach is only as
large a. its contents. SO that the first
successive portions find the wall layer
occupied and are received into the
interior. An atomic stomach would
probably be somewhat unhRppily af-
fected by the ingestion OF much liuuid.
but not so in q stomach Of normal
Effects of Mixsd Meal.
When liquid food - taken alone .it re-
quires but a few minutes for i to be
forced into the duodenum. When q
mixed meal II eaten the LIQUID part 10
first expelled. then the larger part Of
sugars and starehes. proteins. and lastly
stomach when taken alone. and when
combined With other foodstuffs are
much delayed. The food first taken has
the position Of advantage II II IL
starch or sugar 1t 10 elected Into the in
passage Of the sugars and starches will
be delayed. Water. however. finds .
ready exit when taken at any stage of a
meal. The outcome OF all this 10 that
water does not permeate a mixed meal
Consequently. there 10 no great dilution
or interfersnce with the potency Of the
From a theoretical standpoint It would
seem that water taken during meals
pair digestion. but this docs not seem
to be the case.
Water when taken with meals would
be harmful 20 a dilated or atomic stom-
ach. weak heart. or uncompensated
water may be taken with meals where
there is an extreme tendency toward
collie or spasms Of the pylorus. 1t Is en-
tirely wrong, dangerous, and unhygtenic
to gulp down copious drafts OF Ice
fusely.
Water Flushes System.
Most persons who suffer from constipa-
ton, poor nutrition. intestinal troubles
and other disorders Of the digestive Or
gans are those who drink no water with
their meals. or. II at all. very sparingiy.
taken with food prevents thorough mas
tication and salvation. Dr. Niles con-
tends that the careless or hurried eater
will be careless or hurried whether he
takes water or not. while the ono who
masticates his food sufficiently will no,
be deferred by drinking a liberal guam
tity Of water.
Or. Niles favors adequate mastication
but you must remember that a part OF
the legitimate functions OF the stomach
and Its Juices Is to reduce the semi -solid
contents to q liquid. soupy mass. Whsr
the stomach 10 robbed Of It's proper dut'
II becomes weakened, Just as any othei
active part Of the body would be impair
ed by disuse.
The organs concerned require an In
creased amount Of food for the digestion
Of every meal. This should be don,
promptly and sot out Of the way Of th'
next meal.
Besides its cleansing and solvent prop
critics. an abundance of water ejectet
into the blood stream during this bus,
period increases the intestinal secretion
and peristalsis.
| For sanitations sake the human bod,
needs an abundance Of water In order I,
perform well the manifold duties Of II
constructive housekeeping. The yer!
tissues Of the body are aquatic In thai
habits.
= Copyright. isis. BY the Press Pus,,sshs o.