New-York tribune., 1867-08-01
TIE SHAKERS.
To n, Ed,ior Of The Dt5vn,.

To the Edior Of TIE TN1bpn,
SIR: In the account recently given by your
correspondent ~ G. NJ. Of the rcl son and daily life ~
the Shakers And no auson TO very important item
Of their theory and practice by which they
world the example which should everywhere be followed
Whatever may be the judgment OF the world upon their
religious theories and practices thorough practical
itaraDs, there must be accorded 20 them universal
need Of praise. BY their rigid adherence 10 the laws OF
hygiene they bear away The palm from ali competors
III cleanliness - next TO gOdness then the Shakers
nearer 10 II than any other people known 10 history IL
any good is he derived from strict attention TO the
natural rules OF health from the preceps Of science
siraint by clothing avoidance OF dusbreedng and air
combining furniture and all other disease producing cir
cumstances common among other people then should
expect TO find II IN the home and village OF the Shaker
Any who has ever visited this unique people, and
only the outside OF their dwellings, aud the inside OF
their houses Of worship must have been forciby struck
with the extraordinary air Of neatness and cleanliness
Of seeing their inner lfe by abiding with e was
my privilege for very brief period. recent
that the careful attention Of these people to the purity OF
the result OF profound conviction Of the duty obe-
dience TO cleanliness and purity as virtue Believing
us we must that the manner OF life OF individual
50 fer as his personal department is concerned the evil
dence Of the principles by which he is guided and actu-
mode Of living of the sbaera thaU tne
| evidence OF a deep rooted nud present
20 utmost limit, and free from every possible faint
the sacred life given by the Creator and that the posses
Of that life has more right trne with his health
which is Its highest than Lo has 10 destroy
10 altogether. This, with them, amounts 10 "A religious
conviction and man believes, so IA he But beside
this there prevails among these communities the conyc-
ton (which s of course demonstrations that in this
purity of life there Is found the highest degree OF peas
re Not only do they find the greatest happiness IN the
highest condition Of physical health, but for such i'm.
dulgences may be permitted within the scope OF their
convictions, they find the most acute Qualifications
arising from the perfectly normal and unimpared CON
1On OF their systems aud all their functions Of
sense; In this they constitute model community and
NAV be said stand alone As evidence OF the pre-
vang salubrity, found during my visit q hospital
building furnished with every needful appliance and In
condition Of cleanliness, sweetness, aud purity like
all the rest, bit piuOu single patient In community
OF many hundreds There were, nevertheless, three
variations from state Of perfect health for which my
professional counsel requested but these exceptions
demonstrated the strength Of the general rule OF living
One was surgical wound OF the hand from accident
with circular saw; the second WAS Of Hereditary
mental disorder Of mild characters and the third
case OF slightly Obstruoted hearing All OF these occurred
In OF advanced whose general condition proved
the value Of pure living which either facilitated speedy
cure or greatly aeyated the severity and danger OF the
disorder Nor tho OF life there followed the re-
suit of blind adherence 10 idea, without any fonnda-
ton In the truths Of science, knowledge OF the laws
which govern the growth and relations OF the animal
body and It's functions, for greater degree OF lntei-
gence respecting the physiology OF animal lie s probably
not 10 be found In any other community OF similar e1
tent This fact demonstrated 10 Inc by the perusal
OF manuscript the subject, written by lay member,
with the matter and manner OF which was both greatly
surprised and pleased D. ID.