Physiology, animal and mental : applied to the preservation and restoration of health of body and mind / by O.S. Fowler.

  • Fowler, O. S. (Orson Squire), 1809-1887.
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physiology, animal and mental : applied to the preservation and restoration of health of body and mind / by O.S. Fowler. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    rising, or after breakfast, or dinner, or supper ; the earlier the better. A little attention to the formation of regularity in this matter, will effectually cure constipation, and do much towards restoring digestion. Mothers should lead children to form this habit in childhood, and all should practice it till it becomes second nature. Neglecting to attend to this call of nature, and to a kindred evacution, occasions more dis- ease and suffering than people imagine. Dyspepsia is generally accompanied by acidity of the stomach, caused by that souring of the food in it already explained. This acidity can be removed. One means is by taking- those kinds of food and chemical agents which wTill neutralize it. Alkalies will sometimes do this, yet they are better taken in saleratus bread, which is far better for dyspep- tics than yeast-bread. Oyster-shells, baked and powdered, are also highly recommended, and may be useful. That they often neutralize the acids of the stomach is evinced by the wind they bring up. But do they not leave a deleterious compound in its place ? Still they often do at least temporary good. Some acids decompose other acids, and hence some stomachic acidi- ties may be cured by taking the right kind of acids. The acids found in fruits are the best for this purpose. Hence lemons often improve the tone of the stomach ; and when they do so, they should be eaten. Hence, also, lemonade is often a highly beneficial drink for dispeptics, and should be drunk freely, when it produces a comfortable feeling in the stomach. There are doubtless effectual antidotes in nature, and espacially in food, exactly adapted to remove any species of stomachic disorder, by neutralizing or carrying off the noxious compound. In fact, I fully believe that science will yet discover particular kinds of food which will effectually counteract all disordered states of the whole body. To illustrate. The rank poison, corrosive sublimate, if I mis- take not, can be at once neutralized by eating soap freely, or swallowing any alkila in large quantities. The poisonous virus infused into the system by the bites of mad dogs, and poisonous snakes, can be effectu- ally neutralized by taking certain chemical agents recently discovered, of which vinegar is one. Now I fully believe that mankind will yet discover some such antidote for every sort of morbid matter, obstruc- tion, and disease incident to the body. Excess of carbon has already been shown to be one prolific cause of disease ; and all diseases thus caused are easily obviated by taking little carbon into the system in the form of food, meanwhile introducing much oxygen in the form of breath to burn it out. Thus, suppose you have a bile or abscess, or fever sore ; as the corrupt matter consists mainly of carbon, of course, by eating little, and eating those kinds of food which abound in fibrine, tissue, etc., yet contain little carbon, you reduce the supply of carbon, and if, meanwhile, you breathe copiously, so as to burn it up fast, you, of course, soon evacuate this surplus carbon, heal the abscesses, and re- store the healthy action of the system. Undoubtedly this principle might be applied effectually to the cure of consumption, as it has been to the gravel. And I fully believe this principle of neutralization will soon be applied so as immediately and effectually to cure all sorts of disease, and prolong life to twice its present period. I earnestly com- mend this point to the scientific researches of chemists, and to the prac- tical experiments of all. Stomachic inflammation also accompanies indigestion, and causes those pains incident to dyspepsia. This can be easily reduced, arid along with it those cravings of the appetite already shown to accompany dyspepsia. You ask how ? This brings up for consideration the drink of dys- peptics—its kind, time, and quantity. Cold water is undoubtedly man's natural beverage. On this point we need not enlarge. Besides promoting health, its medicinal proper- ties are great. It is one of those powerful neutralizers of the corrupt