HYGIENE OF DIGESTION 26l 



hour after a full meal, hard work of every kind should be 

 avoided, but hard work an hour or two later will aid diges- 

 tion. The arrangement of the meals must take into ac- 

 count the other habits of the individual. For example, if 

 three meals are eaten in twenty-four hours, the last ought 

 to be the lightest ; but, as business is transacted in large 

 cities, a business man can hardly find time for a hearty 

 meal in the middle of the day. Hence he does right in 

 eating a lunch at noon, and having the heartiest meal come 

 in the evening, when the day's labor is over and there is 

 time to relax. If he takes the principal meal in the latter 

 part of the day, he should not eat very heartily the next 

 morning or during business hours ; to do so would 

 surfeit the system. Late suppers should not be eaten, as 

 they prevent sound sleep. The lower animals may lie 

 down in the shade and sleep after eating, but it is only for 

 a short nap. A nap of ten minutes, just long enough to 

 bring about relaxation, is often of benefit after a meal. 

 During sleep the heart beats less frequently and with less 

 force ; the lungs breathe less freely ; the brain ceases its 

 activities ; the muscles relax and become motionless ; peri- 

 stalsis and secretion in the alimentary canal become slow, 

 and the digestive organs should have rest If a person is 

 troubled with a too great flow of blood to the brain, some 

 light, digestible article of food taken just before retiring 

 may bring sleep ; but it should be taken simply to regu- 

 late the circulation, and should be so digestible as to give 

 little work to the stomach. A farmer will do a better after- 

 noon's work if he will rest for half an hour after the noon 

 meal. 



476. The rule that every individual must be a law unto 

 himself may be abused by those who consult their appe- 

 tites alone without reference to their common sense. If 

 we believe that regularity in eating is desirable, the stom- 

 ach and appetite can be trained to it, although if one is 



