DIGESTION 21 



form the habit of thoroughly chewing our food ; for 

 careless habits of eating, by overworking and clogging 

 the digestive organs, may not only lessen our good 

 looks, but ; what is far worse, weaken our power of 

 action. 



One thing we have full power to control in the 

 process of preparing building material for our bodies, 

 is proper mastication. If we have not already formed 

 this good habit, we should certainly start, at the very 

 next meal, to make our teeth and tongue do the work 

 of thoroughly dividing and mixing the food with saliva. 

 From this very day, we should not allow any improp- 

 erly masticated food to pass into our stomachs. 



The Hon. William E. Gladstone of England was 

 one of the most distinguished and successful men 

 of the past century. He lived to the ripe old age 

 of eighty-nine, and during his entire life worked un- 

 tiringly as business man, statesman, orator, and author. 

 So remarkable was the work he accomplished in the 

 latter part of his life that he was often admiringly 

 spoken of as the "Grand Old Man." Mr. Gladstone 

 believed the habit of thoroughly chewing his food to 

 be one of the principal causes of his long-continued 

 health and strength. Many less celebrated people 

 could give similar testimony. Thorough mastication 

 is only a matter of habit. By taking great pains to 

 form this habit now, our strength and usefulness in 

 the future may be largely increased. 



