The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-05-29
From Halls Journal of Heath.
spring Suggcstiens.


DO not take off your flannel scorer than
the first of May, but then change TO a thin
ncr article of the same material. Tfey are
wisest and healthiest who wear wooden fan
mel the whole year. Arrange to have fire
kept up all day in the family room, however
warm it may be out Of doors, until after the
first of May, and IN, the morn;ng and evening,
daily, until the fast Of June. The editor
has lived in the most malarial region in the
world, perhaps, and when the thermometer
was hundred and twelve at noon, fire was
regularly kindlcd at sunrise AMI sunset in
his office, and sat by. Disease, malignant
fever, and death reigned in every section,
and yet he had not a seconds sickness. Il
is because brisk fire not only creates a
draft, anl thus purifes room, but so rari-
fies the deadly air that it is carried t. the
ceiling, where it cannot be breathed. The
simple precantion of having fire kinded in
the family room at sunrise and sunset in
early spring and fall, is known by many en-
mcnt names in the army and navy surgery,
to te the most efficient preventive Of all
forms of fever and aS, e, and spring and fall
diseases; in fat wet, warm countries, il is
almost specific against those diseases.
Ts No man would be considered sane who
should keep up as hot fires in his house as
the spring advances as he did in midwinter.
Food is the fuel which keeps the human
house-the body-warm; hence, ifas much
is eaten in spring as in winter, we are kept
too warm we burn up as with fever; we are
oppressed; we suffer from lassitude. All
mature takes new lease Of life With spring.
but man. 1t is because he a.oneis unwise.
The brute beasts--the COW, the horse, the
ox-these turn to new diet, and go out to
grass-to crop every green thing; they.
would never come to the stable or BARNARD,
ofchoice, to cat the beating, binding oats
and corn, on which they luxuriated during
the wiriser they eat watery food, which is
light and purifying. Not so with man; he
continues his fats, his greases and his gra-
vies, as at Christmas. Watchful nature
takes away his appetite for these, and be-
cause he does not relish them as be did
few weeks before, he begins to conclude that
something is the matter, and measuring the
amount of his health by tAe amount he can
send down his throat, he begins to stimulate
the appetite; thinks he must use some tonic.
and readily assents to any suggestion which
includes bitters and whiskey, especially the
hts1r.r' I'm addition, he puts more mustard
and pepper, and catsup and pepper, on his
meats, seasons everything more heavily, rn-
til nature has been g,aded so that she will
bear no more, and yields to the fatal dysen-
terry or bilious cole, or happily relieves her
self by copious diarrhosa. Does. not any
reader know tLat fever and hux and diar-
rhea are common ails Of spring? But you
did not know one of the two chief causes
mans gluttony-above dcscribed!
Tens of thousands of lives would be saved
every spring, and an incalculabIe amount of
human discomfort would be prevented. il
early in March, or at most by the first of
April meat and grease and fried food of ev-
cry description, were banished from the Ia
bic wholly, at least for breakfast and supper.
It meat vii. be eaten for dinner, let it be
lean; use horniny and "satapT largely have
no fries eat but little butter; use eggs, cel-
cry, spinach, vinegar; keep the body clean,
spend every hour possible in the open air
snuffing in the spring; but, by every consid,
Grafton OF wisdom and of health, have good
fire TO come and sit by with all your gar
ments on, for eight or ten minutes after all
forms of exercise, otherwise you will wake
up next morning. as stiff as a bean pole, and
as "sore" as if you had been pounded IN
bag the. effect of your exercise having done
you more harm than good, and concluding
that work don't agree with you, however
beneficial it may be to others, you take no
more for weeks and months