Etiology

This disease is the culmination of a number of attacks of acute gastritis, with a continuous abuse to the stomach between attacks. Those who build this state of the stomach are very imprudent in eating. As a rule they overeat, and they always eat improperly. Other sensual habits are practiced.

Symptoms

The mucous membrane will become more or less thickened. This takes place especially near the pyloric orifice. This opening frequently becomes thickened and hardened, so that the contents of the stomach do not pass out readily. A very common symptom is a feeling of discomfort midway between meals--sometimes, in the early stages, starting up an hour before the regular meal-time. This discomfort is described as a hunger pain. If these symptoms are relieved by eating, the patient grows worse; the desire for food becomes more urgent, and occurs at shorter intervals, until a time arrives when the patient is suffering great distress constantly, due to decomposition, and the irritation, inflammation, and congestion that follow. The tongue is often red; sometimes broad and pallid. This disease produces symptoms, reflex and otherwise, paralleling symptoms of almost every other disease. Indeed, the reflex derangements due to this condition of the stomach are very numerous, and are often treated as primary diseases. Such ailments as piles, headache, nervous irritation, and migraine are almost entirely due to derangement of the stomach; yet unfortunately they are treated as independent diseases, instead of as simply symptomatic.

Treatment

Chronic gastritis is brought on from overeating, improper eating, hasty eating, or improper mastication; gum chewing; the use of tobacco--chewing or smoking; the use of alcoholics, and the drug habit generally. Many people use drastic drugs in securing a movement from the bowels; and, if they are not already constipated, they soon will be, after treating this disease in this way. Following the use of cathartics will be established the cathartic habit, which is a constant source of irritation in the stomach and bowels. The state of the mind will have much to do with digestion. Those who worry, or give way to their emotions, will always be troubled with chronic gastric indigestion.

Venereal abuse, the lascivious habit, breaks down resistance and produces chronic gastritis in those who are predisposed to stomach trouble. It is superfluous to say that the first thing necessary is to find out what the cause is, and to remove it; then nature will do the rest. Whatever bad habit is causing the disease, that bad habit must be stopped.

Constipation should be palliated by the use of laxative foods and enemas.

The eating habits should be corrected. A safe plan in all cases is to stop eating for one to three days, and then follow with fruit for three days. After that, fruit in the morning; dinner at noon of meat, cooked, non-starchy vegetables, and a salad. The salad will agree with these cases, provided they will masticate thoroughly. Then fruit should be taken for the evening meal for a few days; after which starch may be taken for one meal each day.

The Golden Rule has to be observed in every case, or there will be no progress made. No food--not even fruit--is to be taken unless the patient is comfortable from one meal-time to the other. These patients must be given to understand, when they are brought back to health, that they can never return to their old eating habits without suffering a relapse in a very short time. It should be generally known that after forty-five years of age the amount of food should be reduced very decidedly every decade. There is very little waste after men give up their active life; hence to eat heartily is to burden the system, bring on indigestion, lower nutrition, and pen up in the body waste matter that will harden the tissues, prematurely age the subject, and in many cases bring on arteriosclerosis.

It should be understood that chronic gastritis--or, as far as that is concerned, any disease--cannot per se be successfully treated. Disease is the sum-total of the effects of wrong life; hence, to cure any disease, it is necessary to correct the living habits, whatever they are. To undertake to cure this disease by any special form of treatment, without paying any attention to the physical and mental habits of the patient, is the height of folly. Some undertake to correct this disease with the milk diet. The majority of patients who take the milk diet will be benefited; but they must go off this diet some time, and, if they know nothing about proper eating, they will return to their old style of eating--and soon the disease will be brought back.

Drugs are of no benefit in this disease. In those cases which are troubled much with fermentation--acid stomach--there can be no objection to using a little alkaline mineral water; but, as this is not always convenient, a half teaspoonful of soda may be put dry on the tongue, and followed with a glass of hot water. This will neutralize the acid, as will be evidenced by the throwing-off of gas. The patient will rest, and get up refreshed in the morning; whereas, if nothing is done, the tongue will be coated, there will be a bad taste in the mouth, and the patient will get up heavy, dull, and tired. One great objection, however, to palliatives is that they license the patient to continue in his evil eating habits. When a condition requiring soda develops, it should be a hint to change the eating a little--eat a little less or combine more rationally. This disease will get well, and stay well, if the patient is willing to make a little personal sacrifice. There is no question but that the stomach can take care of the food necessary, but it cannot take care of all kinds of food at one meal.