The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-23
PORTLAND MONDAY MORNING. JANUARY 2s 1865
Importance of Rest.

In his excellent Herald of Health" DIR
Iran thus sagely advises rest:-"How much
mas been written about water, air, food, exer.
clse, dress, and other hygeinic materials and
influences, and how little about rest! As 4
remedial measure, rest is of vastly more i'm.
portance than has been generally supposed. al,
therapeutic means It's place is &C the very
head OF the hygeinic materia medica. VERY
little skill, comparatively, is required for 4
practitioner OF the Hygeio- Therapeutic school
70 know When TO do something and what to
1o. pu. vastly greater fund of professional
AnoWAeuge is required to know when and how
to let the patient alone. One half the world
When SICK, and one-half OF the remain der i
nietteo 70 death. We have frequently saved
nie Dy Standing between the patient and their
Aienus. Inc world has got bad fashion III
MnaAing MAXI terrible ado, keeping up a constant
consIernation, nursing and fussiiie continually
Whlie anxious relatives, sympathizing friends
mysteriously gibbering doctors. meddlesome
nurses, and whispering watchers. add their
nise OF mighty influence to the wrong side.
anu All Decause somebody is sick and wants
Aest, ana the whole mischief is traceable to
islse uogma Id medical science in relation to
tne nature OF disease. The authors teach
tnat oisease is an entity, thing which travels
about, pervades the air, penetrates our dwell
ings' and finally attacks us; and this absurd
pnantasm is easily transmogrified by the ig-
norant and unthinking multitude (unthinking
on tnls SUBJECT, we mean,) into something ana
iogous TO witch, ghost, goblin, spook.
nend, or demon, which nothing but the docs
sors poisons, dealt out by the doctors own
nanu or pen, can assuage, pacify, eradicate, ex-
orcise, XIII or cure. The charms, incantations,
ana amuiets OF the ancients, were not more
SHY, and the necromancy and pow-wows of
the Indian tribes of the present day are not
more ridiculous, land they are predicated on
precisely the same false notions of the nature
OF disease,) than are the dosing and drugging.
and stopping, and stuffing, and watching and
Irettng OF the regular physicians of to-day.
and tne patrons and nurses OF their school,
Nine out of ten of all the maladies of ali The
people OF the world would get well in 4 few
nours, or days, if left to themselves. with no
other appliances than such as instinct would
suggest ana common sense employ. Yet, in
niue cases out OF the ten the doctor is oalled.
ana II he be drugopathic doctor, one half
ms patients are in danger of protracted ILL.,
ness, ana ope-half OF these are sure OF ruin
ed constitution, not because of the disease.
out IN consequence OF the drugs. When we
visit patient in the country, our greatest diff.
lcuity Is TO keep the friends quiet, when moth
lng put let-alone activeness is needed. All are
wiling TO DO something; every one is anxious
% !ena helping hand and people generally
pyhsician's knowledge and skill by
me extent or variety of his prescriptions. -
Few can understand the quetly-working, vet
remedial resources of nature when
andisturbed,' m s,