The physiology of digestion, considered with relation to the principles of dietetics / By Andrew Combe.

  • Combe, Andrew, 1797-1847.
Date:
1845
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiology of digestion, considered with relation to the principles of dietetics / By Andrew Combe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    there is a natural tendency in the bowels to act in the morning, and we ought to encourage it by a voluntary effort. Even the reception of break- fast into the stomach seems to act as wu stimulus to intestinal contraction ; for many persons experience the inclina- tion immediately after their morning repast, and suffer if they are prevent- ed from yielding to it. Where, either from constitutional weakness, sedentary occupation, or other unavoidable causes, the bowels are unable to act sufficiently to relieve the system without assistance, we have, of course, no choice but to select that which is most suitable to the cir- cumstances and most gentle in its operation; because, if assistance be not afforded, the health will assuredly suffer. Numerous examples of this kind are met with every day, and, power; and therefore, whenever we find the bowels unable to act without medicine, our first business ought to be to discover and rectify our error —and recourse should be had to me- dicine only in so far as it is necessary to remedy the consequence of the trans- gression. As the sole object of the present volume is to make the reader acquaint- ed with the natural laws of the ani- mal economy, and with the means by which aberrations from them may be prevented and health preserved, I shall not enter upon the discussion of either the morbid conditions of the bowels, or the remedies by which these may be cured—-and consequently shall say nothing farther of the use of pur- gatives or other medicines. The con- sideration of these matters is not only aid nature by a fit diet and regi- for rectifying the consequences of the patient’s misconduct. In the great majority of cases, the action of the bowels may be restored with little or no aid from medicine, provided a suitable regimen be observed, and the result be awaited with patience and prudent forbearance. I have seen many examples of this fact in persons who had been accustomed for years to the use of purgatives, and believed they could not exist without them. Some inconvenience was experienced at first, and caution was required in de- termining how far to trust to the efforts of Nature; but in no instance did any bad consequence result even from considerable delay, when pre- cautionary means were used to pre- vent them. In this, as in other in- stances, we ought never to lose sight of the great truth, that, if the bowels were originally constituted with power to act sufficiently on the application of their own stimulus—food, there must necessarily be a wide departure from the Creator’s laws in some part of our quire an extent of detail much beyond my present limits. Perhaps some may be of opinion, that, before concluding, I ought to apologise for having introduced to the notice of the general reader such topics as those discussed in this and some of the former chapters. In doing so, I have been actuated by a deep sense of the misery arising from the prevailing ignorance on topics which, although in themselves as interesting and im- portant as any to which the human mind can be directed, have neverthe- less been passed over in silence, part- ly from not the least suspicion being generally entertained of their real bearing on our health and happiness, and partly also from false notions of delicacy diverting attention from their calm and deliberate examination. In endeavouring, therefore, to unfold, in the language of reason, what I con- ceive to be useful and momentous truths, I confess that I feel no appre- hension that any well-constituted mind will receive contamination from the perusal of these pages.