lOO HORSE-DACK RIDING. 



cachectic state. Dyspepsia does not always manifest 

 itself in the same way ; sometimes a severe pain over 

 the region of the stomach, accompanied by or alter- 

 nating with others of a like neuralgic character, to 

 which the name gastralgia is given ; sometimes as a 

 burning sensation in the stomach, pyrosis ; generally 

 there is slowness and difficulty of digestion, a ten- 

 dency to flatulence, nausea, and anorexia. These 

 are but symptoms of a disordered innervation. 



There is a deficiency in both quantity and quality of 

 the fluids secreted by the gastric mucous membrane, 

 and the muscles not being sufficiently stimulated re- 

 main inert. 



The first indication to be fulfilled is to restore the 

 nervous power, or rather to recall the contractility 

 of the muscular coat of the stomach. Horse-back 

 riding acts strongly upon the digestive apparatus, both 

 by the movements of the viscera which it occasions 

 and the function it produces. It serves as a mechan- 

 ical excitant to determine energetic contractions of 

 the muscles of the stomach. From this exercise, the 

 muscular coat gains strength ; digestion is easier ; 

 absorption more complete ; nutrition more perfect, 

 and the nerve regains its power and resumes its func- 

 tions. Of course this applies especially to that form 

 of dyspepsia where there is a languid state of the 

 digestive functions, with muscular atony. 



It will not be nearly as efficacious in that form of 

 dyspepsia where pain is the chief symptom — in true 



