The Portland daily press., 1867-08-02
Hints for the season. .

L |l.r rHsf
I With the hot weather now experienced, an
increase of sickness and death, especially
amongst laboring people and children, is to be
expected. In the large cities and in some
other places, numbers of working men have
been prostrated by suu-stroke. Young people
and children are more likely to be taken off
by the too free use of unripe fruits and vegeta-
bles now coming into use. From this time
forth DeathlwiIl have its numerous victims in
town and country, and the funeral trains will
be seen passing with melancholy frequency
to the various cemeteries and burial grounds
amongst us. st.le ue t4-
We have an idea that children were born to
live and not to die prenaturely; and that
were people to investigate the natures oftheir
own bodies, there need be, comparatively,
little mortality till man reached the period of
old age, which is probably for some years
Making all allowance for situation and casual
ties, over which we have no control, the great
truth will still remain, that in ninety-nine
out of hundred cases, we ourselves, or our
immediate connexions are the authors of our
several misfortunes, either by actual trangres-
sion, or the want of exercising those precau-
tions requisite to guard against them. In
many cases the seeds of early sickness and
dissolution are inherited from diseased par
ents, yet how often do we find them or our
selves trying to better our condition, or in
other words, laboring that the next generations
may pr fit by their example. '
II would seem that most person have an
| incorrect idea of the true functions
tions of a physician. His duties ought to con-
sist in teaching rather than 10 curing; in
showing how to avoid sickness instead of aid
| ing nature to recover from it. In most call
| ings, prevention rather than cure is the true
motto to be recognized; why the contrary
should have so long prevailed in regard to
medicine, will appear strange. 1t can only be
accounted for on the erroneous, or rather in
convenient suppositions, that the ills which
| befall us come by accident, instead of being
the natural consequences of broken law
Were the true theory inculcated bypublic teach.
,ers that the course causeless does not come,
! that pain is in reality dispensation. of mer
i cy designed 10 uIlVe us w al eslhohuiSho VI
life, that bodily health and spiritual enjoy
ment are consequent upon conformity to
the divine rule,-surely more attention would
be given.to understand our own being ano
regulate our lives. That there is so little at
tention bestowed upon these, is lamentabl'
proof how merely animal our existence is.
| without saying that mankind can ever sue
ceed in totally dispensing with the healing
art, we maintain that the physician shoul'
be employed and literally paid for instruct
ing us how to avoid sickness rather than hov
to cure it, At the present season particular
ly when diseases OF various kinds are apt L
break out, sweeping both young and old, Tn
apparently strong and healthy as well as tn
weak, il is important that people should know
themselves, and what course to pursue 1e
so far from such desire being general, W
are assured by physicians that they hav
been repeatedly insulted by patients the mt
ment they began to drop few hints on til
causes of their complaints, or how to regr
late their habits for the future.