Autointoxication, or Self-Poisoning
By Alfred B. Olsen
Among various forms of autointoxication, we shall here briefly discuss that which is due to the absorption of poisons formed in the intestinal canal through the action of germs. Although this is perhaps one of the most common forms of self-poisoning, little attention is paid to it. Many persons suffer from headaches, backaches, and various other aches and pains, from drowsiness, from a feeling of languor, amounting sometimes even to stupor, from general inactivity, and a want of fitness, all of which symptoms can be ascribed to autointoxication. When food is taken into the alimentary canal under normal conditions, it begins to undergo digestion at once. But if the digestive processes are slow and uncertain for any reason, the germs already in the intestinal canal, or those which accompany food, begin their activities. The result is an abnormal process called fermentation, which is due to the action of germs. Instead of being digested, and prepared to nourish the body, the food is decomposed by the germs, and various processes of decay take the place of ordinary digestion. This means the production of certain fermentation products, all of which are more or less poisonous to the human system. The action of germs upon food, and particularly upon nitrogenous food, such as animal flesh, is a putrefactive one, and the stomach and intestines become the seat of putrefaction instead of digestion. Some of the putrid bodies which are formed are exceedingly poisonous, cause intense irritation in the stomach and bowels, and may lead to violent vomiting and purging. But although most of them are far less violent in their action, they often result in much physical discomfort and annoyance, the causes of which are little understood by the average person. If, in addition to these fermentation processes which are going on in the intestinal canal, the bowels are also constipated, the harmful effects are proportionately increased; for this means that there is every inducement possible for the absorption of the poisonous products. A daily evacuation of the bowels is essential to good health, and would aid much in mitigating the evils of fermentation. In the putrefactive processes mentioned above, there is often a production of more or less offensive gases, which cause the well-known symptom called flatulence, and sometimes lead to the belching of wind. The presence of these gases in the stomach and bowels may cause a good deal of disturbance and also considerable pain. But let no one think that the absence of flatulence means also the absence of fermentation and putrefaction; this is by no means the case. Some of the worst forms of putrefaction in the alimentary canal are not accompanied by any perceptible formation of gas. Aside from the accidental use of spoiled food, the two chief causes of intestinal putrefaction are, first, overindulgence in flesh foods; and, second, overeating, especially of proteids. Professor Chittenden, of Yale University, has made a special study of the quantity of nitrogenous food required by the average man or woman. His conclusion is that the amount ordinarily taken by most persons is altogether out of proportion to the requirements of the body, and that the surplus makes for ill-health and disease. According to Chittenden, ten per cent of the food which the body requires, should consist of proteids, such as the albumen of egg, the gluten of wheat, the legumin of beans, etc. The truth is that persons who indulge in flesh food to any extent are almost certain to take more nitrogenous food than they require. Practically speaking, lean beef consists of proteid only, aside from the water it contains. Ordinary bread, and especially whole-meal or brown bread, contains about the proper proportion of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous material. Both eggs and milk are rich in proteid, and the same is true of beans, lentils, and dried peas. All nuts, except Italian chestnuts, contain a large percentage of proteid. On the other hand, fruits, and most vegetables as well, contain but a trifling amount of nitrogen. Rice is a distinctly farinaceous food, and so are potatoes. Benefits of Exercise and Bathing
Besides regulating the diet, and omitting flesh foods, physical exercise is necessary for good digestion. Such exercise means a large increase in the intake of oxygen, and this brings about a corresponding increase of oxidation, so that many of the poisons which are assimilated into the system are readily burned, or oxidized. The presence of an abundance of oxygen in the tissues means a more complete oxidation of the food material used by the body. Consequently there will be less of these poisons formed in the tissues themselves as a product of incomplete metabolism. Furthermore, the digestive processes will be more active, and there will be less opportunity for the putrefactive germs to do harm. Tepid, cool, or cold baths and cold sponging are also useful in increasing the oxidation processes of the body. They serve to stimulate both respiration and circulation, and their general influence is to vitalize the tissues and strengthen the resistive forces of the body. Warm and hot baths, on the other hand, such as electric light, Turkish, and vapor baths, improve the eliminative processes of the body, and help to get rid of waste matter that may have been absorbed from the alimentary canal, or may result from imperfect metabolism. A good sweat assists very materially in purifying the blood.