The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-08-22
Causes OF the Decay Of the Nattona4Es
Health -

pecially the women, are not as neal
thy and vigorous as former enes.s
What are the causes? Not our
climate, for that is the same as it
was wien the women of this cou1hy
were es healthy as the EngMh, /,
Scotch and Irish, and when both
sexes were as vigorous as their an
cestors, or any other people. The
change, then, must be owing to chan
ges in our domestic habits and mpdes
of education. Some Of thessSyll
now be indicated ,1+ssfsssA
Nothing so certainly deterioFates
and undermines the body as habltu-
ally breathing impure air. The
open fire places in kitchens, parlors'
bedrooms, and workshops, secured to
our ancestors pure and cool air. But
at the present day, close stoves and
close sleeping rooms. with no proper
ventilation, are lebilitating perhaps
nine-tenths of the people, while
children are crowded into school
rooms heated with stoves, and almost
never properly ventilated.
Four-ffths of all the food and
drink taken are thrown off through
the lungs and skin. Every pair Of
lungs vitiates one pint of air at every
expiiatiou' That is equal to one
hogshead of air each hour for every
pair of lungs.
No room, then, can be properly
ventilated that does not receive from
without at least one hogshead of air
each hour 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 ever bodily
tissue nourished by unprotected
blood; thus inducing q delicate or
feeble constitution.
A second cause Of debility ls the
want Of vigorous exercise, especially
! to the muscles of the arms and trunk.
In former days the children worked
with their parents in pure and cool
air for several bours dag, and thus
exercised the muscles most impor-
tant to health, especially to female
health.
But in these days, school children,
cspecialiy the Youngest girls, have
little vigorous exercise. Aud where
exercise is demanded. walk of
mile or two is deemed sufficient,
while the exercise of the muscles
most important to health is entirely
neglected. Thus both sexes, but es-
pecially that upon whom depends
the constitution Of the children, are
every year becoming more delicate
and sckly.
The third cause of national debil-
ity is q change from a simple to
stimulating and luxurious diet
Stimulating food proves an unnatur-
al appetite. A great variety tempts
to excess. Both combine to overload
the organs of nutrition, and the
whole organization is strained and
overworked to throw of the excess.
The more food we eat and the
richer it is, the more exercise is
needed. But, instead Of this, the
people are constantly eating more
and exercising less Meat is the
most stimulating food there is, and
there is no other nation on earth
where all classes devour such quantl-
ties Of meat, fat, butter, sugar, mo-
lasscs, hot cakes and hot tea and cot-
fee. And no nation on earth have
such bad teeth, and every other in
dication of debilitated constitution.
A fourth cause of national debill-
ty is excess in stimulating the brain,
unbalanced by exercise and recrea-
ton. Fifty years since, to read,
write and cypher, were all that was
expected out Of a college course. No
daily drilling in hot school rooms,
in all manner Of sciences, with even
ing lessons at home. No Sunday
lessons; no books for children at ev-
cry turn, both Sundays aud week
days. There is fifty times as much
intellectual stimulus Of the brain in
childhood as was ever known in for
mer generations. Then the cares,
business, and excitenents Of all
kinds. for both men and women,
have increased at an equal ratio
Everything is going on at high steam
pressure. Now, the more the brain
is thus stimulated, the greater the
need for pure air, exercise, and sea-
sons of relaxation. But, contrary
to this, the more the brains of child
rem and adults are stimulated, the
less diseased. To use the words of
medical writer. "the constant ezer-
else of the brain takes up the chief
strength OF the system, and con-
sumes it in feeling and thinking"
AnOther cause o. SeHeto ueo'lt'J
is the fashions Of the female dress.
The stays Of our ancestors were trl-
{ fles compared with the accumulated
! enor;nitics that have been practiced
on the female form during the last
twenty years. The thin covering for
the upper portion Of the spine and
the vital organs, in cold weather, the
accumulation ot clothing on the low