STOMACH AND INTESTINAL DIGESTION 29 



contain blood vessels which take up or absorb the 

 digested part of the food. As the blood circulates 

 through the body, the building and fuel materials it 

 carries along are made use of where they are needed. 



The waste and undigested parts of the food, 

 however, are forced out by the muscles of the abdomen 

 and intestines. We know how necessary it is for 

 ashes and clinkers to be removed from the lower part 

 of a furnace fire daily. If they are allowed to remain, 

 the fire will burn poorly and in time go out. In like 

 manner the functions of the body become disordered 

 if the waste and undigested materials do not pass 

 regularly from the intestines. Often these are highly 

 poisonous. When they remain an unduly long time 

 in the intestines, much of the poison may be absorbed 

 into the blood, and so-called bilious attacks, high 

 fever, vomiting, and other troubles frequently result. 

 These digestive disturbances are common in children, 

 and a daily thorough movement of the bowels is the 

 essential preventive. For several good reasons, soon 

 after breakfast each day is the best time to attend 

 to this important function. 



The digestive glands have much to do, and we can 

 aid them in their work by eating temperately. Enough 

 has been learned to make us realize the foolishness 

 of taking large quantities of unnecessary food into 

 our stomachs. Nature has provided that these five 

 digestive fluids will usually prepare all the food the 

 body needs, and often even more. When they are 



