demand more food than is absolutely required; first, by the repetition
of aliment, and secondly, by its variety;--therefore both of these
causes must be avoided. The stomach, like every other part, can, and
unfortunately does, acquire habits highly injurious to itself; and that
of demanding an unnecessary quantity of aliment is not one of the least.
It should, therefore, be constantly borne in mind, that it is not the
quantity of food taken into the stomach, that is available to the proper
purposes of the system; but the quantity which can be digested, and
converted into nourishment fit to be applied to such purposes."

There is a great deal of truth in these remarks; and especially in the
closing one, that not all which is taken into the stomach is digested.
It is highly probable, that the least quantity which is usually given to
an infant is more than sufficient for the purposes of digestion; and
that nearly every child in the arms of its mother, is over-fed.

I know it has been said, by some physicians--and by those who are
sensible men, in other respects, too--that the child's stomach is a
pretty correct guide in regard to quantity. If we give it too much, say
they, it will reject it;--as if that were an end of the matter.

But it is not so. It is by no means harmless to fill the child's stomach
as full as is possible without overflowing. Such a process, though it
should not create disease directly, would produce a gluttonous habit.
The stomach, being muscular, may be increased in size by use, like all
other muscular organs. The hands, the arms, the legs, the feet, the
fleshy portions of the face, even, may be disproportionally enlarged by
constant use. Thus a sailor, who uses his hands and arms much more than
his legs and feet, has the former unusually large; one who is much
accustomed to walking, has large feet; and in a tailor, who from
childhood uses his lower limbs comparatively little, they are both small
and slender. On the same principle, the stomach, by inordinate use, and
by carrying unreasonable loads, may be made nearly twice as large as
nature intended, and may demand twice as much food. And I have no doubt
that the bulk of mankind, young and old, eat about twice as much as
nature, unperverted, would require.

If the suggestions of our last section are duly attended to, one of the
causes which lead the stomach to demand an unreasonable quantity of food
will be avoided--I mean the too frequent "repet