Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-07-01
HEALTH AND BODILY aVIGOR-HOI
.nz1 TO OBTAIN TF.o[
BY ]. s. .HoUGHToY, MD

- ANbpHAONf
"The essential ingredient of human felicity is
4=geed- health, says old Isaac Walton, Good
~health depends upon and creates bodily vigor.
The art Of improving the health. and firoIoiig-
ing life, has been much studied, and many i'm
ibportant principles have been settleds \ pro-
| pose in this essay, very briefly to notice some
/ Of the most valuable of these principles 81
Doc qLet me premise, however, that bodily vigor is
! not to be obtained, taking the question for a
moment Aegatircly by drinking elephants
\ milk" preparations of "Iron,' "Sasapafiffa,"
4 or other drugs or nostrufns. Drugging often
makes the matter worse; sselfdrugging is the
height offolly. Taking all sorts of advice from
people incompetent to judge the cause of your
debility, or of the nature Of remedies, is absurd
/ and runoas to health. A carpenter or a mason
viii attempt to mend your boots but be s0iU pre-
sumo TO mend your healthl fre IL bs.s -,
The chief important sources of bodily vigor
to which shall call attention, are the follow
ling. .I- r-Ess
l. The first, and one of the most important
sources of bodily yiSor is EXERCISE.
1t promotes herapid breaking up. and rapid
/ formation of flesh.
1t produces great power of contractility in
| the muscular fbres.
1t enables person to eat a lager quantity of
food than he otherwise could, and to convert
! that food successfully into blood.
1t keeps the body from fat and dead matter,
and renews the flesh often, keeping up the high
| est degree Of vitality. e'9
It reduces the nervous sensibi7ty Of the body
and BRAIN ard renders the individual COO, calm,
hardy, good humored, and insensible to slight
causes Of uneasiness or pain. SGrstbiIity is
not happiness; if it were,it would be wise to get
| the Itch, for the pleasure of scratching. Rough
Good hpalth ic bptthr than Snrsibilitv t
/ Again, while Exercise lessons nervous sensi-
| bility, it increases animal courage and am
| bition.
Exercise also increases the size and power of
ali the organs and faculties, under the condi-
tion that is, if exercise be regular and not too
| great, and alternated with natural periods of
| lest. -.-T l,F
| What is the amount of Exercise necessary to
create high state of bodily vigor? Answer:
Four or FIVE hours of active walking, riding on
| horseback, or labor in the open air,daily. Two
hours of active exercise in the open air, daily,
| the smallest quantity compatible with the usual
habits of eating and living, to maintain unin-
| terrupted good health. - 5 sT
| The less exercise the less must be the GUAM
| tity of food consumed. IF you feed horse
| freely, and don't work him he will die.
| H. The second important source of bodily
| vigoris the DUE REGULATION OF THE FOoD; SIM
PLE ABsTEuoUs DIET; TEMPERANCE IN EAT
| ING. -fr -
Remember DR.. Abernethy's advice to veal
| thy invad:"Live on sixpence a day and earn it.
! The Prize Fighters, while training, are made
! to undergo an immense amount of severe exer-
ton in the open air daily, for months while fed
| on simple, though abundant diet Of bread,
water and meat until the requisite vigor and in
sensibiity to blow Is attained.
Z IL r
son who does not labor in the open air, is from
one to two pounds, only, In twenty-lour hours
| This should be lean meat. (becf, mutton and
fowls being best, bread vegetables and fruits.
ABsTENIoUsNEss is the great principle for per-
sons leading q sedentary life
III. The third source of bodily Ugor, is a
GREAT EXTENSION OF THE CHEsr AND 4 LARGE
CONSUMPTION OF PURE AIR. -1 -rr
Walk always with the body erect, shoulders
thrown back, chest expanded, breathing deeply
and heavily; never sit down and bend forward,
cramping up the chest and stomach; keep your
apartments well aired particularly your cham
Der at night ..a .-.--
"When you are thirsty" says a skilul modern
writer, drink water when low spirited, drink
air."
The advice is as valuable as it's forcible.-
Air and water. are sources of electricity. The
oxygen of these two fluids has some singular
and important affinity with the vital fluid of the
body. Hence oxygen has been STYLED .the ex-
hilerating wine of ifeT' Drink any quantity
of this wine; it is a species Of indulgence to
which there is no sort of objection.
~. The .Jouyb source of bodily vigor Is
FEEoTEyT BATHING, to keep the skin clean,
open, healthy, and to keep the internal vital Or
gans free form inflammation and congestion.
Bronchitis is essentially a-disease Of deficient
action Of skin; so is catarrh, or common cold;
so is inflammation of the lungs, diarrhea &c.
Too much mental excitement produces a cold
skin. r.. r-..--. 49, ~.
The skin on the exterior of the body, and
the lining Of the lungs,stomach, intestines, &C.,
sare composed of the same material, and have
an intimate sympathy. 1t is trath to say that
the skin is in fact part Of the lungs, stomach,
intestines, Kidneys, bladder, &c, as it really
may perform the function Of either of fthese or
gans, and either of these may do the work Of
the skin. t.
The skin has in it fourteen millions of air holes,
so to speak, and should be kept free to dis
charge from three to five pounds Of matter per
day. -alt
IF not often and properly washed, with the
aid of alitte soap, alcohol alkal it will be COW
cred over with a water proof varnish.
V. The ffb means of creating bodily vigor,
is A BBsTIYENCE PROM STIMULATES, and the pure,
nutritious, and unstimulating food.
1t is q maxim of cooks, never use one spice,
if you can get more Pray you avoid this
maxim.
Take a hint from Tom Hyer. BE used no
tobacco, coffee, tea, liquor, spices, or stimu-
lants Of any kind, while training for the fight
with Yankee Sullivan
VI The sirh means of creating bodily Wig
or, is to AVOID ALI. LUxURIEs AND Comforts,
and live in a frugal and hardy manner.
Use hard beds, mattresses; avoid feather
beds, hot rooms, thick bed covering, &c.
Don't clothe the body too warmly on mutiie
up the neck. isa .7-
One pound of Cotton, which formally could
only be spun into thread of los yards long, can