Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-01-28
THE ART OF RESTORING HEALTH.

consnmplive habit, who has tried travel
ing at the South wthou, any essential BEN
eft, who lives in house but moderately
warm, with carefully adjusted trmpera-
ture and thorough ventilation, remaining
without doors most Of the time, with regu-
lar exercise and in favorable weather ta-
king, in the course of the day, brisk walk
OF half mile. With all this care he does
not get well, and inquiries what method
Mr.. Willis has pursued, that he is no longer
to be- classed among consumptives.
The answer lays down so admirable a
method for the recovery of health, in those
cases where there is yet in the constitution
sufficient strength TO build upon, that we
copy it entire. We must remember, how
ever, tha, the writer has possibly made too
little allowance for the effect of a change
OF air in removing from the sea coast 10 a
region beyond the highlands:
"The politicians teach us how 10 treat
disease, think. They do not try 10 concert
the opposing party. They are content if
they can keep ii an the minority--sure that
it will tire, in time, OF its want OF power,
change sides, or disappear. The patient
who troubles himself least about his disease,
(or who leaves il entirely to his doctor,)
but who persevereingly oufcotes 1t by the
high condition Of the Other parts OF his
system, is the likelipst to recover-and it is
of this high condition alone, that l have
anything to say. Oitwenty who may be
sIerpless with a cough, and weakened with
the raising OF blood, no two, perhaps, are
subjects for precisely the same medical
treatment, or diseased in precisely the same
locally-though all are called 'consump-
Uves.' Our friends, the physicians are
better geographers than we, as 10 where
the healing is wanted-though they strange
y confine themsevesto the specific aiiment,
taking it for granted that the patient Keeps
the rest Of bis body in proper training for
recovery. 1t is medical etiquette, be-
lieve, to r frain from any very particular
inquiry into this. But, few sick men are
wise, or frm.mindcG enough to be safely
trusted with their own general condition d;
and ], Tor one, came very near dyng-not
OF my disease, bat Of what my doctors took
for granted.
"To leave generalities, however, and
come to the personal experience which
you ask Tor;
81 went 10 The Tropics, as a last hope 10
cure chronic cough and blood raising
which had brought me to the borders of
the grave. | found a climate in which it
is hard to be unhappy about anything
charming to live at al!--easy 10 die. (At
least, those who were sure Of dying, and
did die--and in whose inseparablp compa-
ny thought | was-Wera social and Joy
Gus to the last.l The atmosphere Of that
EIen-like latitude, however, is but a pain
stilling opiate, while the equator might be
called kitchen-range for SardanapaIus,
and the Antilles are but tables loaded with
luxures. The Caribbean Sea is the king
dom Of the present moment. The past
and the future are its Arctic and Antarctic
-unthought ol, except by desperate ex-
plorerS. Hlther are sent invalidS, with
weakened resolution, TO make pilgrimage
with prescri ption and prudence You may
see by the book | have ust published,
(Health-Trlp 10 the Tropics,) with what
complete lorgetulness OF care or caution
made one Of an Invalid company for
months. Was anybody going TO be- shut
up in bedroom with such nights out o
doors Was any body going 20 be dull and
ahs'inent with such merry people, and a
French breakfast or tempting dinner on the
table
81 reached home in July, thoroughly
prostrated, and, in the opinion Of one or tive
physicians, hopeless case. Coughing al
most the whole of every night, and raising
blood as fast as my system could make it,
had no rest and no strength. | lingeret
through the summer, and as the autumn
came on, and the winter was 10 be faced,
sat down and took fair look al the proba
bilitcS. With the details of this troublet
council of war ! will not detain you, 5u
) after an unhinching self examination,
came 10 the conclusion that ! was, myself
the careless and indolent neutralizer of tn
medicines which had failed to cure me
that one wrong morSel Of TODD, or one day.
partially neglected exercise might put bacl
weeks hraling-and that, by slight otniS
Sions of attention, occasional breaking o
regimen, and much too efieminate habits,
was untrue 10 the trust which Gray, m
friend and physician, had made the groun
of his prescriptins. And 10 a minutel
perscverlng change in these comparatv
triaes, ! owe, believe, my restoration I
health. There was not day OF the sue
: ceeding winter, however cold OF wet, tha
| did not ride eight or ten miles on horse
back. With five or six men, | was, 70
; most of the remaining hours Of the day
out of doors, labering at the roads and cleat
ings Of my present home.
"The cottage OF Idlewild was then un
, built, and the neighboring farmhouse
, where we boarded, was of course, indfel
: emily warmed but, by suffering no state {
the thermometer to interrupt the mornn
q cold bath, and the previous friction wit
' fesh-brushes, which makes the water
!, agreeable as in summer, soon becam
= comparatively independent of the temper;
!, ture in doors, as my horse and axe mad
. me independent of it, when out of door
!, With proper clothing TO resist cold or we
;, | found TO my surprise) that there was
" such thing as disagreeable weather to |
Is felt in the saddle and, when drive in
III wagon or carriage would have intolerab
N irriiated my cough, could be all day
j. the woods with an axe, my lungs as qui
10 as child's.