DENTITION AND DIET. 135 



of weak stomachs and dyspepsia are those who live on dainty 

 viands, and seldom, if ever, distend that organ to a healthy 

 rapacity with coarse material. Consider, for a moment, the con- 

 dition of Spanish and Italian peasants. They have not much of 

 our national disease (dyspepsia) among them. The bread that 

 ilh'y eat is made of coarse material; yet with that, and the addition 

 of a little oil, wine, and a few vegetables, they can indure greater 

 fatigue, and often carry a heavier burden than he who lives on 

 more concentrated food. We may distend the horse's stomach 

 with coarse foot!, and, perhaps, not impair its function so much as 

 when overburdened w r ith meal and concentrated food. 



The stomach must be made to w r ork for a living once in 

 awhile. Hard work agrees with it, and coarse fodder stimulates 

 and develops its latent powers, and augments the gastric secretion, 

 which is the active solvent of the food. Labor operates on the 

 stomach in the same manner and in the same ratio that it does 

 on the brain or muscles — increases their capacity. Compare, for 

 example, the brawny arm of the mechanic with that of the count- 

 ing-house clerk, or the powerful muscles of the truck and farm- 

 horse with those of the pet saddle-horse. This comes of work, 

 hard work. See the king of birds, the eagle, towering above and 

 beyond the sight and ken of man, darting, with almost lightning 

 upeed, from mountain to valley, buffeting the rude shocks of 

 heaven's artillery. He acquires strength of muscle and wing by 

 extraordinary. exertion and desperate feats of flight. After the 

 tame fashion we develop the mental faculties, augment protracted 

 mental labor, close thought, and study, light up the intellectual 

 nature of man, and develop the latent powers of his brain ; and 

 the more his mind acquires, the greater and more varied are its 

 powers. 



It must be borne in mind, however, that the various functions 

 of the body require periods of rest ; for, should a horse be permit- 

 ted to stand up to a full crib, and spend the greater part of t.e 

 dav and night in cramming his stomach, disease, sooner or later, 

 must surely occur. The same is true as regards man. Let an 

 individual gormandize through the day, and then indulge in a 

 late supper, and continue the practice, he soon acquires a sympa- 

 thetic headache, or the stomach grows refractory, and casts up the 

 burden, for the simple reason that its function is overtaxed. It 

 must have rest. The same rule applies to the muaeular and men- 



