The Arkansas banner., 1844-07-31
POPULAR ERRORS IN MEDICINE
BY AN EDINBURGH PHYSICIAN

Many people put great faith in the whole someness= of eating only one dish at dinner. They suppose that the mixture of substances prevents easy digestion. They would not eat fish and flesh, fowl and beef, animal food and vegetables. This seems d plausible no- tion, but daily practice slows it's absurdity What dinner sits easier on the stomach than q slice of roasted and boiled mutton, and car rots or turnips, and the indispensable potatoe' What man ever felt worse for a cut of cod or turbot, followed bYa beelsteak, or q slice of roast beef and pudding In,short varie- " of wholesome food does not seem incom. patible at meals, if one donot eat too much here the error lies.
 ltis common practice with bathers, after having walked on hot day to the sea side. 10 sit down on the cold damps rocks ill they cool before going in the water. This is quite erroneous. Never go into the water over atiguod, and after profuse and long continu- cd perspration. but always prefer plugging m when tke first drops of perspiration are on your brow. There is no fear of sudden transition from heat to cold being ialal.-.- Many nations run from the hot bath ant plunge naked into the snow. What is to be feared IS sudden cold after the exhaustion oI the body, and while the animal powers arc not sufficient to produce reaction or recoy- cry of the animal heat.
 There IS iavorite fancy of rendering in. iants and farther advanced children, hardy and strong, by. Plnnging them into cold wa, ter This will certainly not prevent strong infants from growing stronger, butit will and often does, kill three out of every five. In- iants always thrive best with moderate warmth and a milk warm bath. The same rule ap- plies to the clothing of infants and children No child should have SO slish clothing as to make 1t feel the effects of cold; warm ma terials, loose and wide made clothing, and ex, ercise, are indispensable for the health of tho little oues But above all things, their head. should be kept cool and generally uncover ed
 Many people so laud carly rising as woulC lead one to suppose that sleep was one 0 those lazy, sluggish, and bad practices, tha the sooner the custom was abolished the bet ter. Sleep IS as necessary to man as food and as some do with one third the food tla others absolutely require, so five hours sleeI IS sufficient for one, while another require; seven or eight hours. Some men cannot bs any possibility sleep more than four or fvt hours in twenty four; and therefore, true t theinherent sel6shness of human nature, the, abuse all who sleep longer N one slnoult be taunted for sleeping eight hours if he can
 Many people donot eat salt with their food and the fair sex have notion that this sub stance darkens the complexion. Salt seem essential to the health of every human being more especially in moist climates. Withou saltthe body becomes infested with ntestina worms. The case of lady is mentioned il a medical journal, who had natural antipa 1 thy to salt, and never used 1t with her food the consequence was, she became dreadfulL
 infested with these animals. 4 punishmen once existed in Holland, by which criminal were denied the use of salt; the same conse quences followed with these wretched beings We rather think prejudice exists with som of giving little or no salt to children. N 1 practice canb be more cruel or absurd