DIETETICS. 



ever is light and easy of digestion, and 

 especially what ever at the same time 

 contains in itself a considerable portion 

 of the nutritive principle, and counter- 

 acts acescency, is the bill of fare to be 

 rigidly adhered to. If there be thirst, 

 barley water may be taken plentifully ; 

 rice gruel is preferable to decoctions of 

 oatmeal, as being less ready to ferment, 

 and containing more demulcent mucilage. 

 As more solid food, rice itself may be ha- 

 bitually resorted to with light animal food 

 of any kind, and varied in whatever way 

 the patient may prefer. Cardialgia, or 

 heart-burn, flatulence, and hence tympa- 

 nites, or enlargement of the belly, are 

 often mere symptoms dependent upon 

 that debilitated state of the stomach, that 

 predisposes it to a morbid secretion, or 

 renders it ineffectual to digest the com- 

 mon aliments that are introduced to it, or 

 even to resist the acetous fermentation to 

 which they are too often inclined. What- 

 ever, therefore, of medicine or regimen 

 will tend to remove this state of the sto- 

 mach, will tend at the same time to de- 

 stroy these distressing symptoms, which 

 are but its concomitants or dependants. 

 Worms, again, may be regarded as ano- 

 ther result of the same debilitated ac- 

 tion ; for, whether in children or adults, 

 they will never be found to exist either 

 in the stomach or intestines, while these 

 are in a state of perfect health, and tho- 

 roughly competent to a secretion of their 

 appropriate fluids. These, however, like 

 the acidity of the stomach, must first be 

 discharged from their station, before we 

 can expect any great degree of benefit 

 from an habitual regimen. 



To the diet already recommended, we 

 may then add gentle tonics and cordials, 

 especially wine and palatable spices. So- 

 da water will also generally be a beve- 

 rage of very essential advantage, both 

 from the carbonic acid gas and from the 

 alkali it contains, the one proving gently 

 tonic to the stomach, and the other cor- 

 recting the superabundant acid : and it is 

 commonly necessary to continue the use 

 of rhubarb, or some other purgative, with 

 alkaline and slight bitter medicines, for a 

 length of time, where the complaint 

 shews a disposition to return. 



IMPLKTIOH OP THE STOMACH. 



This disease is of two kinds: the one 

 from temporary satiety, which is easily 

 removed by emetics and purgatives ; but 

 which, from not being removed in due 

 time, not unfrequently produces stupor 



and apoplexy. The other, and which 

 chiefly belongs to our present considera- 

 tion, from habitual abstinence, from ex- 

 ercise, accompanied with an linbitual 

 proclination of the body, as occurs in the 

 trade of shoe-makers, or of tailors.or the 

 occupation of writing clerks, or accomp- 

 tants, as well as of literary people in ge- 

 neral. Some years ago, from the pres- 

 sure of their stays, women were frequent 

 sufferers in the same way : in the present 

 fashion of their dress they are far less sub- 

 ject to it, though it occasionally happens 

 to those who sit long stooping to needle- 

 work. 



By this proclination of the body, the 

 thoracic and abdominal viscera are undu- 

 ly compressed together for many hours 

 in every day : the margin of the ribs is 

 forced upwards, so as to drive the sto- 

 mach against the diaphrag^m, and to im- 

 pede the passage through the pylorus; 

 while all the adjoining organs, the blood 

 vessels and excreting ducts, partake of 

 the general injury from the compression, 

 and hereby concur to excite affections of 

 the lungs, or permanent disease in the 

 large vessels near the heart, as well as 

 more extensive and deeply seated mis- 

 chief in the stomach. 



The symptoms indicating disease of the 

 stomach from this cause are, nauseous 

 taste in the mouth, with furred tongue, 

 pain in the region of the pylorus, and 

 sense of weight and the pain increased 

 on pressure at the pit of the stomach : 

 there is always costiveness; from the 

 want of free passage through the pylorus, 

 the stomach becomes loaded with vis- 

 cous matter : the countenance is pale, 

 wan, and sallow, and very shortly black- 

 ness appears under the eye-lids, and fre- 

 quently a jaundiced tint appears, from 

 obstruction to the free secretion or pas- 

 sage of the bile, and all the common dys- 

 peptic symptoms occur. 



It is obvious, in all these cases, when 

 the occupation of the patient will allow 

 of avoiding that posture, which is the sole 

 cause of his malady, that this is all which 

 is necessary to prevent its return : from 

 the force of habit, however, directions to 

 this effect are seldom sufficiently obeyed : 

 where the case has been of long stand- 

 ing, or there have been frequent repeti- 

 tions of the attacks, and the lungs, liver, 

 and other viscera, some or all of them be- 

 come affected, the treatment must be 

 adapted to the state of those parts : riding 

 on horseback daily will do much service ; 

 and many a working tradesman having 

 lately entered into some corps of volun- 



