DIGESTION OF FOOD: THE INTESTINE 107 



refined taste, are often not only very nutritious, but as a rule nec- 

 essary for uniformly good digestion and therefore good health. 

 Those materials which are not changed into a liquid condition 

 are never absorbed and never become parts of the body. 



After the nutritive part of the intestinal contents has been 

 absorbed there remains a considerable portion of undigested 

 matter which is now useless and is passed to the exterior 

 as faeces. The elimination of these wastes once a day is of al- 

 most as much importance to health as the regular taking of 

 food. The intestinal contents after food absorption readily 

 undergo putrefaction from the growth of bacteria and soon 

 become filled with poisonous substances which injure the 

 body materially if the wastes are not regularly removed. 

 Their retention is apt to result in headaches or other bodily 

 derangements. Disturbances by which the wastes are re- 

 tained too long (constipation) or by which they are discharged 

 too frequently and in too liquid condition (diarrhea) are both 

 to be avoided. Such conditions are due as a rule to an error 

 in methods of living. One may be eating improper food; 

 he may be eating too much food or too often; he may be eating 

 too much fine food like wheat flour and not enough coarse 

 food or he may not be drinking enough water. He may 

 be living a too sedentary life; constipation especially is fre- 

 quently due to insufficient exercise and may be remedied by 

 various forms of bodily activity. The improper method of. 

 fighting these troubles is to use medicine ; for drugs only palliate 

 and do not cure them. Regularity in expelling the waste large- 

 ly depends upon habit. A little care and attention will enable 

 almost any one to acquire regular habits that will be of lasting 

 value to his general health. No one whose intestine is crowd- 

 ed with poisoning wastes can continue in good health. 



DIGESTION OF DIFFERENT FOODS 



Since no food can be absorbed into the body until it is 

 digested, the readiness with which a food can be digested is a 



