The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-01-05
From the Journal Of Health.
MORAL CAUSES OF HEALTH.

The following judlcious remarks are from
DR.. Barton's Hints for Naval Officers:
Laugh and grow fat, is trite proverb
founded, like all proverbs, in close observ-
ance OF truth. 1t may be construed, b.
cheerful and yo1 toiH be healthy. No think
ing physician can be asked the effect oil
churllshness and i'll temper on the physical
health, without cotroborating by his opinion
the truth, that they depress the powers OF
digestion, and render the liver torpid. This
is more certainly their effect, because indi-
viduals who indulge in this perverse direc-
ton of the courtesies of life, do SO, for the
most part, continually-the unamiahle dis
position ever feeding on itself Thus, a
constant cause exists for interruptng the
-h-"lthy performance of functions, indiseen-
sable 70 the enjoyment OF health, content
ment, and pleasure. A harmonious inter-
course between young men, can never exist
where restraint is not properly placed and
kept in action, on the irregularities of tenn
per. If it be recollected that harmony
might be promoted even by self-love, few
would be so unwise as not to cultivate its
CHEEKY influence. This selfish qualification
is evidenced by the increased healthful feel
ing and contentment produced in the gen
erous bosoms of young men, when frank
and manly explanation shall have reconcil-
ed them to any of their messmates, with
whom they have had a misunderstanding of
a few days continuance.
There is a rec procal general influence
of good temper and contentedness upon
each other. This affords an additional mo-
tive for encouraging the former. A man
i'll at ease with himself, as every one u.s. who
is out of temper, cannot be contented with
those around him. So true is this, that it
cannot but have been observed, even by
very young men, that the ill-regulated dis
position of an individual once excited to a
ratified state of mind, with one associate with
whom he may have had real or fancied
cause of displeasure, quickly discovers
shade of the same discomfort towards 9TH
ers of his associates whom he has no reason.
fancied or real, to complain Of This begets
GOODNESS or personal distance, in those con-
scious of inoffensive eportment-and nat
urally betrays itself by manner, if not moro
certainly by words. Additional fuel is thus
added to the embryo flame about to appear
in the malcontent, until the father vexation
with himself, and the original cause of his
of demeanor, fans it with so
steady blast, that full blaze of passion
suddenly ensues. If it be true, as moralists
have observed, that no man gets into pas
sion, however just the provocation, without
regret-a regret intense in proportion to his
without giving his collected adj
versary the advantage Of hint is still
more clearly true, that no one of common
mind, can yield to fit of passion, for which
he has no adequate cause, without feeling
ashamed of himself. determination, and
determination invariably in
crease the vexation with ones SELF which
in the first instance, engendered the fault"
|" Can such be in that benevolent state of
feeling, denoted by the expressive word,
contentment? And if they be not, in how
susceptible state are they of disease,
which never fails to find out the vulnerable
and anprepared!"