Gastritis is a word meant to describe a chronic and a painful condition of stomach and of intestinal irritation. When the stomach becomes much irritated from constant fermentation of food, and from the resultant presence of acid, certain articles such as milk, fruit-acids, and starchy foods will cause rapid accumulation of gas, which becomes exceedingly painful and sometimes dangerous. The majority of deaths from so-called heart-failure is caused directly by the accumulation of gas from the fermenting mass of food in the stomach and in the intestines. These organs become greatly inflated, and their pressure against all the vital organs, and against the arteries leading into and out of the lungs and the heart so impair the circulation that the heart action becomes very irregular - first slow and faint; sometimes skipping a beat, and again violent and palpitating. When the congested blood spurts through into the heart it is called "arterial overflow," and the old diagnostician seems to have been content with giving this a name. It is certain they have not yet given the world a remedy, as the regular profession is still prescribing such drugs as bicarbonate of soda, bismuth subni-trate, and nux vomica, none of which can give more than temporary relief, and that is accomplished by neutralizing the acid at the tremendous expense of the cells that secrete it.

Gas, the primary cause of heart trouble.

Gastritis - The Cause

Gastritis is caused: 1 By the use of stimulants 2 Irritating foods, condiments, etc.

3 Overeating, especially of acid fruits, starches and sweets

4 Cirrhosis of the liver is sometimes one of the secondary causes of gastritis

Gastritis - The Symptoms

The symptoms are usually a dull pain in the region of the stomach and upper intestines, a swollen full feeling, now and then biting pains, followed by a dark vomit, especially when the attack comes late at night.

Gastritis is often confused with gastric cancer, and in diagnosis it is difficult to speak with authority as to whether the case is ordinary gastritis, as above described, gastric ulcer, or gastric cancer. The diagnostician in making up his opinion must be governed largely by the time the condition has endured, and the immediate causes, giving especial care to the food and drink that has been consumed just prior to the attack.

Gastritis - The Remedy

In severe cases the patient should be given a quart of cool water, and this should be removed with a stomach pump. This might be repeated two or three times within a period of three or four hours.

All food should be omitted for at least twenty-four hours, then the patient should be given vegetable juice prepared as follows:

Grind spinach, carrots, squash, or turnips, any two or three of these, very fine; cook about ten minutes in enough water to make a pint of thin vegetable soup. Put through a colander; strain through a coarse cloth, discarding the pulp. Give this to the patient every two hours in quantities not more than one or two ounces, dependent upon the condition.

The diet may be varied by changing vegetables, always selecting one green plant such as spinach, lettuce, beet or turnip-tops. As the patient improves more of the pulp may be used. After the second or third day a thin puree may be used, care being exercised not to overfeed.

In milder cases the patient should be fed after the same methods, only more of the vegetable pulp may be used, thereby increasing the strength of the diet after four or five days; or, when the patient shows signs of substantial recovery, egg whites, baked potatoes, and the ordinary fresh vegetables may be given in moderate quantities.

Food to be used in the treatment of gastritis.

Inasmuch as stomach fermentation is the beginning or parent cause of gastritis, the causes, symptoms, and menus given for fermentation would apply in cases of gastritis, limiting the quantity of food according to the severity of the condition. In cases of gastritis: omit (In severe cases)

Coffee

Condiments

Flesh foods

Fruit

Intoxicants

Starchy foods

Sweets

Tea

Tobacco eat (In severe cases)

Baked bananas

Egg whites

Lettuce

Puree of tender beans

Puree of tender carrots

Puree of tender corn

Puree of tender peas

Spinach

Squash

Vegetable juices

In the earlier stages of acute gastritis, all foods should be omitted except, perhaps, vegetable juices. (See recipe, p. 451.)

See also Fermentation and Superacid-ity, pp. 424 and 418.

Mental effects of nervousness