^o. 10. 



ANJ) (;auoKi\eu's journal. 



159 



For tkr Now Genoset Fanner. 

 Mr. EiiiTOR^In your pnp«r of the liml monih, I 

 (Olice some rcniarka in relaiiun to drinks and Uie 

 Toper timoo of drinking. Tho following nriiclc, 

 rom the wriiinga of « celebrated Phj'siologiii being in 

 loint, 1 have transcribed for your paper, if you tbink 

 )roper to publish it, S, 



Times of Drinking:. 

 If man were as simple and as true to the laws and 

 nstinclsof his nature as the lower animals, it would 

 le of comparaiiTcIy little imporlonce at what time be 

 ronk, so that it was always in obedience to the truly 

 nstinctivo demand of his vital economy. But in civ 

 v life, where many causes are co-operating to depress 

 ,he physiological powers of the human body, and par- 

 licularly to debilitate the digestive organs, it becomes 

 3f much importance that the times of drinking should 

 be properly regulated. In regard to alimentation, we 

 have seen that the best interests of the system require 

 that the food should be perfectly masticated, and 

 mixed with the salivary fluid before it is swallowed. 

 We have seen also, that when the food is received 

 into the gastric cavity in a proper condition, thestora- 

 Bch secretes a solvent fluid, which by the muscular 

 action of the organ, is thoroughly mixed with the 

 food for the purpose of digestion ; and that when the 

 food is received in a fluid state, containing considera- 

 ble aqueous matter, the water is flret absorbed and then 

 the gastric secretion and digestion commences ; be- 

 cause if the gastric juite were to mix with the water, 

 it would be so much diluted that its solvent power 

 would be wholly destroyed. Hence, if in the midst 

 of a meal, or after a meal is completed, a portion of 

 water or other drink is received into o vigorous stom- 

 ach, and more particularly if true thirst is felt, the or- 

 gan suddenly and powerfully contracts upon the fond 

 and preises it into the pyloric or small end, and by 

 the contraction of a number of the circular fibres of 

 the muscular coit, which gives the stomach somewhat 

 of the appearance of an hour-glass, the food is held 

 there till the fluid, which is received into the splenic 

 or large end, is absorbed,— which is done as rapidly 

 as possible, and then the circular fibres relax and the 

 regular function of the stomach goes on, with little 

 interruption or embarroesment. But if instead of 

 properly chewing our food, and mixing it with the 

 fluid of the niouih, we continually wash it down with 

 Bome liquid, or between every two or three mouth- 

 fuls of food, take a email portion of drink, the fluid 

 end solid ingesla are so thoroughly mixed together 

 that the process of digestion cannot commence till the 

 meal is completed and all the liquid removed by nb- 

 Borption ; and this leaves the alimentary contents of 

 the gastric cavity much more dry and compact than if 

 no drink had been taken ; and then wo greatly retard 

 and embarrass the function of the stomach, and serve 

 to debilitate, relax and break down that orgon. Yet 

 while the stomach continues lo be vigorous and active 

 all this may be done without any appreciable symp- 

 toms of gastric em'carrassment ; but never without 

 more or less real detriment to the organ and its func- 

 tion. In that state of gastric debility, however, 

 which is almost universal in civic life, the case is very 

 difl'erent ; the fluid received into the stomach during 

 the ingestion of food, is very slowly and with great 

 difficulty absorbed ; and if the food, with little masti- 

 cation and inealivation, is continually washed down 

 with some kind of drink, the process of digestion, 

 instead of commencing immediately, as it ought to do, 

 will be delayed for half an hour or an hour, and some- 

 times even longer, till the relaxed and debilitated ab- 

 sorbents can remove the fluid and bring the food into 

 a consistence proper for the action of the gastricjuice; 

 and now the food, instead of being properly mixed 

 with the saliva, and thoroughly eatnrated with healthy 



gastric juice as it came into the stomach, mouthful by 

 mouthful, lies in an opproesive and almost impenetra- 

 ble mass, and the already weariea organ must, if poe. 

 eible, in its rcln.xation and lassitude, secrete a suffi- 

 cient quantity of solvent fluid to digest it. But in 

 this slate the stomach is poorly fitted to secrete a 

 healthy and energetic fluid ; and, therefore, it is not 

 surprising that under such embarrassments the vital 

 powers of the debilitated and worried organ, are not 

 able to control tho inorganic affinities, but sufTer them 

 to become active in the formation of gaeses and acids, 

 which by their acrid and irritating properties, create a 

 moibid and intense thirst, which vehemently asks for 

 some liquid lo dilute those acid substances and almost 

 imsistibly compels us to drink. If, however, in this 

 state of things, we yield to the morbid demand, and 

 take a quantity of water or any other liquid into ihe 

 gastric cavity, the feeble orgon cannot, like the vig- 

 orous stomach, contract upon its contents, and save 

 them from the inundation ; but the flood will come 

 d*wn and sweep over the entire mass, and reduce it to 

 a more unmanageable wash thon it was at first ; and 

 then will follow a distressing sense of distension, at- 

 tended frequently with eructations and belching, and 

 often a part of the crude contents of the stomach, are 

 spasmodically thrown up, and a part perhaps ejected 

 into the intestines to produce irritations, flatulence, 

 colic, &c. This is a true description of what every 

 day takes place in civic life, in hundreds of individu- 

 als ; and if all who indulge in the mischievous prac- 

 tice of washing down their food with liquids of any 

 kind, do not experience all these evil consequences, 

 they may be assured the practice always tends to such 

 results. 



