INDIGESTION. 351 



water will a healthy one. The proper treatment in such 

 <3ases is a soothing one. When food is taken it ought to 

 stimulate the sensory gastric nerves, so as to excite the reflex 

 centres for the secretory nerves, and for the dilatation of 

 the blood-vessels, of the organ; if it does not, tre gastric 

 juice will be imperfectly secreted. In such cases one may 

 stimulate the secretory nerves by weak alkalies (p. 336), as 

 Apollinaris water or a little carbonate of soda, before meals; 

 or give drugs, as strychnine, which increase the irritability 

 of re^ex nerve-centres. The vascular dilatation may be 

 helped by warm drinks, and this is probably the rationale 

 of the glass of hot water after eating which has recently 

 heen in vogue; the usual cup of hot coffee after dinner (the 

 desirability of which is proved by the consensus of civilized 

 mankind) is a more agreeable form of the same aid to 

 digestion. In states of general debility, when the stomach 

 is too feeble to secrete under any stimulation, the adminis- 

 tration of weak acids and artificially prepared pepsin is 

 needed, so as to supply gastric juice from outside, until the 

 improved digestion strengthens the stomach up to the 

 point of being able to do its own work. 



Enough has probably been said to show that dyspepsia 

 is not a disease, but a symptom accompanying many patho- 

 logical conditions, requiring special knowledge for their 

 treatment. From its nature depriving the Body of its 

 proper nourishment it tends to intensify itself, and so 

 should never be neglected; a stitch in time saves nine. 



