The Empire County argus., 1856-11-08

CAUSES OF THE DECAY OF NATIONAL HEAIrH-It is gen.
eray conceded that American not so healthy
Europeans and that the present generation
healthy and vigorous as former ones. This not be
owing to the climate as counrywomen formerly
strong aud healthy either the English, Scotch,
Irish; and must look to some other to account
for the change 1t is but too evident that this growing
aoton AMI is owing to the changes IN the domestic habits
sent century. They have indeed universal debility of
constitution, and general decay of the national health
In hopes OF remedyirg these evils we will enumerate
several OF the principal causes.
Nothing SO certainly deeriorates and undermnes the
body as habitually breathing impure air The open fire.
places in Kitchens parors bedrooms and workshops Sc
cured to ancestors pure and cool air But at the pres
ent day. close stoves and close sleepngrooms with
proper yenlaion are debilatng perhaps nine enths of
the people, while children crowded into schools heated
with stoves and almost never properly ventilated Four
Of air every expiration Fiat o"e ose
can be properly ventilated that does not receive from With
least hogshead of air for every pair of lungs
This always secured by open replaees but by stove
second of debility is the of vigorous exer
cse especially the muscles Of the and trunk And
where exercise is demanded walk of mile or two is
deemed sufficient while the exercise of the muscles
important to health is entirely neglected. Thus both
sexes, but especially that which depends the constitu
ton of the children every year becoming deli
cate and sicky.
The third cause of national debility change from
simple to a stimulating and luxurious diet Stimulating
food provokes an unnatural appetite. great variety
empts to Both combine to overload the organs
of nutrition and the whole organism is strained and
worked to throw off the The food we eat
and the richer is the exercise needed Meat is
the most stimulating food there is and there is other
nation earth where all classes devour such quantities
of meat fat butter sugar. moasses, hot cakes and hot
tea and coffee And no nation earth have such bad
teeth, and every other indication of debitaed constu
ton
further of national debility is excess in stimula
ting the BRAIN unbalanced by exercise and recreations
There now htty times as much intellectual stimulus
the brain in childhood as known in former gene
aions Then the cares business and eXcements of ALI
kinds for both men and women having increased at an
equal ratio Every thing going at high seam-pres
sure. Now the more the brain is thus stimulated the
greater the need for air exercise and of
taxation. But contrary to this, the the brains of
children and adults tmuated, the less pure air and
exercise secured And the system is ex-
haused and the whole organism becomes delicate dis
eased.
Another cause of general debility is the fashions of fe
male dress The thin covering for the upper portion of
the spine and the vital organs in cold weather. the
mutation of clothing the lower portion the pressure of
tight dresses around the waist pressure of whaebones
in the pointed waists and the weight well the heat
of the enormous mass of clothing resting the hipsa
these combining with delicate constitutions have produced
and increasingly producing terrific results that but
little known or understood.