DISTURBANCES OF DIGESTION.
As Pajot says, the functions of the digestive apparatus may be exag gerated, diminished or perverted.
are many women whose digestive functions are not only not disturbed by pregnancy, but, on the contrary, seem to be aug mented. Their appetites increase, digestion is more active, the nutrition is improved, and, as the women themselves affirm, pregnancy seems to produce in them an unusual condition of health; but, it must be acknowledged that this is the exception, and that most often the digestive functions are either diminished or perverted.
degree is marked by loss of appetite and aversion for food, which may occur at the beginning of pregnancy, as well a8 during its progress or at its termination; it is usually most marked at the beginning. This aversion may amount to positive disgust, in which case the physician is often extremely embarrassed in the presence of the, so to speak, passive resistance of the patient to every sort of food. Food hot or cold, vegeta bles, fruits, nothing is acceptable, even fluids being rejected, so that it is very difficult to nourish the patients. We are only too fortunate if we have to deal only with anorexia pure and simple, and if it aoes not reach the third stage.
Aversion for Food. —In this case we meet with numberless difficulties, which vary with each individual. A wonian thus affected,who could,before, tolerate only red wine, now rejects it entirely; another, who only cared for meat of a white color, can not endure even the sight of it. A patient who
could only eat meat that was well done, does not fancy it unless it is rare; another, who liked vegetables, regards them with horror, etc. Thus nume rous are the difficulties which are sometimes encountered by the physician in the presence of a positive aversion for every sort of food. All treatment faib, as a rule, when directed towards this condition, which may persist for some time, but ordinarily yields spontaneously, as the pregnancy advances. This phenomenon, in fact, is usually produced during the first two or three months, and belongs among what are' known as the sympathetic troubles of pregnancy. Sometimes, however, this condition evidently depends upon a dyspeptic state in the woman, and then it yields to slight purgatives, as rhubarb, magnesia, and some bitters, as quassia; but that which usually succeeds the best is alcohol in small doses. In other in stances, digestion is painful or retarded, gas is formed in the stomach, there is distension of the abdomen, and drowsiness. We have found of value in these cases black coffee after meals, and especially small doses of alcoholics (brandy, Kirsch, champagne) mixed with Seltzer or other alka line mineral waters, also pepsin.