ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE
SECOND EDITION.
The first edition of the present volume consisted of 2000 copies, and has been exhausted in little more than five months. Already, also, it has been twice reprinted in the United States. This success is extremely gratifying, and shews that the desire for information on the subject of the human constitution, is rapidly extending in proportion as it is discovered to be perfectly within the comprehension of every ordinary capacity, and to be directly and easily applicable to the farther improvement of the moral and physical condition of man.
The edition now offered to the public has been carefully revised, and about twenty pages of new matter have been added. Still, I fear, that many imperfections remain, which leisure and more confirmed health might have enabled me to remove, but which, under present circumstances, I feel compelled to leave to the good-natured indulgence of the reader.
It has been suggested by a professional critic for whose judgment I feel the utmost deference, that “the work would really have been more useful if the physiological or introductory part had been more condensed;” as much of it will, he thinks, be neither readily comprehended, nor usefully retained by the general reader.[1] My only reason for not acting on this suggestion is, that I regard the exposition of the laws of digestion of which that part consists, as the foundation on which all the dietetic rules contained in the second part must necessarily rest,—and am therefore extremely anxious that their nature and mode of operation should be thoroughly understood by the ordinary reader, even at the risk of too great minuteness. I am quite aware that the detail into which I have entered must appear tedious to every well educated practitioner; but as the book was intended more for the general than for the medical reader, the latter is evidently a less competent judge in this particular matter than the former. On referring, accordingly, to an unprofessional critic of no small ability and reputation, we find him of an entirely opposite opinion. For—“Of the two divisions of the book,” he thinks, “the FIRST is the most satisfactory and interesting, from the nature of its subject and the popular novelty of much of the information it imparts, or the force and freshness with which obvious truths are presented.”[2] And as other non-medical reviewers concur in this decision, I feel bound to attach more weight to them in what more especially concerns the class of readers to which they belong, and to retain the whole of the part objected to. In a purely medical question, on the other hand, I would as unhesitatingly have yielded to the judgment of the professional critic.
Edinburgh, 8 Alva Street,
November 1, 1836.
CONTENTS
| Preface, | [xvii] |
| PART I. PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION. | |
|---|---|
| CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. | |
| Waste or loss of substance always attendant on action—In the vegetableand animal kingdoms waste is greater than in the physical—Livingbodies are distinguished by possessing the powerof repairing waste—Vegetables, being rooted in one place, arealways in connection with their food—Animals, being obligedto wander, receive their food at intervals into a stomach—Nutritionmost active when growth and waste are greatest—Invegetables the same causes which increase these processes alsostimulate nutrition—But animals require a monitor to warnthem when food is needed—The sense of Appetite answers thispurpose—The possession of a stomach implies a sense of Appetiteto regulate the supplies of food, | [1–10] |
| CHAPTER II. THE APPETITES OF HUNGER AND THIRST. | |
| Hunger and Thirst, what they are—Generally referred to the stomachand throat, but perceived by the brain—Proofs and illustrations—Excitingcauses of hunger—Common theories unsatisfactory—Hungersympathetic of the state of the body aswell as of the stomach—Uses of appetite—Relation betweenwaste and appetite—Its practical importance—Consequencesof overlooking it illustrated by analogy of the whole animalkingdom—Disease from acting in opposition to this relation—Effectof exercise on appetite explained—Diseased appetite—Thirst—Seatof Thirst—Circumstances in which it is most felt—Extraordinaryeffects of injection of water into the veins incholera—Uses of thirst, and rules for gratifying it, | [11–39] |
| CHAPTER III. MASTICATION, INSALIVATION, AND DEGLUTITION. | |
| Mastication—The teeth—Teeth, being adapted to the kind of food,vary at different ages and in different animals—Teeth classedand described—Vitality of teeth and its advantages—Causesof disease in teeth—Means of protection—Insalivation and itsuses—Gratification of taste in mastication—Deglutition, | [40–57] |
| CHAPTER IV. ORGANS OF DIGESTION—THE STOMACH—THE GASTRIC JUICE. | |
| Surprising power of digestion—Variety of sources of food—Allstructures, however different, formed from the same blood—Generalview of digestion, chymification, chylification, sanguification,nutrition—The stomach in polypes, in quadrupeds,and in man—Its position, size, and complexity, in differentanimals—Its structure; its peritoneal, muscular, and villouscoats; and uses of each—Its nerves and bloodvessels; theirnature, origins, and uses—The former the medium of communicationbetween the brain and stomach—Their relation to undigestedfood—Animals not conscious of what goes on in thestomach—Advantages of this arrangement—The gastric juicethe grand agent in digestion—Its origin and nature—Singularcase of gunshot wound making a permanent opening into thestomach—Instructive experiments made by Dr Beaumont—Importantresults, | [58–108] |
| CHAPTER V. THEORY AND LAWS OF DIGESTION. | |
