58 INFLUENCE OF THE MIND. 



and vigour. The laboring man on the contrary, no soon- 

 er swallows his meals, than he resumes his routine of 

 toil without souring his temper or deranging his diges- 

 tion. All this difference is the result of habit. In gen- 

 eral therefore, we may conclude that a short period of 

 rest immediately after eating is favorable to digestion, 

 while various degrees of exercise may be rendered com- 

 patible with good health by habit and temperance. 



Emily. If this then be the case, eating a substantial 

 meal just before going to bed at night, cannot be a rep- 

 rehensible practice, as it is commonly considered ; since 

 the conditions most favorable to good digestion are pre- 

 sent. 



Dr. B. The popular opinion is, notwithstanding^ 

 generally correct. The habit of filling the stomach be- 

 fore going to rest is injurious because food is not needed, 

 and the appetite which is feltis as artificial and as morbid, 

 as that which craves tobacco or ardent liquors. ' Why, 

 the very idea that men whose employments are of a 

 sedentary nature for such are the ones with whom this 

 practice of eating second suppers is most common need 

 a substantial meal four or five hours after eating their 

 supper, is truly ridiculous. This appetite, instead of 

 being created by active exercise and temperate abstem- 

 iousness, is solely the result of a long continued habit, 

 and veiy different from that produced by the ordinary 

 demands of labour. But when food is craved by an ap- 

 petite created by hard exercise and temperate abstem- 

 iousness, it will never, disturb the sleep nor derange the 

 functions. The industrious farmer after finishing the 

 weary business of the day, takes his evening repast and 

 retires immediately to his rest ; but whose sleep is 

 more refreshing ? whose filled with more pleasant 

 dreams ? 



Emily. The function of digestion is also influenced, 

 if I am not deceived, by the state ot the mind. I have 

 known persons who, when their attention has been en- 

 tirely engrossed by some other object, have forgotten 



