The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1856-06-25

c.s..DeH.
Causes OF tire Decay Of our Health.
! Two things are generally conceded, viz
that the American women are not as healthy
as the European; and that the present gen
Grafton, especially the women, are not as
healthy and vigorous as former ones.
What are the causesa- Not our climate,
for that is the same as it was when the wo-
men Of this country were as healthy as the
English, Scotch and Irish, and when botl.
sexes were as vigorous as their ancestors or
any other people. The change, then, must
be owing to changes in our domestic habits,
and modes of education. Some of these
will now be indicated.
Nothing so certainly deterioatcs and IN
dermines the body as habitually breathing
impure air. The open fire places in kitch-
ems, parlors, bedrooms and workshops, secur-
ed TO our ancestors pure and cool air. But at
the present day close stoves and close sleep
ing rooms with no proper ventilation, are de-
biitating perhaps nine-tenths of the people,
while children are crowded into schools heat
ed with stoves and almost never properly ven
tiated. d,
. Fourflfths of all the food and drink taken
are thrown off through the lungs and skin;
evrey pair Of lungs vitiates one pint OF air
at every expiration. That is equal to one
hogshead of air each hone for every pair Of
lungs.
No room, then, can be properly ventilated
that does not receive from without at least
one hogshead Of air for every pair of lungs.
This is always, secured by open fire places,
but by stove almost never Thus it is that
the greater part of this generation have had
every bodily tissue n6urisl,ed by unprotected
blood, thus inducing delicate or feeble con-
stitution.
A second cause Of debility is the want Of
vigorous exercise, especially to the muscles Of
the arms and trunk. In former days tho chill
dren worked with their parents in pure and
cool air for several hours a day, and thus, ex-
ercised the muscles most important to health,
especially to female health. ,,s~,,
But in these days, school children, espec:.
ally the youngest girls, have little vigorous
exercise. And where exercise is demanded, a
walk of mile is deemed sufficient, while the
exercise OF the muscles most important to
health is entirely neglected. Thus both SEX
es, but especially that on whom depends the
constitution Of the children, are every year
becoming more delicate and sickly. sa ...4...
The third cause of national debility is a
change from q simple to stimulating and
an unnatural appetite. A great variety
tempts to excess. Both combine to overload
the organs Of nutrition, and the whole or
ganism is strained and overworked to throw
off the excess. 5 at8I Ell
The more food we eat and the richer it is
the more exercise is needed. But, instead of
this, the people are constantly eating moro
and exercising less. Meat is the most stin,-
ulating food there is, and there is no other
nation on earth where all classes devour such
quantities of meat, fat, butter, sugar, molas-
ses, hot cakes, and hot tea and coffee. And
no other nation on earth Asve such bad teeth
and every other indication Of debilita.ed
>9. 4@'54'
! A fourth cause Of national debility is ex-
cess in stimulating the brain, unbalanced by
exercise and recreations. Fifty years since,
to read, write and cipher, was all that was ex-
pected out Of a college course. No daily
lrilling in hot school rooms in all manner Of
sciences, with evening lessons at home. No
y turn, both Sundays and week days. There
S fifty times as much intellectual stimulus Of
lie brain in childhood as was ever known in
ormer generations. Then tile cares, busi-
less and excitements Of all kinds for both
men and women, have increased at an equal
alto. Everything is going on at high
'team-pressure. Now, the more the brain is
the greater the need for pure air,
exercise, and seasons Of relaxation, But
to this, the more the brains Of chill
lren and adults are stimulated, the less pure
.ir and exercise. are secured. And SO the
lervous system is exhausted, and the whole
organism becomes delicate and diseased
10 use the words Of u medical writer, 8 the
constant exercise of the brain takes the chief
strength Of the system, and consumes it in
ceiling and thinking" sa. ii G
Another cause Of general dcbilityiis the
aslions Of female dress. Tho stays of. our
ancestors were trihes compared with the ac-
simulated enormities that have been prac-
ised on tile female form during the last 20
'ears. The thin covering for the upper por-
ion Of the spine and the vital organs in cold
reather, the accumulation Of clothing on tho
over portion, tho pressure Of. tight dresses
round the waists, and the weight as well as
he heat Of the enormous mass OF clothing
esting on the hips-alI these combining with
|elica:e constitutions have produced, aud are
producing, terrific results that
re but little known or understood.
Z z t7.
An OLD LryGuIsr.-In tne Knickerbcc.er sa~
unc, we find the following good tEing" on seere-
ary Marcy s. .sa v...s.s. tsss44
Secretary Marcy (said 4 cc:ssin member or Con.
rcss who aMli be iianielesss TO certain correspou
lent Of ours who Is nasaecss) ia not effIy distin
,ushed stssesinau hut be loves burnor. and IN him.
elf rag Of the first water. had occasion b pre-
er request to him for the appointment of = learn
"a gentleman IN some home and foreign Office IN hi,
department. One after another the gerslenans crc-
lentsls were opened; enc setting forth his knowi-
'dge Of Hebrew, another Of Greek, and Elird of
satin. sDd so on, was examined. down to perfect
EroHledge ef the modern languages. ISL ra3
" A most extraordinary man" said the eecreas
y. looking mp from under his great shaggy, beetin4
,c-brows, and showing his spectaclss up on lislGpl.