The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-15
Home Nursing
nnN,T EAT AInNE

HDON'T EAT ALONE
 Fhe man who always entered the res araht gloomily, came in one bright spring day and made his solitary way towards a table in corner.
 A man who knew him waved cheer fly and said, Come over here, Tom, and eat with us," at the same time motioning in friendly fashion to va cant seat.
 The gloomy man looked sombrely at the cheerful man and shook his head. I'm just having a bfte," he said. Guess won't bother you today" and walked on to the table in the corner. Never saw him smile, and he has drawn
 Poor old Dobbs," said the cheerful man to his companion. Lives the life of hermit-refuses to be cheered up. into bis shell to such an extent that it's hopeless to try to change him. No wonder he has stomach trouhle!''
 Has he? Is that what's the matter with him? I thought he was just plain unfriendly," said the other man lightly and devoted himself again to his lunch.
 Dobbs did not look at the menu and with sigh ordered graham bread toast and broth and a bowl of milk and crackers. While waiting to be served he rather dolefully took two soda tab lets.
 Soda tablets were his greatest dissi- patton. He was a lonely man who lived alone, ate alone and walked alone. Almost every afternoon when he got back to his office after his solitary lunch, he would have severe gastric pains and suffer a good deal from what he believed to be "gas on the stomach" Again he turned to soda tablets and sent his secretary for cups of hot water which he slipped while dictating to her, meanwhile feeling desperately sorry for himself.
 The world is full of business men and women, too-like Thomas DobbS, who eat alone and plunge deeper every day into sea of gloom.
 There arc several reasons why 1t is not good for anyone to repeatedly eat alone. For one reason person who is eating alone will usually eat too rap, idly, only half chewing his food and washing it down with gulps of tea or coffee or even water.
 This retards the action of the diseu- tive juices in the mouth and the stom. ach, Eventually the activity of these juices is impaired and the food lies in mass in the stomach. Then one has pain from fermentation and gas.
 One should be sufficiently interested in the food one puts in ones mouth to enjoy it. Otherwise, with the attention upon paper-that refuge of the soli. tary eater-one takes food into the mouth mechanically. chews defectively, swallows too rapidly and Indigestion" is the result.
 Laughter and conversation while eating improves ones digestive powers because with laughter there are spas modic contractions of the diaphragm and abdomenal muscles. This stimu. lates the circulation to greater action. the blood flows briskly through the veins and reacts upon the gastric juices. which Tn their turn aid digestion after food has been masticated and swal. lowed.
 Human society is a great tonic. It ls the only tonic healthy person needs. Cultivate it.
 One cannot always have company at mealtime, but as often aa posHible find someone to eat with you, if won are one of Life's lonely nomada Tf you have a home and a family. Ter mealtime be a happy time. Don't talk of sad and gloomy things while eating Remember that ones state of mind happy or otherwise, has much to do with the process of digestion. Don't eat alone if ycn can avoid it.