126 OUR BODIES AND HOW WE LIVE 



It is not wise to bolster a flagging appetite with highly 

 spiced food and bitter drinks. An undue amount of pepper, 

 mustard, horse-radish, pickles, fancy meat dressings, and 

 highly seasoned sauces may stimulate digestion for a time, 

 but, used in excess, they soon weaken it. 



177 a. Proper Care of the Bowels. Irregularity in eating, the 

 eating of rich pastry, too much finely bolted flour, and not 

 enough fruit and vegetables, negligence or carelessness in at- 

 tending to a regular daily evacuation of the bowels, lead to the 

 very common and distressing trouble known as constipation. 



Do not get into the habit of using any of the numerous 

 proprietary medicines to secure a proper action of the bowels. 

 For the most part they are only of benefit for the time and 

 rarely remove the cause of constipation. 



We must pay strict attention to the proper action of the 

 bowels. The formation of a regular habit is of the utmost 

 importance. The bowels can be trained to act at a certain 

 time every day. Take great pains to eat enough coarse food, 

 such as oatmeal, corn bread, vegetables, stewed prunes, dates, 

 figs, etc. Drink a glass of water just after getting out of bed 

 in the morning. Vigorous muscular exercise is a valuable help. 



178. Care of the Teeth. The teeth should be thoroughly 

 cleansed night and morning with a soft brush #nd warm 

 water. Castile soap and some simple tooth powder with 

 no grit in it may be used. The brush should be used on 

 the inner side or back of the teeth as well as on the front. 



Great care should be taken in the use of wooden tooth- 

 picks. What is known as surgeon's floss or silk, or even 

 common silk thread, when drawn between the teeth, is 

 quite effective in removing particles of food. 



The enamel if once broken or destroyed is never renewed. 

 The tooth is left to decay, slowly but surely; hence we 



