Smyrna times., 1856-06-25
Causes of the Decay of National
Health.

Two things are generally conceded. viz :
that the American woman are not as healthy =.
the European, and that the present generation.
especially the women, are not as healthy and
vigorous as former ones.
What are the causes Not our climate. 70,
that Is the same as it was when the women Of
TINS country were as healty as the English,
Scotch and Irish, and when both sexes were
us vigorous as their ancestors or any othe- peo
pie. The changes, then, must be owing 4,
changes in our domestic habits and modes n,
education. Some Of these will not be indica.
ted.
Nothing so certainly deteriorates and under
mines the body as habitually breathing impure
AR. The open fire. places in kitchens, par.ors.
bedrooms and workshops, secured to our an
ceStors pure and cool air. But at the present
day close stoves and close sleepng-rooms, with
no proper ventilation, are debilitatinp merriam,
nIne-tenths of the people, while children ar,
crowded into schools heated with stoves and
almost never properly ventilated.
Four-fifths of all the food and drink taken
are thrown off through the lungs and skin.-
Every pair of lungs vitiates one pint of mir al
every expiration. That is equal to one hops
head OF air each hour for every pnir ofluos
NO room, then, can be properly ventilate,
ihat does not receive from without at least ON,
hog shcdd Of air for crery pair Of Iungs.-
This is always secured by open fire places. bul
by stove almost never. Thus it is that th,
greater part Of this generation have had every
bodily tissue filled by unprotected blood, thu.
delicate or feeble constitution.
second cause of debility is the want OF
vigorous exercise, especially to the muscles O
the arms and trunk. In former days the child
rem worked with their parents in pure and cool
air tor several hours day, and thus exercised
the muscles most important TO health. especiolIv
to female health.
But in these days, school children, especioll,
the youngest girls. have little vigorous exer.
else. And where exercise is demanded. a wink
OF a mile or two is deemed sufficient. Will. In,
exercise Of the muscles most important t,.
health is entirely neglected Thus both scxes
but especially tIat on whom depends the con.
Stl'utIon of the children, are every year be-
coming more delicate and sickIy.
The third cause ofnational debility is n cbanoe
from simple to n stimulating and luxurious
diet. Stimulating food provokes an unnatural
appetite. great variety tcmpts to excess
Both combine to overload the organs of mn.
triton, and the whole organism is strained and
overworked to throw off the excess.
The mere food we cat and the richer II is
the more exercise is needed. But instead o
this, the people constantly eating more and ex.
ercising less. Meat is the most stimulating
food there is, and there is no other nation ON
earth, where all classes devour such quantities
Of meat, fat, butter, sugar, molasses, hot cakes
and hot tea and coffee. And no nation on earth
has such bad teeth and every other indication
of debilitated constitution.
fourth cause Of national debility is ercess
an stimulating the brain, unbalanced Jv erer.
cise and recreation. Fifty years SINCE to read,
write and cipher were all that was exnecte5
out of college course. No daily drilling in
hot school-rOoms in all manner of sciences.witb
evening lessons at home. No Sunday lessons
no books for children at every turn, both Sun.
day and week days. There is fifty times as
much intellectual stimulus of the brain in child.
hood as was ever known in former generations
Then the cares, business and excitements ot
all kinds, for both men and women. have in.
creased at an equal ratio. Euery thing is no.
ng on at high steam-pressure. Now the more
the brain Is thus stimulated, the greater the
need for pure mir, exercise and seasons Of r..
taxation. But contrary TO this. the mona ,he
brains of children and adults arc stimulated
the less pure air and exercise are secured
And so the neynne system 10 exhausted. and