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Occasionally/ the act of vomiting may itself
lead to a feeling of weakness. But this weakness
will pass o)i ii the person rests in bed for some time.
A spinal balh combined with a hot water foot bath,
and, if necessary- with blanket covering, for not
more than 20 minutes will oe very helpful. After
the bath, wipe yourself dry and go to bed.
After vomiting, sip from time to time small
quantities cf plain water, hot or cold, whichever is
relished As a rule, no food, liquid or solid, should
be eaten for at least 12 hours after vomiting. The
best course is to fast for 21 hours on water only.
[A word of warning here will not be out of place,
in view of certain instances which have corne to
my personal notice. A patient who was suffering
from severe stomach trouble was taught to vomit.
He learnt it easily, and was surprised to find in this
procedure, a very simple way of, getting free from
any sort of pain due to indigestion. He formed the
wrong notion that he could go on eating as he liked
and escape the consequences of such licentiousness
by vomiting afterwards. But one cannot have the
cake and eat it too- Nature cannot be fooled so
easily. Vomiting is movement of the food in a direc-
tion which is reverse of the normal. Ii one vomits
too oftert the normal peristaltic activiry will be im-
paired and the digestive apparatus will be weakened.
Those who suffer irom what is termed nervous
dyspepsia, should be particularly careful* The
sensible course is to order one's life in such a way
so that the need for such a measure will not arise*
However if precautions mentioned earlier are
observed, and if it is not overdone/ vomiting does
no harm- On the contrary, it does good. Personally,
I am careful about what I eat* But occasionally, it
does happen that I commit some mistake either