80 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



muscles, what otherwise could have been done ; therefore, a 

 direct loss of power, and of means of production. But the 

 later consequence is more important and lasting. The 

 stomach being called upon to digest unmasticated food, or 

 more than it can dissolve, is disturbed and wearied with the 

 excess of labor, and falters. It struggles, but struggles in 

 vain, until it exhausts much of its power in the wearisome 

 effort. It then becomes so weak that it cannot digest even 

 the common food, which in good health it would have easily 

 done, and becomes so irritable as to bear only in pain the 

 natural and proper burden. This is dyspepsia, which is the 

 common result of improper use of our organs of digestion. 

 This is a disease painful to be borne, and difficult to be 

 relieved, and often ends only with life. In its first stage, 

 the work of digestion is imperfect ; and in the second, the 

 digestive machine is impaired, and finally destroyed. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Animal and Vegetable Food. Northern Nations carnivorous. 

 Equatorial Nations herbivorous. Vegetable Diet. Mixed Diet 

 Stimulating Food. Climate and Season affect Diet. Vegeta- 

 ble Diet in Torrid Zone. Mixed Diet in Temperate Zone. 



170. THERE is a great variety of food. There are many 

 kinds that differ widely from each other ; and these may be 

 prepared, compounded, and cooked in a great variety of 

 ways ; so that the differences caused by art may be even 

 more and greater than the differences of nature. It is im 

 portant for us to know which of these afford us the easiest 

 and the best nutrition. 



171. The first natural division of food is into that of 

 vegetable and animal origin. It is not yet a settled question, 

 which of these is best 'fitted for the nutrition of the human 

 body, which will give to man the greatest strength and 

 power of action, the greatest comfort and most perfect 



