_, and in its various forms it taxes the skill of the
physician to prescribe the proper remedies. It is undeniable that the
closest intimacy exists between happiness and good digestion. A healthy
digestion aids materially in making a cheerful disposition, and the
"feast of reason and flow of soul" is due as much to the functional
integrity of the stomach as to a strong and generous mental
organization. Dr. Johnson severely said: "_Every man is a rascal as soon
as he is sick._" We all know that a morbid condition irritates the
individual and excites sarcastic and disagreeable remarks. And,
likewise, an irritable temper and, suddenly aroused passions may not
only turn and disturb the stomach, but even poison the secretions.
Anxiety, excitability, fear, and irritability frequently cause the
perversion of physiological processes.

The slightest functional disturbance of the stomach deranges, more or
less, all the succeeding operations of digestion and tends to the
vitiation and impairment of the delicate processes of nutrition.
Dyspepsia may commence and proceed so insidiously as not to excite the
suspicion of friends, although the patient generally desires active
treatment, such as cathartics, emetics, and medicines to act upon the
liver. When the disease becomes confirmed, it presents some of the
following symptoms: Weight, uneasiness, and fullness in the region of
the stomach, attended by impatience, irritability, sluggishness,
anxiety, and melancholy; there is impairment of the appetite and taste,
also sourness, flatulency, and, perhaps, frequent attacks of colic, loss
of hope, courage, and energy; apathy, drowsiness, and frightful dreams
are also symptoms common in the different stages of this disease. There
are, furthermore, the accompanying symptoms of a coated tongue, bitter
taste in the mouth, unpleasant eructations, scalding of the throat from
regurgitation, offensive breath, sick headache, giddiness, disturbed
sleep, sallow countenance, heart-burn, morbid craving after food,
constant anxiety and apprehension, fancied impotency, and fickleness.
The subjects of dyspepsia frequently imagine that they require medicines
to act upon the liver, desire active treatment, are endlessly
experimenting in diet, daily rehearse their symptoms, and are morbidly
sensitive.

CAUSES. Overtasking the body or mind, overloading the stomach, the use
of improper food, such as stale vegetables and meat, unripe fruits,
indigestible arti