2. Masticate all solid food until it is completely liquefied and
excites in an irresistible manner the swallowing reflex or swallowing
impulse.
3. Attention to the act of mastication and insalivation, and
appreciation of the taste thereby secured, are necessary, meantime, to
excite the flow of gastric juice into the stomach to meet the food, as
demonstrated by Pawlow.
4. Strict attention to these two particulars will fulfil the
requirements of Nature relative to the preparation of the food for
digestion and assimilation; and this being faithfully done, the
automatic processes of digestion and assimilation will proceed most
profitably and will result in discarding very little digestion-ash
(fæces) to encumber the intestines or to compel excessive draft upon
the bodily energy for excretion.
5. The evidence of this economy is observed in the small amount of
excreta and its peculiar, inoffensive character, showing escape from
putrid bacterial digestion such as brings indol and skatol into
evidence offensively.
6. When the digestion and assimilation has been normally economic the
digestion-ash should be formed into little balls ranging in size from a
pea to a so-called Queen Olive, according to the food taken, should be
quite dry, and have only the odour of moist clay or a hot biscuit. This
inoffensive character remains indefinitely after excretion until the
ash completely dries or disintegrates like rotten stone or wood.
7. The weight of the digestive-ash should range (moist) from 10 grams
a day to not more than 40-50 grams a day, according to the food; the
latter estimate being based on a vegetarian diet and may not call
for excretion for many days (3 to 8); infrequency indicating best
conditions. The aseptic condition of the excreta renders retention
in the intestines quite harmless and gives opportunity for perfect
assimilation of the nutriment.
8. Fruits may hasten peristalsis, but not necessarily, if they are
thoroughly treated in the mouth as sapid liquids rather than as solids,
and are insalivated, sipped, tasted, into absorption in the same way
wine tasters test and take wine and tea tasters test tea. The latter
spit out the tea after tasting, as otherwise it vitiates their taste
and ruins them for their discriminating profession.
9. Milk, soups, wines, beer, and all sapid liquids or semi-solids
should be treated in this manner for the best assimilation and
digestion as well as for the best gustatory results. The care
recommended will reduce the quantity tolerable by the appetite and lead
to habits of healthy temperance, but secures maximum satisfaction.
10. This would seem to entail a great deal of care and bother and lead
to the waste of time.
11. Such, however, is not the case. To restore the natural protective
reflexes in the beginning does require strict attention and persistent
care to overcome life-long habits of nervous haste, but if the attack
is earnest the habits of mouth-treatment and appetite discrimination
soon become fixed and guide the deliberation in taking food
unconsciously to the feeder.
12. Food of a proteid value of 5-7 grams of nitrogen and 1500-2000 k.
calories of fuel value, paying strict attention to the appetite for
selection and carefully treated in the mouth, has been found to be
the quantity best suited to metabolic economy and efficiency of both
mind and body in sedentary pursuits and ordinary business activity;
and, also, such habits of economy have given practical immunity from
the common diseases for a period extending over more than five years,
whereas the same subject was formerly subject to periodical illness.
The same economy and immunity have shown themselves consistently in
the cases of many test subjects, covering periods of three years,
and applies equally to both sexes, all ages, and other idiosyncratic
conditions.
13. The time necessary for satisfying complete body needs and appetite
daily, when the habit of attention, appreciation, and deliberation have
been installed, is less than half an hour, no matter how divided as to
number of rations. This necessitates industry of mastication, to be
sure, and will not admit of waste of much time between mouthfuls.
14. Ten minutes will completely satisfy a ravenous appetite if all
conditions of ingestion and preparation are favourable.
15. Both quantitive and qualitive supply of saliva is an important
factor in buccal (mouth) preparation of nutriment, but attention to
these fundamental requirements soon regulates the supply of all of the
digestive juices, and, in connection with the care recommended above,
insures economy of nutrition, and, probably, immunity from disease.
(Signed) HORACE FLETCHER.
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