DIGESTION, 
large, and often complicated ftomach: while the carnivorous 
tribes have a fhort and {mall digeftive canal, conftructed in 
finch a manner as to afford a rapid pafiage to their animal 
food, which contains more nourifhment under a {maller 
bulk, which is digefted more eaiily and readily, and ae 
have putrefied if detained too long. In this point of vicw, 
vegetable food, and thofe which fubflt o 3 hb 
adapted for both thofe kinds of nourthment, and is not 
derived tolerably 
leer arguments on both fides, from the form and num- 
er of the teeth, ftruéture of the inteftines, &c. We have 
already ihe, in the defcription of the teeth under t 
article Cranium, that their form, &c. would lead to a 
fame ondal on, as we have now pointed out. 
Hunger and Thirfl. 
The want of food arifes from the neceffity of obviating 
the loffes en our body is conftantly,fuffering, in the per- 
formance of its various functions; and of preventing, by the 
reparation of thefe loffes, the fatal effets which they would 
oth aie occafion. It is announced in all ani nals by an 
active and imperious feeling, which we call hunger, when it 
peparls folid food ; thir, “when its objet is liquids. Ani- 
mal life could not be continued to the term allotted by the 
_ Creator without a conflant fupply of nutriment ; we are in 
cited to take this by the pleafure attendant on the gratifi- 
cation of cur natural wants ; which safe is always in- 
creafed in proportion to the nec ceflity of gratifying them 
The appetite of the luxurious glutton can bardly be rouled 
eit 
urgent, t 
exert cee eee and ee ee he are of (sad a 
drink 
Thefz wants are more urgent in the early peri:ds of life, 
when, befides the he Dataion of daily loftes, materials of 
oe the nutritive pheno- 
mo 
ore ate in robutt inaietdaals 
rtions, efpecially in the 
open air, an 1d who, confequestly, experience a greater 
daily lofs. Labonring men, tke children, take daily four 
meals, or more, and thofe plentifu’ ones. Fatigue diffipates 
in former what is apphed to purpofes of growth in the 
at 
a Habit coniiderably modifies our feelings in regard to food. 
The periodical returns of hunger at the arbitrarily fixed pe- 
i meals; andthe lofs of appetite experienced when 
the accuftomed 
meal, ftrongly- illuftrate this. 
tin@ion between hunger and appetite, oe the eee 
as the natural expreffio on of a real want; the latter as t 
habitual refult of an artificial defire. “Phe latt is confider. 
ably influenced by the imagination and the will, The recol- 
ieee = a a cifgaling object will eae diffipate the appetite, 
and-e a it into an averfion from food: profou he 
sseditatiot, agreeable amufements, or {trong eavurs deaden 
our fenfe of hunger, and render us fora time infenfible to its: 
effects. 
A want of food produces a diminution in the weight of 
the body, which is already very ua at the expiration of 
twenty-four hours; emaciation from the general abforption 
of the adipous fubflance ; coldnefs ; ser ae of ftrength ; 
and the mo painful dragging fenfation at t 
ftomach. It has alfo been affirtedthat the 
flnids degenerate, become alkaline, acrid, and even putrid ; 
that the blocd-veffels and nerves are eroded, and hence that 
hemorrhages enfue, &c. But we believe that thefe circum- 
{tances are not drawn from obfervation, and that no fuch 
changes enfue. 
A healthy adult certainly could not abftain from food for 
7 ce hours without feeling very confiderable weaknefs; 
and, ight days, death 
n many ire 
Generally f{peaking, 
hes more rapidly in proportion to the 
uth and ftren i of the fubjeQ. 
d up with his chi Idre 
ina dungeon, died the laft on the vighth day, after eng 
his four fons perifh fucceffively amid the convulfions o 
and the cries of defpair, vitims of the mot horrible ian. 
ance ponrted in the annals of human crimes. 
Yet numerous inftances have occurred, in which, contrary 
to the accuftomed courfe, abftinence has been fuftained for 
who furvived after being bu nried in fnow for eight days; the 
fenfation of hunger ceafed after the firft day. Thirtt was 
both fo: id and ha d for fourteen days without app ene t 
much weakened by 1 n the medical communications, 
r. Willan has mentioned a a young man, who, haviog taken: 
up fome ftrange’ religious notions, lived for fixty days- 
on a pint of water flightly flavoured with orange juice each. 
y. Dr. Birch,in his Hiftory of the Royal Society, vol. i.- 
fpeake of Johanna aia a young lady of noble extrac~ 
tion, reduced to indigen 
other of three years abitinence, as laarapied cutheiti and 
well afcertained. em. meV 
In explanation of thefe fats, we ma oes that yee 
of the iubjeéts were weak and delicate women, living ina 
of complete ination; many of them almoft infenfible,. rapid, 
and lethargic. The men in every inftanee were melancholic. 
In fuch fubjedts, the organs were not fenfible to the natural 
ftimuli, and the cuftomary loffes of the body in per{piration, 
{weat, &c. were not obferved:: the exiftence of life alm 
extin€ was only proved by a- pulfe bly to be felt, and a 
re{piration (eee: perceptible performed at long: intervals. 
n 
f abltin water was freely take n, which 
would undoubtedly core many of the ils arifing from 
hunger. 
