The Cause

The inability to sleep is caused:

1 By intestinal congestion or sluggish intestinal peristalsis

2 By irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines

3 By the presence of gas, superacidity, and the consequent irritation and excitation of the nerves leading out from the digestive tract

4 By the use of tobacco

5 By the consumption of stimulants and narcotics, which are so universal and so life-destroying

The effects of (4) and (5) upon the stomach are much the same as those of overeating, in that they invariably cause supersecretion of acid, and, in the majority of instances, produce false appetite, thus augmenting the baneful habit of overeating.

Insomnia - The Remedy

The logical remedy for insomnia is first to eliminate the use of tea, coffee, tobacco, distilled and malted liquors, and drugs of every kind whatsoever, as the ultimate effect upon the stomach of all these things is the same. When this has been done, the amount of food required by the body, governed by the three laws of age, work, and temperature of environment, should be accurately laid out so that the quantity of food may be controlled and overeating avoided.

Cases necessitating a special remedial diet.

The diet should also be balanced according to the chemical needs of the body heretofore mentioned. In a majority of cases, when the food scientist can prevail upon his patient to confine himself to a normal quantity of food, reasonably well balanced as to nutrient elements, the stomach will perform its natural functions, and fermentation with its long train of ills will gradually disappear. This can, in many instances, be accomplished by merely standing out of Nature's way, but in some cases the stomach, liver, intestines, and nervous system have been so long abused and so impaired that they seem to have entered into a conspiracy for mutual protection, hence may not yield to the "normal quantity" or "balanced dietary" remedy. In these cases a remedial diet must be followed, such as will restore the balance by omitting altogether the elements on which the patient had been overfed, and taking an excessive quantity of the elements for the lack of which the patient had been suffering.

The following menus should be adopted in the treatment of ordinary cases of Insomnia:

In Cases Of Insomnia, Omit

Distilled and malted liquors Drugs of every kind Desserts Flesh foods Soda-fountain drinks Tea and coffee Tobacco White bread

Eat

All fresh vegetables

Coarse cereals, boiled whole

Egg whites

Leafy salads

Nuts

Wheat bran, if constipated

Mastication should be very thorough. Eat sparingly at the evening meal. Two meals a clay preferred, 9 a.m. and 5.p.m. Drink plain water.

Why rheumatism manifests itself largely in the joints