Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-04-11
From the Sntcr.Cure journal,
January 2Sth. Isl

few years in regard to the treatment of d..
seases Of ;hc chest am lungs. He says, (page
l73, flarpers edi,ion,) "Thc second requisite
to the well being of the lungs and TO the free
and saIuary exercise of respiration, isa due
supply ofrich and healthy blood. Where, from
defective food or impaired digestion. the blood
is impoverished in quality and rendered unfit
for adequate nutrition, the lungs speedily suffer,
and that ofen to fatal extent. So certain is
this the case, that in the lower animals tubor-
cfeS can be produced in the lungs TO almost
dnyertent, by yuihholding Suficiency Of nou.
'ishing .food. The same circumstances operate
to lemcntablc extent in our manufacturing
towns, among the poorly fed population; where
as 1t is ptoverbial that butchers-a class of
men who eat animal food twice or three times
a day, and live much in the open air, are almost
exempt from pulmonary consumption" Itis
necessary. he says, TO furnish the food which
will most easily combine with the oxygen in
the lungs, in order to protect the already too
weak tissues from lis attacks.
Now, the treatment seems to be, especially
with hydrobathists, to reduce the amount OF
food to the lowest point. and that too the least
nutritious, while the blood is being still more
impoverished by copous druuchts of cold water.
Fearing 10 occupy more of your time, will
close, with the hope, tha, MS this is subject in.
,oresting to many, You will give it few words
in your Journal
RrMARKs-Our correspondent is mistaken
in his impression, that We. as hydropathists, re.
duce the amount of food TO the lowest point. As
Psychologists, we say, that in this and every
country, and in all periods of time, wherever
taking of too great an amount of food, has been
one of the most prolific sources of disease In all
systems Of healing, it should be promincntob-
Ject TO remove. as far Us possible. the causes of
disease; and, in order 10 do this. the dieietic
and other habits must be regulated. 1t is often
supposed that all we have TO DO in many cases.
is to give a large amount ofnourishment. Hence
the common expressions, generous diet,
strengthening Diet" full Diet" &c. &c. Du.
ring the last stages sfpulmonary consumption,
patients are often recommended To take freely
Of rich food, the more the better, so long 1s
there is any appetite: and this is done with the
view o. sustaining the individual We should
Away bear in mind one fact, that weakened
system cannot receive and change into healthy
blood, hesh bone. SC. so grea, an amount of
food as strong healthy system. We muy then
easily overtax the system, and thus oppress and
weaken it by too much fo,d Neither man nor
animals live but short time The food is ola
rich concentrated character Gs sugar, oil, or fat:
and even wheaton bread, in which the bran
has been separated, is so rich that it soon dc.
stroys life. whereas, if the coarse innu,,i,ious
bran is left unseparated, 10 such result &C.
ours.
Individuals have been sustained for a long
time upon coarse bread and water alone, bu,
neverupon fine. Magendie the celebrated ex.
perimental Psychologist Of Paris, nourished dogs
upon fine bread and water, and found that in.
yariably the animals died in 7 weeks, varying
day or two; but on substituting coarse bread
the dogs thrived perfectly we'll 1t is a law
then, of the animal system that food mus. con-
sist in part ofiunuiritiouS matter.
In hypodropathy we otlen find tia, patients in.
crease in flesh, although the amount of food ia,
ken is diminished. IN No. ), page Il, of The
present volume Of the Journal, will be found
case. Chat of Mr.. Allen Of Troy.) in which
there was remarkable increase Of flesh, while,
at the same time, the diet was Of suck Charac-
ter as would generally he supposed to be insult.
Ecient. The true fact of the case s, that the
weakened energies Of the system were aroused
into vigorous and more vigorous action by wa
ter externally aud internally applied, and ma
tural increase OF the flesh was the result. The
food was more perfectly diges,ed, and an i'm.
proved state of all the fluids and solids of the
System was brought about.
II is TN erroneous notion that water impoyer.
ishes the blood, Water is a powerful agent,
and may be made to affect the system very in.
luronsly, as every one knows; aud it will here
after be found true, that, as general thing,
those undergoing water treatment DO too much,
in the drinking OF water II never
does good, and may cause harm. to take the en-
ormous quantities OF water that some do. The
best general rule, as we have elsewhere said,
will be to drink as thirst demands. Cause
thirst by exertion of body, and then the water
is adSantageously taken.
Concerning the diet and health Of butchers,
we do no. believe that, as general thing they