Volume 1

The practice of medicine / by Thomas Hawkes Tanner.

  • Thomas Hawkes Tanner
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The practice of medicine / by Thomas Hawkes Tanner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/692 (page 10)
    [pABT I. formation of muscular and nervous tissues^ &c. llhe fatlij aliments, including all animal and vegetable oils^ are essential to nutrition. They are both plastic and calorifacient. To keep up the tissues and supply mechanical force, the fats have to be furnished in due proportion just as the albuminates must be supplied. The carho-hydrates, or starches and sugars and gums, are believed to be simply combustible or force or heat-giving, and not plastic. In addition to these three great groups, it is necessary that certain salts and water be provided. Phosphate of lime, chloride of sodium, potash, magnesia, iron, and other saline matters are needed in the production of osseous and muscular and nervous substance; and as the body is constantly parting Avith these inorganic substances, so health cannot be maintained Avithout their restoration. Fortunately, they are largely present in our drinking waters, and in meat and vegetables. Thus, the mineral elements in vrheat, potatoes, watercresses, &c. are of great value. Then as water constitutes about four-fifths of the body, it can be nnderstood how vitally significant the aqueous part of food must be. All important as solid food is, yet its loss is by no means so early appreciated by the system as is the deprivation of liquids, which, if complete, is followed by death much more speedily than absolute privation of solid food. There still remains a group of substances which may be called com.])lemental foods: that is to say, without acting' as heat-givers, or muscle-makers, or bone-builders, these substances retard the destructive metamor- phosis of tissue; while by their action on the nervous system they give rise to agreeable impressions, and render both mental and bodily labour less exhaustive than hard work proves to be without their aid. The chief articles in this class are tea and coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. They may all probably be regarded as compensating agents for a deficiency of food. Equally, where an excess of nourishment is consumed, the injurious consequences will be increased by these things—more especially by alcohol and tobacco. An important question which remains to be noticed is, as to the quantity of food required for the maintenance of healthy nutrition? Now in answering this it is only possible to. speak somewhat vaguely—to deal with generalities; so necessary is it that the amount should be modified according to age, climate, habits of life, custom, and so on. The healthy man who takes but little out of himself in the shape of work, will be called upon to restore less tissue-waste j and hence, his food ought to be less rich in flesh-formers than that of an active labourer—whether of mind or body. But granting this, there are still certain principles appli- cable to the average man, and these now claim a short notice. The daily loss of substance being great, an equivalent amount of liquid and solid aliment has to be introduced from without, if we would ward oft' disease and maintain life. Allow too much food to be consumed, -and hyperemia with other morbid conditions will