104 
PATHOLOGY. 
dered as the mere beverage, by which the folid portion 
of the breakfaft, the bread, See. is to be diluted, and its 
digeftion aflifted ; and it would be advifable for the deli¬ 
cate and valetudinary to curtail the liquid and augment 
the folid part of a tneal, which is to fupport them during 
the exertions of the day, rather than to fill the ftomach 
with a diluent and narcotic liquid, at once failing to 
nourifh the body, and deprefiing the aftion of the ftomach, 
where little is taken befides. 
But the effefts of improper conduft in refpeft to thofe 
things which now conftitute our breakfafts are of little 
confequence, compared to thofe which arife from the 
well-covered table at dinner. The indulgences of break¬ 
faft fupply but very few materials for deftruftion ; but 
the repeated exceffes at dinner are ferious affairs. And 
although, as we have before ftated, the quantity of food 
is the point to be principally regarded ; yet the quality 
is by no means a matter of indifference to the valetudi¬ 
nary. The principal admonition which the late Dr. He- 
berden deemed it neceffary to imprefs on the minds of 
delicate perfons and invalids, was to avoid all thofe ar¬ 
tificial ftimulants of the appetite, which excite the de- 
fire for food beyond the fimplecall of nature, and there¬ 
fore beyond the natural powers of the ftomach to digeft. 
Such are all made difhes, and condiments of the more 
poignant qualities ; nor is variety of difhes lefs perni¬ 
cious, upon the fame principle. It is probable that, in 
their nature, aromatic vegetable condiments, or fpices, 
are lefs pernicious to the organs of digeftion, than the 
various modifications of alcohol, or fpirits ; but the mif- 
chief which they occafion indireftly, by leading to excefs, 
is unbounded. This excefs is ftill more pernicious, now 
that the hour of dinner is poftponed to the evening; for 
the ftomach is enfeebled by the longabfence of ftimulus, 
and by fympathizing in the fatigue of the body, fo that 
its power of digefting a copious and heterogeneous mafs 
is greatly diminifhed. It is loaded, and diftended, and 
oppreffed ; and the body, in its turn, fuffers with the fto¬ 
mach. Hence, we fee the flufh of the countenance fuc- 
ceeding to a late and copious dinner; the indifpofition 
to any exertion, mental and corporeal ; the general op- 
preflion of the animal powers; the general fenfation of 
heat; the hurried pulfe ; dry or clammy tongue; and 
other fymptoms of feverifhnefs. It is moft obvious, 
that the daily, or even frequent, repetition of fuch a 
diforder, (for it is, in faft, a morbid condition which is 
thus produced,) cannot be fuffered, without injury to 
the conftitution. 
Some of the common articles of diet require a little 
attention. Bread, the ftaff of life, is not the ipoft eafy 
of digeftion ; if taken in confiderable quantity, very 
ftrong organs are requifite to convert it into nutriment, 
and more efpecially when it is new, for then it is of a 
glutinous and heavy nature, and extremely difficult of 
folution. Cafes have been recorded, indeed, in which 
an immoderate quantity of frefh-baked bread proved the 
caufe of death. (See London Med. Journal, vol. i. p. 
333.) In weak ftomachs a large proportion of ftale bread 
is indigeftible 5 it turns four, produces the heart-burn, 
flatulencies, and interrupts the perfect concoftion of 
every thing elfe. On this principle, the neceftity of pay¬ 
ing much attention to this capital article of diet ought 
to be inculcated on valetudinarians in general ; never to 
abftain from it wholly, but to ufe it with moderation; 
to confider it as one of thofe things which, fparingly ufed, 
is extremely neceffary and beneficial; if otherwife, the 
fruitful fource of many complaints, which are little fuf- 
pefted from this caufe. 