| Different theories of Digestion—Concoction—Fermentation—Putrefaction—Trituration—Chemicalsolution—Conditions orlaws of digestion—Influence of gastric juice.—Experiments illustrativeof its solvent power—Its mode of action on differentkinds of aliment—beef, milk, eggs, soups, &c.—Influence oftemperature—Heat of about 100° essential to digestion.—Gentleand continued agitation necessary—Action of stomachin admitting food—Uses of its muscular motion—Gastric juiceacts not only on the surface of the mass, but on every particlewhich it touches—Digestibility of different kinds of food—Tableof results—Animal food most digestible—Farinaceous next—Vegetablesand soups least digestible—Organs of digestionsimple in proportion to concentration of nutriment—Digestibilitydepends on adaptation of food to gastric juice more thanon analogy of composition—Illustrations.—No increase oftemperature during digestion—Dr Beaumont’s summary of inferences, | [109–151] |
| CHAPTER VI. CHYLIFICATION, AND THE ORGANS CONCERNED IN IT. | |
| Chylification—Not well known—Organs concerned in it—Theintestinal canal—Its general structure—Peritoneal coat—Mesentery—Muscularcoat—Uses of these—Air in intestines—Usesof—Mucous coat—Analogous to skin—The seat ofexcretion and absorption—Mucous glands—Absorbent vessels—Courseof chyle towards the heart—Nerves of mucous coat—Actionof bowels explained—Individual structure of intestines—TheDuodenum—Jejunum—and Ileum—Liver andpancreas concerned in chylification—Their situation and uses—Bile,its origin and uses—The pancreas—Its juice—Thejejunum described—The ileum—Cœcum—Colon—and Rectum—Peristalticmotion of bowels—Aids to it—Digestion ofvegetables begins in stomach but often finished in the bowels—Illustrationfrom the horse—Confirmation by Dupuytren, | [152–183] |
| PART II. THE PRINCIPLES OF DIETETICS VIEWED IN RELATIONTO THE LAWS OF DIGESTION. | |
| CHAPTER I. TIMES OF EATING. | |
| The selection of food only one element in sound digestion—Otherconditions essential—Times of eating—No stated hours foreating—Five or six hours of interval between meals generallysufficient—But must vary according to circumstances—Habithas much influence—Proper time for breakfast depends on constitution,health, and mode of life—Interval required betweenbreakfast and dinner—Best time for dinner—Circumstances inwhich lunch is proper—Late dinners considered—Their proprietydependent on mode of life—Tea and coffee as a thirdmeal, useful in certain circumstances—Supper considered—Generalrule as to meals—Nature admits of variety—illustrations—butrequires the observance of principle in ourrules, | [187–217] |
| CHAPTER II. ON THE PROPER QUANTITY OF FOOD. | |
| Quantity to be proportioned to the wants of the system—Appetiteindicates these—Cautions in trusting to appetite—General errorin eating too much—Illustrations from Beaumont, Caldwell,Head, and Abercrombie—Mixtures of food hurtful chiefly astempting to excess in quantity—Examples of disease from excessin servant-girls from the country, dressmakers, &c.—Mischieffrom excessive feeding in infancy—Rules for preventingthis—Remarks on the consequences of excess in grown persons—Causesof confined bowels explained—And necessity offulfilling the laws which God has appointed for the regulationof the animal economy inculcated, | [218–250] |
| CHAPTER III. OF THE KINDS OF FOOD. | |
| What is the proper food of man?—Food to be adapted to constitutionand circumstances—Diet must vary with time of life—Diet ininfancy—The mother’s milk the best—Substitutes for it—Over-feedinga prevalent error—Causes which vitiate the qualityof the milk—Regimen of nurses—Weaning—Diet afterweaning—Too early use of animal food hurtful—Diet of childrenin the higher classes too exciting—and produces scrofula—Mildfood best for children—Incessant eating very injurious—Properdiet from childhood to puberty—It ought to be full andnourishing but not stimulating—Often insufficient in boarding-schools—Dietbest adapted for different constitutions in matureage—Regimen powerful in modifying the constitution, mentalas well as physical—Farther investigation required, | [251–287] |
| CHAPTER IV. CONDITIONS TO BE OBSERVED BEFORE AND AFTER EATING. | |
| General laws of organic activity apply to the stomach as well as toother parts—Increased flow of blood towards the stomach duringdigestion—Hence less circulating in other organs—andconsequently less aptitude for exertion in them—Bodily restand mental tranquillity essential to sound digestion—Rest alwaysattended to before feeding horses—Hence also a naturalaversion to exertion immediately after eating—Mischief doneby hurrying away to business after meals—Severe thinkinghurtful at that time—Playful cheerfulness after dinner conduciveto digestion—The mind often the cause of indigestion—Itsmode of operation explained—Also influences nutrition—Illustrationfrom Shakspeare—Importance of attending to thiscondition of health enforced, | [288–303] |
| CHAPTER V. ON DRINKS. | |
| Thirst the best guide in taking simple drinks—Thirst increased bydiminution of the circulating fluids—The desire for liquids generallyan indication of their propriety—Much fluid hurtful atmeals—Most useful three or four hours later—The temperatureof drinks is of consequence—Curious fall of temperaturein the stomach from cold water—Ices hurtful after dinner—Usefulin warm weather, when digestion is completed and cautionused—Cold water more dangerous than ice when the bodyis overheated—Tepid drinks safest and most refreshing afterperspiration—Kinds of drink—Water safe for every constitution—Wine,spirits, and other fermented liquors, too stimulatingfor general use, but beneficial in certain circumstances—Testof their utility, | [304–323] |
| CHAPTER VI. ON THE PROPER REGULATION OF THE BOWELS. | |
| Functions of the intestines—The action of the bowels bears a naturalrelation to the kind of diet—Illustrations—And also to theother excretions—Practical conclusions from this—Differentcauses of inactivity of bowels—Natural aids to intestinal action—Generalneglect of them—Great importance of regularity ofbowels—Bad health from their neglect—especially at the ageof puberty—Natural means preferable to purgatives—Concludingremarks, | [324–339] |
| Index, | [341–350] |