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

292 MAKE THE SICK ROOM PLEASANT.

Other animals are furnished both with food and medicine in a state adapted to their wants, because they
have not sense to prepare them. The sick cat takes
with relish the simple catnip provided for it, and it
does good and not harm; but the sick child must swallow drugs which it shudders to think of, and which
disturbs all its functions for days and weeks, and sometimes for life.. All animals, in their natural state, take
with impunity whatever they desire, sick or well, and
nothing else; and until our appetites are perverted by
unnatural food, we also can take and give our children
everything, in a natural state, which they desire, sick or
well; and when prostrate with sickness, however perverted our tastes may have been, we return to our primitive appetites and desires. The drunkard loses his
desire for alcohol, the smoker for his cigar, and the
gormand for his rich food. All come down to the same
simple demands of nature, and all can be trusted to eat
and drink what they choose, and will all be benefited
by rejecting everything offensive to their tastes.
Is it reasonable that our heavenly Father should be
at such infinite pains to adapt the world to the comfort
and happiness of man, and give him a natural relishfor everything that is best for him to have in health,
but when sick and in pain, should intend to add to his
suffering by consigning him to the torments of blisters,
hot irons, cataplasms, and disgusting drugs?
Our reason, therefore, as well as our humanity, experience, and common sense, accords with plain deductions from Nature's common laws, and demands that