In this country, animal food, of one kind or another, 
conftitutes the chief part of our nourifhment. That 
there are forne kinds of more eafy, fome of harder, di¬ 
geftion, is well known to every one; fo that it is unne- 
ceflary here to particularize them. The young of animals 
is generally confidered as more eafily foluble than the old; 
but in ftomachs difpofed to acidity, this does'not appear 
to be the cafe. Animal food is rendered more digeftible, 
by approaching to a ftate of beginning putrefaftion ; 
hence, the flefli of animals recently killed is lefs eafy of 
digeftion than that which has been kept for fome time; 
and hence, alfo, the flefh of an animal which has been 
hunted, or has ufed any violent exertions before death, 
is more tender and wholefome than one which has been 
in confinement; for, after fuch exertions, the mufcular 
or fieftiy parts are difpofed to go fpeedily into a ftate of 
putrefaction. It muft not be forgotten, however, that 
this remark is applicable only to cafes where the ftomach 
is quite healthy; there being every reafon to believe, 
that, if any degree of gaftritis is excited, putrifying meat 
would prove violently ftimuldting. 
In refpeft to vegetables, the beft rule is to ufe thofe 
which beft agree with each particular conftitution. All 
the vegetables brought to table, which have been ren¬ 
dered foft by boiling, are readily digeftible. The raw ve¬ 
getables, ufed in falad, &c. are fomewhat lefs fo ; but, 
unlefs where the ftomach is much difpofed to acefcency, 
they are generally wholefome. “ On this head,” fays 
Dr. Fothergill, “ I have only one ftiort caution to give. 
Thofe who think it neceffary to pay any attention to 
their health at table, fliould take care that the quantity 
of bread, and of meat, and of puddings, and of greens, 
fliould not compofe each of them a meal, as if fome were 
only thrown in to make weight; but carefully to ob- 
ferve, that the fum of all together do not exceed due 
bounds, orincroach upon the firft feelings of fatiety.” 
With refpeft to fruit, it is doubtlefs wholefome in 
its ripe ftate; efpecially if taken in the forenoon, orin- 
ftead of a meal. But, like other agreeable and nutri¬ 
tious fubftances, it muft prove injurious, when added 
to the load of the ftomach, after a plentiful meal. 
Much might be faid about the comparative advantages 
of the different kinds of liquor ufed at table. The great 
objeft of drink at our meals is to dilute the aliment ta¬ 
ken into the ftomach, and thus render it more capable 
of digeftion. It is too often, however, ufed for a very 
different purpofe; namely, to ftimulate an imperfeft ap¬ 
petite, and to enable the ftomach to receive with relifti 
what, in its unftimulated ftate, it would loathe and re- 
jeft. Inafmuch, then, as drink is conducive to excefs in 
eating, it is pernicious to take large and frequent 
draughts of any liquid during a meal. Dr. Fothergill 
has laid down a few limple rules in refpeft to drink. 
“ The lefs quantity of fermented liquors we accuftom 
ourfelves to the better. Abftain from fpirits of every 
kind, however diluted, as much as may be. Where mild 
well-brewed beer agrees, to keep to it as a beverage. 
Where water does not difagree, to value the privilege, 
and continue it.” 
By thofe who recommended drinking not at, but after , 
meals, the interval ufually fixed upon is about two or 
three hours; and we are moreover recommended by Mr. 
Abernethy to reft for a confiderable time after a meal, 
fome experiments made on dogs having proved that the 
digeftion of food in the ftomach takes place moft readily 
when the mufcular fyftem is in a ftate of inaftion. This 
liasjbeen objefted to, however, by a Mr. Hare ; but, as 
that gentleman has not tried the experiment over again, 
his objeftions are not valid. It feems to us, that the 
natural difinclination to move which we all feel after 
partaking of food, and the frequent eruftations, &c. 
which exercife produces when ufed during the fame pe¬ 
riod, fufficiently prove the correftnefs of Mr. Aberne- 
thy’s opinions on this fubjeft, without any appeal to ex¬ 
periment. The day, then, according to the view taken 
by the diftinguifhed gentleman juft mentioned, will be 
thus divided 1 The early part of the morning is to be 
devoted to exercife. Half an hour’s reft being premifed, 
breakfaft is to be procured. Reft again becomes necef¬ 
fary for two or three hours. Exercife again Ihould then 
be had recourfe to, until within half an hour before din¬ 
ner, the latter period being as before devoted to quief- 
eence» 
