The philosophy of eating. By Albert J. Bellows, M.D.

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HOW THE TASTE IS PERVERTED.

according to their season; and he never will desire
any other than natural food till his appetite is perverted by sugar, or butter, &c., which, being separated
from their natural elements, contain their osmazome
in a state too concentrated. After that, his bread
will be insipid without butter, and his milk must have
sugar, and the natural relations of his tastes to natural osmazomes is broken up. And so dependent are
the digestive organs on the osmazome to which they
are used, that, after becoming accustomed to butter,
sugar, tea, coffee, or any other food or drink in which
is a concentrated and agreeable flavor, they will not
readily digest food without them. Thus we become
accustomed to, and dependent on, articles of food and
drink which are temporarily useful, but permanently
injurious.
Many a man becomes so accustomed to alcoholic
drinks, as wines, beers, and even laudanum, that he
suffers from indigestion and loss of appetite unless they
are constantly supplied; and this, as I understand it,
is the source of benefit from tea and coffee. The
agreeable osmazome promotes digestion, as all other
agreeable flavors do; and with a dinner or breakfast of
food which, from improper cooking, or for any other
reason, is not relished, a small cup of pure aromatic
coffee or tea is undoubtedly a real benefit.
The French people seem to understand this principle
better than the English or Americans, not only in
regard to tea and coffee, but in regard to all kinds of
food and drink, adjusting the articles to each other, so