A Plea for the Stomach. 633 
swell the misery of its subject, distracting it by excitement, 
drawing away from it the vital force intended to protect its 
walls, paralysing it by shocks, and in a thousand mad ways 
creating confusion. It is clear that the ruler cannot 
run riot without the ruled paying a heavy penalty ; so inti- 
mate is their relation, so manifold are their connecting 
links, so infinitely ramified are their interests, that folly 
and ignorance on the part of the one are sure to entail dis- 
aster upon the other, which may be fatal in its consequences. 
To ensure, as far as possible, a healthy state of stomach, 
a good common-sense head is required to guard it from ex- 
ternal assaults and internal dissensions, and in all matters 
guide it aright; and what a return the well-treated stomach 
can make for the exercise of legitimate care on its behalf! 
The head may rule wisely and thus deserve some credit, 
although in so doing it is serving its own aims, but look 
at what the stomach does on its side: it keeps the head 
going, it elaborates and works away to prepare and supply 
needful force in the form of brain, and is ever ready to re- 
spond to generous treatment, or even selfish kindness, on 
the part of its lord. Its work is one of love, regard its 
sympathy ; let but the head receive a serious hurt, and lo! 
the stomach at once turns away from former objects of 
interest and rejects them entirely ; let the head be weary, 
and the stomach tires, let the head mope with grief or 
ennui and the stomach pines, let the head be turned for 
the sake of woman, and the stomach refuses to be com- 
forted and to heed its accustomed food: surely such a 
faithful servant merits good treatment, and sympathy of 
such a character ought never to be contemptuously met. 
We often feel surprised at the disposition there is 
to speak lightly of the stomach; men talk of the head 
with reverence, but scarcely deign to allude to the stomach, 
excepting in a very cursory fashion. Now, whilst we 
do not for a moment desire to place the servant upon 
the same level with the master, we do think that honest 
service is entitled to respect ; and although the head, from 
its exalted position, cannot well avoid looking down upon 
the stomach, we think it bad taste to insult it by any 
allusion to its lower sphere, or to cast imputations upon 
its comparatively menial functions. There is one office of a 
king and another of a crossing-sweeper, and if both fulfil 
them conscientiously they are equally praiseworthy. But 
whilst we advocate the propriety of paying due deference 
to the feelings of the stomach, and recognising the just 
