Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-06-14
For the Delaware Gazette.
Talks about Health-A Word of
Warning to Students.

I
Talks about Health-A Word of
Warning to Students
And first, pardon a personal aIlusiou.
About twenty years ago, having in
duced my mother to sell the old home
stead, so as to afford me the means of
acquiring a thorough education, and
having purchased a scholarship, and
being armed with energy, high hopes
and noble aspirations, / repaired to
Delaware, Ohio, determined to 'tquit
myself like a man." and qualify my
self for some responsible, useful, and
perhaps lucrative business in life.
But alas how quickly were my high
hopes doomed to be disappointed.-M
little barque was wrecked upon the
sand rock, that has proved the ruin of
thousands before, and viii prove the
ruin Of thousands in days to come. 1t
makes me sad to think OfthOse DAYS,
and to contrast the actual history Of
my life for the last fifteen years, with
what were then my hopes and eXpecta-
tions-ex xpectatiOns that might have
been realized, and [ think, would have
been, had I then known what I now
know, in relation to the lars that QOU-
eTI5 health. The toss Of health was the
rock to which I have referred as haV-
ing ruined my prospects in life.
In company with another young man,
I shut myself up in a close little room,
took no exercise, or next to none, ate a
great deal more food than my system
required, having so suddenly left the
active out door labOrs of the farm, and
assumed the more sedentary life of a
student. Our room was never proper
ly ventilated. The result of all these
violations of natures laws, was, as
should have been expected, the fOun-
datiOn of chronic inValidism that has
followed me all my life.
is as you value your future happiness,
and usefulness take care of YO1C7' health.
Make yourselves intelligent in regard
to the laws that govern health. 1t is
your duty to lay mp a stock of health
AS much oas it is, to acquire knowl-
edge. Tt is inst as proper to speak of
acquiring the former as the latter,
Health is as truly earned as wealth,
and as easily squandered. The acquisi-
ton, and the loss, of each depend up
on certain laws. Those that govern
health are few and simple, easily un-
derstOOd, and great is the reward of
obedience, and terrible is the penalty
of their violation.
There is no excuse for ignorance
upon this subject nowadays. There
are MANY books and publications from
which the needful Information can be
cleaned some of these books are
worth their ffWeight in gOld'' to the
some of these in another article.
The rapid organization of Base Ball
Clubs throughout the country is, a step
in the right direction, and shows that
the public mind is now more than for
merly awake to the i'm portance fphys-
ical health. Also in many schools and
colleges Dio Lewis light gymnastics
are being introduced. This I regard as
one of the cheering signs of the times.
Gymnastics is destined to become a ma
tiOnal institution, and well deserves to
be conspiciOusly named among the
means that are to usher in the good
time coming, when all shall believe it
as much our duty to honor God in our
bodies, as in our souls.
The time will come when all, save the
most ignorant and degraded, will be
ashamed to have it known Ofthem that
they are sick or aiing.-I believe in the
language of the celebrated DIR. Ideler
of Berlin that the solution of the great
and important problem, the cOmpre-
hensiOn of Whicn will deliver the great
er portion of the human family from
the dominion of disease, and permit
them to enjoy life to the utmost
length, and health to the utmost extent
permitted by nature,-the utility to
strengthen any organ of the physical
system, and supply it with the greatest
power of resistance against all exter-
nal influences. Now all this is contain
ed in the single word GYMNASTICS.
J. W. NJ.
Berkshire, Ohio, May D, 1867.