THE DIGESTION 231 



411. Influence of Carriage and Dress on Digestion. 



Faulty carriage of the body and relaxation of the ab- 

 dominal muscles, which lessens the abdominal type of 

 respiration and diaphragmatic motion, are among the most 

 frequent causes of sluggishness in hepatic circulation and 

 secretion. Disorders of the stomach and intestines are 

 likely to produce abnormal conditions of the liver. Im- 

 proper dress aggravates all of these conditions. 



Free and properly related movements on the part of the 

 stomach, liver, and intestines are necessary for the correct 

 performance by these organs of their natural functions. 

 A certain amount of tension within the abdomen is neces- 

 sary if the organs of that region are to be held in their 

 proper places and relations. When the body is held erect 

 and the chest is kept raised to its normal position ; when 

 the abdominal muscles are strong and are not allowed to 

 relax and thus favor the descent of the organs, this 

 abdominal tension and the proper relations of the organs 

 are possible. Mothers should dress their children so that 

 the chest may have the greatest possible freedom of mo- 

 tion. All garments should be suspended from the shoul- 

 ders, thus preventing the downward displacement of the 

 stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, etc. Physicians who 

 have given the subject careful study agree that more 

 than fifty per cent of the women of civilized nations have 

 developed the condition known as enteroptosis, which means 

 that of the stomach, the intestines, frequently the kid- 

 neys, and sometimes the liver, are dragged downward and 

 remain permanently out of proper position. This condi- 

 tion is largely responsible for the debility, backache, head- 

 ache, biliousness, and early loss of complexion with which 

 so many women of civilized countries are afflicted. Even 

 if suffering from the enteroptosis caused by methods of 

 dress, those who have strong constitutions and who keep 

 the body healthy by living much out of doors, may enjoy 



