FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88  
89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>   >|  
demand more food than is absolutely required; first, by the repetition of aliment, and secondly, by its variety;--therefore both of these causes must be avoided. The stomach, like every other part, can, and unfortunately does, acquire habits highly injurious to itself; and that of demanding an unnecessary quantity of aliment is not one of the least. It should, therefore, be constantly borne in mind, that it is not the quantity of food taken into the stomach, that is available to the proper purposes of the system; but the quantity which can be digested, and converted into nourishment fit to be applied to such purposes." There is a great deal of truth in these remarks; and especially in the closing one, that not all which is taken into the stomach is digested. It is highly probable, that the least quantity which is usually given to an infant is more than sufficient for the purposes of digestion; and that nearly every child in the arms of its mother, is over-fed. I know it has been said, by some physicians--and by those who are sensible men, in other respects, too--that the child's stomach is a pretty correct guide in regard to quantity. If we give it too much, say they, it will reject it;--as if that were an end of the matter. But it is not so. It is by no means harmless to fill the child's stomach as full as is possible without overflowing. Such a process, though it should not create disease directly, would produce a gluttonous habit. The stomach, being muscular, may be increased in size by use, like all other muscular organs. The hands, the arms, the legs, the feet, the fleshy portions of the face, even, may be disproportionally enlarged by constant use. Thus a sailor, who uses his hands and arms much more than his legs and feet, has the former unusually large; one who is much accustomed to walking, has large feet; and in a tailor, who from childhood uses his lower limbs comparatively little, they are both small and slender. On the same principle, the stomach, by inordinate use, and by carrying unreasonable loads, may be made nearly twice as large as nature intended, and may demand twice as much food. And I have no doubt that the bulk of mankind, young and old, eat about twice as much as nature, unperverted, would require. If the suggestions of our last section are duly attended to, one of the causes which lead the stomach to demand an unreasonable quantity of food will be avoided--I mean the too frequent "repet
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88  
89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

stomach

 
quantity
 

purposes

 

demand

 

muscular

 

unreasonable

 
nature
 
aliment
 

highly

 
digested

avoided

 

fleshy

 

absolutely

 

portions

 

constant

 

sailor

 

enlarged

 

disproportionally

 
section
 

attended


produce

 

gluttonous

 

directly

 

create

 
disease
 

frequent

 
required
 

organs

 

increased

 
carrying

inordinate

 

principle

 

intended

 

slender

 

walking

 

tailor

 
accustomed
 

unusually

 

require

 

mankind


unperverted

 

childhood

 

comparatively

 

suggestions

 
matter
 
remarks
 

applied

 

closing

 
sufficient
 

digestion