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 
capacity 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 
they ea‘ is made of coarse material ; yet with that, and the additior 
of a little oil, wine, and a few vegetables, they can indure greater 
fatigue, end often carry a heavier burden than he who lives on 
more concentrated food. We may distend the horse’s stomach. 
witht coarse food. and, perhaps, not impair its function so much as 
«hea overburdened wi.h meal and concentrated food. 
The stomach must be made to work for a living once in 
awhile. Hard work agrees with it, and coarse fodder stimulate: 
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 
speed, 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 
same 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 ita 
powers, 
It must be borne in mind, however, that the various functiona 
of the body require periods of rest; for, shoul a horse be permit- 
ted to stand up toa full crib, and spend the greater part of tie 
day 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 syinpa- 
thetic headache, or the stomach grows refractory, and casts up the 
burden, for the simple reason that its function is overtaxed. It 
wust have rest. The same rule applies to the muscular and men- 
