a 



POOD OF MAN AND OTHER ANIMALS. 125 



to his food, and therefore he has the power of accommo- 

 dating himself to a wider range, and a greater variety 

 of nourishment than any other animal, and which he 

 seems also to require. 



For, while animals in the natural state, of choice, 

 confine themselves to a particular kind of food, the 

 organization of man, it would appear, makes it necessa- 

 ry for him to partake of a variety of nourishment. We 

 do not contend that the stomach of man, or his health 

 and vigor, require that he should be an adept in the 

 science of gastronomy, and indulge in the stimulating 

 mixtures of the luxurious. On the contrary the physi- 

 ology of the Stomach, as well as the known consequen- 

 ces, clearly prove, that the long continued use of highly 

 stimulating food, destroys the digestive functions, and 

 consequently tends to direct debility, and visceral de- 

 rangement. Independently of the use of vinous or 

 alcoholic admixture, it is clearly proved, that a protract- 

 ed use of highly irritating condiments, not only induce 

 general prostration of muscular power, but finally 

 exhaust the irritability of the digestive organs, and cause 

 obstructions in other viscera, so as to superinduce a con- 

 dition of the whole system, which neither future abste- 

 miousness, nor sanative remedies can change, and which 

 therefore, must terminate in a general dissolution of the 

 whole. 



But a variety and admixture of nourishment is far 

 from involving an abuse of the digestive powers, and 

 that the organization of our species requires such a 

 variety, has been proved by various and repeated 

 experiments. 



Dr. Stark's experiments. The fact last mentioned has 

 been strikingly illustrated and abundantly proved by the 

 recent experiments of Dr. Stark, of Vienna, upon him- 

 self. This zealous and self-denying experimentalist, in 

 order to establish the physiological effects of various 

 kinds of diet on the human system, confined himself 



Does the organization of man require a variety of food or not ? What 

 is said of the continued use of stimulating condiments 1 What wen* 

 the experiments of Dr. Stark 7 What were the results of these experi- 

 ments i 



11* 



