Circumstances Affecting Digestion
It may seem almost superfluous to say much concerning the influence of the mind upon digestion; yet no subject is more important, and none so imperfectly understood. The mental condition which is depressing the digestive functions may be entirely unrecognized. For instance: some mishap or disappointment overtakes a susceptible individual. He thinks he is treating the matter philosophically and not worrying over it; and yet he may experience a severe diarrhea, or loss of appetite, or heaviness after meals, with other dyspeptic symptoms. He may be some time recovering his equilibrium, or notwithstanding a most careful regulation of diet. Such cases yield readily to some radical change which takes the mind into other channels, such as a camping trip, a sea voyage, a visit to a distant but dear friend—anything, in fact, which completely diverts the mind without taxing it, especially if the new surroundings tend to a state of mental rest and happiness. It does little good to say to such people, “Cheer up.” They may not realize that they are not cheered up. It should be the work of some good Samaritan to take in the situation, and, without explaining why, plan an outing or a trip for the sufferer in such a way as to relieve him of all care. One reason why camping trips and outings sometimes do not do more good is that the campers let their business cares follow them. Their mails are sent to them, and they are in reach of telephone and telegraph. The sensible man, in need of rest, will plan his work so he can go out where mails will not reach him, and then forget that he has any business. Napoleon was a man with immense responsibilities, and yet when the time for sleep came, he could stop the work in his massive brain, and sink into what oblivion. Many men, and women, too, with smaller burdens, lay awake nights, with wheels buzzing away in their heads, and of course they can not have good digestion. The cause must be removed before a cure can be realized. All unpleasant moods, as anger, envy, jealousy, hatred, mortification, are paralyzing in their action. No one can afford to indulge them even though he is living only for this world; for they unfit one for the duties of this life as well as the life to come. Every unpleasant emotion, it is said, poisons the fluids of the body. The infant taking milk from the breast of an enraged mother may be thrown into spasms. How about the self-poisoning which is going on in the mother? It is probable that every tissue suffers as the result of these abnormal and unpleasant mental states. A fit of anger will stop digestion perhaps for hours. A severe disappointment will completely destroy the appetite. Food eaten under such circumstances is poorly digested and assimilated. In fact, it is much better for one to fast when in a depressed mental condition. The best way, though, is so to change one’s surroundings that the mind will be completely turned into other channels, and then it will not be needful to fast.—Pacific Health Journal.