The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-03-08
Health and How TO Keen il.

Health and How to Keep it.
DIR. G. K. Agnew, of New York promi-
nent member of the Sanitary Commission,
recently delivered a popular lecture on the
above topic.
Four Acknowledgements to health wore
discussed and illustrated, viz: Clothing,
food air and exercise. And first the doctor
drew attention to the care and treatment of
children. He said that while children should
be allowed as much open air and exercise
as possible they should be properly and
warmly clothed to insure and maintain
health, and he suggested that flannel should
be worn next the skin by both adults and
children, as it had been scientifically dem
onstrated to be more conductive to health
than anything else. The proposition was
illustrated in the progress of the lecture. -
Children should not be allowed the range of
the table When the babe is born it's first
need is milk, and that continues to be it's
proper diet for many months. Then, as its
physical strength increases, the capacity OF
the stomach for digesting other food is bet
ter developed, bat child should always be
kept on plain, substantial food, and with
this and warm clothing, according to the
SOdoou, PuiO OIL anu PiopOl 0NOlSio0, Vic iH'
mense amounts paid annually i'll doctors
bills may be saved. The doctor then re-
lated an incident in the experience of an
English sea captain, who made voyages to
South America, and who always compelled
his crew to wear flannel next the skin, never
allowed them to sleep in damp places,
changed the diet according to the latitude,
from flesh to vegetable food, 0ice UerSG, and
prohibited the use Of alcohol on board and
while in the port of Val paraiso, during the
hottest summer months there was not as
much as one man on the sick list, while in
five other ships lying beside him the deaths
were from thirty to fifty per day. The pro-
prieties of alcoholic drinks, and the evil ef-
fects thereof, were then pointed out, and il
was shown that there is no nutriment what
ever in alcohol, yet thirty-fve millions out
Of the ninety million gallons manufactured
annually In this country is consumed by the
people Of the United States. This quantity,
at two dollars gallon, makes seventy mil
lion dollars-a small estimate of what we
pay for this beverage which kills but does
not cure. This gives II gallons to each
individual, and as the women drink very
little and the children none, it will be judged
what quantity the male population consume
Six million barrels of beer are also con
lsumed by US annually, but in this matter
we are far behind John Bull, who consumes
twenty million barrels OF beer annually.
The effects of these stirhulants upon hui
man health were made very apparent som'
Years ago among the British army in India
where out Of an army of 10000 men thu
deaths were about brigade day. 1t wa
Ievident to the Government that they couIC
not keep the army recruited with such
fearful mortality as that, An inquiry wa
instituted experiments made and the caus
OF mortality was traced to the use alcoholic
beverages. which were thereafter forbidden
The doctor then impressed upon the audi
tence the necessity of allowing the sunshin
and the pure air to enter their dwellings
and illustrated the former by facts which
came to light in district of Paris som
time ago. where the people were palIid an
filthy from living where the sun could ITO
reach them, so that the French Government
had to interfere and shut up the places. t
secure pure air, and plenty Of it, he sugges
ted that when possible, sufficient fire shout
be kept up to allow the windows to be KEEP
open, but in cases where this could not be
one auger hole for every member of the fam
lily should be bsred in the window sashes
Gas burners stoves, lamps, and whateve
is In state of combustion in room, con
sumes the oxygen which should go to tn
support of human life, aud the effects of
continuation of this will appear from tn
fact that an ordinary gas burner consums a
much oxygen as healthy man. The doc
tor next alluded to damp places, especial,
sleeping apartments, and suggested to tn
mothers present, of whom there were
large number, to scrub their rooms durin,
their children's absence at school or else
where, and to see tn at they were thorough,
dry before allowing the little ones to go t
rest in them.
And this led him to speak of damp Gel
lars, which he said ought to be properl
cleaned out now during the winter months
if not by the landlords, them as matter c
beautiful economy, by the tenants them
selves The deleterious effects of decayin
matter II cellars and low places was the
illustrated by reference to the fungus, which
at the first ray of sunshine, sends forth it
poisonous = fumes to circulate in the al
mosphere ground causing sickness an
de th. The lecturer remarked that, as a
tie suggestions 10 had made were impol
tart in view of the Cholera, which might b
here in the spring, he hoped the audienc
would give them the attention they deserved
l-ScGentGfc AaneT3c1g