Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-10-02

4 person visiting New York for thc frst
time, and curious To observe the peculiarities
ot the metropolis. would probably immediate
ly notice the great number uf restraints. eat
IN. houses and stands, in the markets and
streets, loaded with eatahles. Go where he
would. hy day oruisht, he would find accom-
tat!ou- for eating, and people avliiing them
selves of them. The facilities thus afforded
for obtaining meals mt all hours are. without
doubt. leading To- great Irregularities In eat
ing. and thus exciting deleteIi0U- influence
upon the public health 1t may. therefore.
not De amiss o. devote q brief space o. the
consideration oi the effect li al irregularities
in habits Of living upon the animal economy
Iti-a fact well recognized by Psychologists.
tAat the constitution of living beings POSSESS
e- recuperatiye power that is capable of re-
-istiu- attacks from external agencies. or.
rather i- able o. restore the damage caused
hy such attacks. The lower IN the scale of
existence an animal is found. the stronger Is
the power of it's organism to restore parts re-
moved by mechanical means. and the less j..
it--u-cepu o. the influences which cause
disease. IT, from individuals Of the lower
order 1t animals a limb ur even % portion Of
the body he removed. new one will grow IN
It's place. and in many cases the Jart remoy-
ei viii supply the necessary parts which are
absent. and become % complete organism In
vegetables tais i- almost universally the case a.
and the propagation of plants by slips cut
from the parent stem j. process Of daily Oc-
curreuce IN horticulture. The rrcuperative
power IL indeed So great in many plants, that
they can, hy the most extreme efforts, be
scarcely removed from a soil where they have
once obtained a tp1th1ld. The plant known
to farmers as quack-grass is q good example.
The p0wertl restore parts which have been
lost extends 20 the highest orders Of animal
creation. Teeth which have been removed
hy mechanical means have often grown again
ire the human Jaw years after the second set.
which take the place 1t the first in the regu-
lar course a nature. had been supplied
This Is, however, probably the only organ
that the human recuperatiye energy has pow
er % restore.
As age advances, this power becomes less,
- that repair takes place slowly. and in a
very advanced age ceases altogether. Broken
bones refuse to unite, and abrasions of the
skin become chronic ulcers
There Is. however. q striking characteristic
Of the power of recuperation, which has a
most important bearing upon the health. both
of men and animals. II l. this the power
To- restore increases with the regularity of the
power and periods of attack 1t is as if the
constitution were citadel, upon the reduc-
tion Of which two kinds Of tactics were en-
ployed - long as the attacks are made at
regular intervals, the gurrieon may sleep
while the besiegIng forces are withdrawn, and
rise refreshed To increased resistance but at
tack it at unexpected times. and with irregu-
lar force. and unremitting vigilance must at
last wear out the strength Of the hesieged.
Many phenomena which cannot be account
ed for in any other way at once find an ex-
PLANTATION by the application of this truth.
4 man who Is addicted 10 the use Of alcoholic
liquors may often drink very freely for wears
without any apparent serious detriment to
health. if he is regular in the times and
quantities of his potations; while another
who only takes an occasional spree will
suffer from the consequences Of his indulg-
ence.
The taking 0fexercises, pure air ,sustenance,
sleep and recreation may be compared To the
withdrawal Of the attacking forces. If the
Withdrawals are regular, the attacks will
also be regular, and the resisting power of
the vital structure will in the meantime have
accumulated.
We believe that six hours ofsleep per diem,
begun and ended at uniform times. are as
good as eight taken at irregular periods 1t
follows, then, that regular sleep gives two
hours, at least, more time per day available
for business, pleasure, or study than can be
otherwise obtained.