The habitual taking of drugs sufficiently poisonous to cause the intestinal machinery to exert enough action to cast them out, is a painful and slow process of self-destruction. It frequently happens that the peristaltic muscles become relaxed and give way completely from the habitual use of poisonous cathartics, and chronic diarrhea or dysentery is the result.
DIARRHEA—THE TREATMENT
In ordinary cases of diarrhea one can pursue his usual work provided he observes the suggestions in regard to diet, given below, but in severe cases one should avoid labor or exercise, and remain most of the time in a reclining position. Drink copiously of pure water, and eat very sparingly.
| OMIT | EAT |
| Acid fruits | Boiled rice (thoroughly cooked) |
| All green salads | Boiled sweet milk |
| Coarse foods, such as cabbage, | Cottage cheese |
| celery, turnips, spinach | Ordinary white bread |
| Condiments | Potatoes— |
| Desserts, pastry, etc. | Sweet (baked) |
| Pickles and all foods preserved in | White |
| acids | Puree of rice |
| Red meat and flesh food of ever | Sweet clabbered milk, including |
| kind except very tender fish | the cream |
| and white meat of chicken and | Very tender white meat of chicken, |
| turkey | or turkey, or fish |
| Relishes | |
| Sweets | |
| Tuber vegetables except | |
| sweet and white potatoes |
Omit all beverages at meals except plain water, taking only about one glass.
EMACIATION OR UNDERWEIGHT
Underweight, or lack of adipose tissue, is a condition with which the practitioner will often have to deal, as under nearly all abnormal conditions of the body, called dis-ease, the first result or evidence is loss of weight.
The tendency of a perfectly normal body, after it passes the forty-fifth year, is to become muscular, or what is termed "thin." In all countries those who have lived to a very great age have been termed emaciated. However, there is a normal body-weight that can be maintained, and which indicates normal health.