MIND AND STOMACH

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 183, 5 May 1925, Page 9

MIND AND STOMACH

It was commonly held in old times that the liver was Hip seat of Hie einoti'.us This opinion lias also modern supnovters. They, however, argue in a vulgar, rationalist way that the physical con’difion of the liver is ihe cause of ihe emotions of (ho owner. Now, says the London “Daily Telegraph,” Professor Hixon assures ns that this is all wrong. It is not our digestive apparatus which affects our mental and spiritual condition. but our mental state which governs the affairs of ihe digestive region. The commanding officer is not touchy because his liver is giving him trouble. The truth is that his liver rives him trouble because, he is tonchv. When Carlyle suffered agonies of indigestion, what was amiss was nor Tils body but his mind. “Great menial stress,” Professor Dixon could have fold him. “is more likely to cause dyspepsia than all the indigestible food flint can be taken.” And wo much regret flint wo shall never know what answer Carlvle would have made to the professor. The literary mon —not. ns Charles Kingsley remarked, a very healthy tribe—have always been fond of pretending Hint a pood digestion is n. matter oi physical luck. They w’H very readily allow Hint n comfortable stalo of things in flic dig-stive, (met makes for happiness. but (hey incline to-despise “the massiveness of eupeptic vigour,” the happy ignorance which only knows digestion as a name. Even Voltaire. who had n pretty interest in food bimsolf. felt that as a man of intellect he must sav something’ hasty about the easy digestions, and hnvin„ n>’onounc-d that "thought depends absolutely otj, the stomach, turned off with the sneer' I Im’ men "who have the best stomachs nrnot the lies! thinkers.”