Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/528

 504 ..iiiimiiiiiiinnr Conducted by ELIZABETH SLOAN CHESSER, M.B. This important section of Every Woman's Encyclopedia is conducted by this prominent - ■ " !• . 1 • -.i jegard to all ailments from childhood a complete reference library, in which Such subjects as the following will lady doctor, who will give sound medical advice with to old age. When completed this section will form will be found the best treatment for every human il be fully dealt with : ffo/fie Nursing Infants' Diseases Adults' Diseases Homely C^ires Consiiniptioh Health Hints Hospitals Health Resorts First Aid Common Medical Blunders The Medicine Chest Simple Remedies^ etc., etc. i'ontittufd froDi pasic 35S, Parts * THE SECRET ©F HEALTH PERFECT DIGESTION AND SENSIBLE DIETETICS The Importance of Moderation— The Diet Suited to One Man Does not Necessarily Suit Another- Some Valuable and Golden Rules IT has Decome a truism to say that the great majority of people in comfortable circum- stances eat too much. Scientific inquiry some time ago elicited the fact that the amount of food which had previously been considered essential to health had been very much over-estimated. Professor Chittenden in America demonstrated that vigorous health could be maintained on restricted diet even in those cases where severe muscular work was required. He found by experiment that soldiers, athletes, and students would work better and improve in health by a reduction of food, particularly of proteid food. As a result of these experiments and the publicity given to them by the Press, and owing to the systematic teaching of medical people that simple diet is one of the royal roads to health, the general public is becoming much more sen- sible upon the subject of dietetics. Indeed, one result of the reaction against over- indulgence in food has been the development of a huge army of food faddists, devout disciples of vegetarianism or of meat and barley water cures, according to their temperament and inclination. Whilst exponents of food faddism may seem to be ridiculous to a heedless world, if the faddist achieves healthy digestion he is wise in remaining faithful to his theories. The apparent anomalies of diet fads can be explained by the old truth that " one man's meat is another man's poison." Vegetarianism may be the best thing for Jones ; Smith may obtain health and happiness by devotion to lean meat and water. The diet that suits the digestion of a Russian would ruin the health of an Italian or a Japanese. It is not the quality or quantity of food we eat that gives vitality, but what we digest and absorb into our blood. One golden rule in dietetics is moderation. By moderate eating we are more likely to escape dyspepsia, sick headaches, and bilious attacks. By controlling our appetites and trying to understand the physiology of digestion, by realising the folly of eating more than we need, we shaU escape the ills that are so apt to come into middle life in the shape of rheumatism, gout, and obesity. Nerves and irritability of temper are too often the result of errors of diet, and one secret of happiness and placidity of temper is sensible dietetics. Imperfect digestion is far more often than we know the reason of vague unhappiness and a sense of failure and incapacity to do good work. Unfortunately, the majority of people take no heed of Nature's early warnings that their digestion is out of gear. They wait until that group of symptoms which they call " dys- pepsia " compels them to realise that something is wrong. Then they begin to dose themselves for headache, biliousness, or pain after eating. With what result ? They may soothe their symptoms for the time being, but in the end they are conquered by their stomachs, and have to seek medical advice. Causes of Dyspepsia There is always a cause for indigestion, biliousness, sick headache, and the other ills which follow in the train of " dyspepsia." Perfect digestion is a painless, physiological process, the details of which can be studied by reading the article on " Home Nursing," on page 360. In a state of health, digestion is unconscious and painless. When, however, anyone has systematically over-eaten, rushed through meals, taken food at all sorts of odd times, or eaten