Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Excretion

EXCRETION, in animal economy, is the discharge of foul or noxious humours, by stool.

As the food and drink daily consumed must necessarily deposit feculent and useless matter, moderate evacuations by stool, are both necessary and beneficial, especially to those who are troubled with costiveness, head-achs, flatulency, spasms, and the numberless unpleasant disorders thence arising.—See Costiveness.

Persons in a good state of health ought to have one evacuation at least, and sometimes two, in the course of twenty-four hours.—Moderate exercise and a tranquil mind, equally tend to promote these salutary excretions, which should be in a state neither too fluid, nor too concrete. Hard and continued labour, ardent spirits, or heating liquors, as well as long abstinence, render them extremely tenacious in the strongest and most healthy individuals. When such a habit prevails, it at length generates costiveness, with all its attendant evils.

Those who indulge either in excessive eating or drinking, are generally troubled with loose and frequent stools; because their alimentary matter is expelled, without being properly assimilated. Indeed, thin and copious discharges are a certain evidence of indigestion.

Regular and daily evacuations, therefore, essentially contribute to the preservation of health. This desirable object may be attained, by taking sufficient, but moderate, exercise; by adapting the food to the nature of the constitution, and using a proportionate quantity of drink; by observing strict temperance in both; and lastly, by not indulging in too much sleep, which is in a peculiar degree hurtful after dinner, to those whose digestive powers are impaired, and whose evacuations are uncommonly languid.—By attending to these few practical suggestions, a due excretion of the noxious and superabundant fluids will be promoted, and the greatest of blessings, health, consequently ensured.