If the use of even pure cold water with our food in 

 the manner I have deecribad, is incompatible Avith the 

 physiological interests "f our bodies, and the cause of 

 functional diaiurbance and organic debility, much 

 more is that water objectionable when it is habitually 

 used hot, for the same purpose and in the same man- 

 ner. As with our food so with our drink, every 

 thing taken into the mouth and stomach in a higher 

 temperature than our blood, is relaxing and debilita- 

 ting to the parts on which it acts, and through them 

 to the whole system. The teeth and every other or- 

 gan and part in the oral cavity, are injured by hot 

 drinks ; the throat and esophagus and stomach are 

 jelaxcd and debilitated by ihem. In short, as we have 

 seen, every part of the system is in some measure re- 

 laxed and debilitated and rendereci more liable to dis- 

 ease, by the dietetic use of any thing in an elevated 

 tem;-erature ; ond if, instead of hot water or milk and 

 water, we use tea or coffee or chocolate or any other 

 made beverage, the mischievous effects on our diges- 

 tive organs are still greater, and always in proportion 

 as the qualities of those beverages are more orles? 

 unfriendly to the vital powers of our bodies. Tea and 

 coflTee and wine and all other narcotic and alcoholic 

 beverages are exceedingly deleterious, but as I &hall 

 have occosion to speak of them more particularly in 

 another place, it is not necessary to say more concern, 

 ing them now. 



On the whole then, in regard to the drink of man. 

 it were best, and most truly natural, if his dietetic 

 and other habils were such that the demand of his 

 vital economy for water, were fully answered by the 

 aqueous juices of the fruits ond vegetables which 

 properly composed a portion of his food. But if he 

 must have dtink, every law and properly of his na- 

 ture unequivocally declares that it should be the most 

 perfectly pure woter ; and that he should not drink it 

 warmer than his blood; and as a general rule, it is 

 better that it should be considerably cooler. It can be 

 too cold, but with people in health and of good habits 

 there is very little danger in this direction. It is also, 



fully evident that as a general rule, drink should not 

 l)c taken with the food, nor too soon after eating. It 

 is far belter, if one is thirsty, to take a draught of pure 

 cold water some twenty or thirty minutes before eat- 

 ng, or throt or four hours after the meal ; and they 

 who are regular in their habils can regulate their thirst 

 with perfect ease and comfort. An individual whoso 

 dietetic habits are tolerably correct, may soon accus- 

 tom himself lo take a glass of water in the evening or 

 morning, or any other hour in the day he chooses, and 

 only at that hour ; and ho will feel his thirst return 

 regularly at that period, and never trouble him at any 

 other lime, unless occasioned by something extraordi- 

 nary. They who are tormented by a morbid thirpo 

 produced by gastric irritation from too much or from 

 improper food, had far better take active exercise in 

 the open air, than drink. The cool fi-esh air upon 

 their skin will greatly abate the fever of their stomach, 

 and thus alleviate their thirst ; and exercise will in- 

 crease the action of the stomach and enable it lo di- 

 gest or to reject its contents ; and then let them bi 

 more careful to avoid trarisgression. 



Statistics of Vegetable and Animal Life. 



Botaniets record 56,000 species of various plants — 

 38,000 are to be found in catalogues. Humbolt makes 

 ihespeciesol insects 44,000, of fishes S, 500, of rep- 

 •iles 700, of birds 4,000, and of mommiferous ani- 

 mals 5,000. 



Important Notice. 



There is a large amount due us from Post Maslcra 

 and Agents in the Western States and elsewhere, 

 mostly in small sums it is true, hut our whole resour- 

 ces depend on such small sums, ond therefore we hope 

 no one will delay sending on that account. 



Kj* One word lo our friends. — We have a largof 

 supply of back numbers of the current volume on 

 hand, which ought to be in the hands of subscribers. 

 Will you not help us — would you not be doing your 

 neighbors as well as ourselves a real kindness, by soli- 

 citing them to subscribe t The currency is now con^ 

 siderably improved, and hills of moat of the states will 

 answer for remittances Pcblishkrs, 



Cattle Shows, Fairs, and Ploughing Matches. 



We subjoin a notice of the times of holding tho 

 several Agricultural Fairs, which come within our 

 knowledge, within the district where our paper prin- 

 cipally circulates, and shall keep it in until the times 

 arrive. We shall be obliged to the Secretaries of tho 

 different Agricultural Societies in New York, Ohio, 

 New England and Conadii, if they will give us (post 

 paid) the notices of their respective fairs. 

 New York State Fair, Albany, Sept. 28 and 29, 



Monroe County " Rochester, Oct. 25 and 28, 

 Ontario " " Canandaigua, Oct, ISandlP, 



Genesee " " Eatavia, Oct. 20 and 21. 



Wayne " " Palmyia, Oct, 5 and 6. 



Livingston " " Geneseo, Oct. 4 and 5. 



Oneida " " Rome, Oct. 11 and 12. 



Seneca " " Waterloo, Oct. 20 and 21. 



Tompkins" " Ithaca, Oct. 6 and 7. 



Onondaga" " Syracuse, Oct, 5 and 6. 



Jefferson " " Watertown, Sept, 15, 



Cayuga " " Auburn, Oct, 12andl3. 



Oawego " " Oswego, Oct. 5. 



Erie " " BuflTalo, Oct. Bth & 6tk 



Chemung " " Faixport, Oc. 19ih. 



Niagara " " Lockport, Oct. 18 and 16. 



Washington " Salem, Oct. lltfa. 



CANADA. 

 Durham, Bowmanville, Oct. 18. 

 Northumbeilnnd, Grafton, Oct. ]2:h 



Postponement. — On account of the session of tha 

 Circuit Court in Canandaigua at the time fiist ap- 

 poinled for the Show and Fair of the Ontario Agri- 

 culturol Society, the Show and Fair are postponed by 

 the Executive Committee to Tuesday and Wednesday, 

 the 18lh and 19th of October, 



