INDIGESTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6086, 12 November 1898, Page 4

INDIGESTION.

(By l'tojtsm A'irt, i'lliiiourj/lij. Wo (iro now ill a position, from what wo linvo seen ns lo tlio natural process of digestion, lo consider those errors tlmt interforo with that process. Wo bogin with the quality of foods which nro usually sot down ns unfavourable to digestion, Hero wo must tako caro not to bo misled by thoso wise " saws" by which so tunny nro deceived. For oxiiinpk', "one man's food is another man's poison" is one of those sage provorlH that convoy either no moaning lo ono's mind, or at most a meaning which is an error. If tho words nro understood at all, they are so us meaning, tlmt tlio truth as to food and poison is so uncertain that it is of no use trying to soe through it! At least, it is believed to mean that liko causes, instead of producing liko effects, produco oyon porfectly the opposite! Wo must think more closely and clearly than that, or we noed not expect to think profitably on anything. But we must cnrofully illustrate. Well, then, wo tnko a potato as our illustrative substance. How is that accounted for ?_ When audi a portion of food is duly masticated and passed into tho stomach, tho question of importance is as to whether tho gastric juieo forthcoming is of such a natnro and strength as will effectually dissolve that food. Let ns seo this point ns clenily ns possible. If tho potnto has Leon boiled in a very common way, tho gastric juieo of many stomachs will fail to digest it,; if it has been differently prepared, almost tho poorest gastric juieo will do so. Let tho potato bo steeped for an hour or so in hot water, and boiled fully in fresh water. Tho first water is ' found to bo green with unripe sup of s tlio vegetable, of a really poisonous 8 character.

Tlio truth is quito clear. The gastrin juice, though quite capable of dealing with tlio good ripe substnucu of a polalo, is not capable of doing so with this poisonous groon unripe substance. This is true ol almost all vegetables iw it is of potatoes. Wherever tliero is a_ rather scant or poor supply of gastric juice only, substances that are compariitivoly easily dissolved in digestion can be taken, and the system benefitted by them. Potatoes really well cooked can be digested quite well. The same substance's with the unripe matter retained cannot bo so. S»i with all other vegetables and unripe fruit also. Tlio mattor is yery simple and clear. If anyone will eat that which the gastric juice at his stomach is too weak to deal with, what can wo have hut indigestion? Another handy illustration of this subject is found in eggs. There are stomachs in which tbuleiist portion of anordiuary egg acts like Iruo poison, Wo are up the present nimble to sco that eggs are good food for weak persons. We should never think

of recommending them to any but strong enters with very decided powers of assimilation. 13ut our experience uud observation of others lead us to believe that nn egg, if boiled for half an hour is very easily digested, while if only boiled for threo minutes it is difficult of digestion. In tlio soft stale tlio egg lies long on even a good stomach, in the fully boiled slate it does not lie nearly so long. The explanation of this is, we think, on the surface of the matter-in the egg that is only very slighljy boiled the juices of the mouth and stomach have difficult matter to deal with from its having been subjected only very slightly to tlio dissolving power of beat; in the egg boiled for half an hour they deal with substance that has been already well dissolved. It is a jurious fact in this connection, that ive have known cases of indigestion ;ured by the eating of a salt herring boiled just out of the brine! You would probably say that nothing could be more indigestible than this, yet the truth is not always according to our thinking. It is often very far the opposite, "Salt is good," is the statement of the highest possible authority. We know that a brushing with suit brine has cured diphtheria, Why should not tlio salt of the boiled herring cure the failing coats of the stomach, so that gastric juice sufficiently strong should at once be the result?

Wo certainly do not mean by all this that dispeplics should take to eating potatoes and salt herrings, nor yet hard boiled eggs. What we mean is to illustrate tho truth as to tho quality of food in relation to the quality and quantity of the gastric juice supplied by tho stomach in every particular case. We take, say, a case in which wo bave gastric juice suDicient only for a teaspoonful uf oatmeal jelly every lmlf bour. There is not euoueh of such juice for a dessertspoouful. We have .such a case in viow just now. Digestion is beautiful if only a teaspuonful of oatmeal jolly isgiveii about blood beat. But it shows iustant signs of fuilure if wo give even a dessertspoonful. It is altogether anested if we give a tablespoonful, Can anything be clearer than ho must measure the capacity of the stomach to deal with what is put into it, if we would have a good digestion P There is a man going to bis work with a pitcher of bud coffee and some not very digestible solids for his dinner His stomach is utterly inciipiiblo of dealing with Hint

dinner. What can wo have as the result of that meal but indigestion. Alter be lias taken that inoal bo smokes his pipe of tobacco. That makes bad worse. What is absolutely sure to be that man's experience in a few years ? He will die under one form of other of indigestion ! The substances with which lie (jives bis stomach to deal are such that it is simply impossible be can live out bis true time on earth. You warn him, but he laughs at you for your pains. Ho thinks you are the fpol, or you would do as he does. If he had only tho knowledge that a very littlo inquiry would give him, he would inlinitely rather (lino on bread and hot water, on which he would thrive, and forever eschew all narcotics and so enjoy life as God intended man should do. We cannot gain his car until it is 100 Into lo save him. That is the rule, But we may porhaps reach some of his kindled, and little by little (lie truth will dawu on bis class. Meantime we write for those who aro willing to learn. Let us exhort them to measuro with care how much or how little their stomachs aro able to deal with. Let them take ever so little, and that oyer so often as may be required for tho time. They will not be long on spoonfuls. Soon the lime comes when they can cat and livo comfortably liko thoso who are " cured of their plngues." Wo shall look at other sides of this important subject,