Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-26
Height, Weight. aud Health.

IT Is not comfortable thought for such
weather as we have endured for the past
few weeks, that live are healthy, we
grow stouter In summer-it Is, neverthe-s
less, fact. The fat mep who are prepar-
ing for their annual clam. bakes will doubt
less be glad to learn that they have good
chance of increased weight Just now; but
the most of us sweltering gmortalswhoha have
been struggling through the heated term
would probably prefer to defer any flesh
gain until cooler weather. The doctors,
however, insist that we improve the warm
weather by growing heavier. This in
crease ia due to the fact that while In
winter the fat of our systems is required
as fuel to maintain the necessary heat of
the body, there is no such demand on the
adipose tissue in summer, and, consequent
ly, man, like the alternating animals, in
creases in weight.
3 This question of weight has an intimate
connection with that of health and while
a decided loss of flesh can generally be
taken as an indication of disease, on the
other hand, a moderate increase in flesh
| is, for the most part, the result of the
healthful action of all the organs. One
| of the earliest developments of consump-
| ton and kindred diseases is q tendency to
grow thin, and If this can be checked, the
patient takes hor9. In fact, the presence
| OF fat in animals seems necessary for their
physical well-being, and it is to supply a
want of it that cod liver oil and fatty arti'
cles OF food are prescribed.
1t is natural to suppose that in healthy
| persons there should be a normal and
ordinarily, fixed proportion of height to
weight, and investigation has shown that
there is. DR.. John Hutchinson, an Eng
| lish physician, has lately given con
siderable attention to this subject, and ha:
obtained some valuable results. He eel
lected the heights and weights of ovel
! five thonsand persons, out of whom be
selected 1850 as basis for the compila
tion of tables. This list included sailors
firemen, policemen, soldiers, cricketers
draymen, gentlemen, paupers, and pugi
lists, all in full viGor and in the prime
of life. We learn from these tables
that healthy man five feet high should
weigh one hundred and fifteen pounds
one five feet six inches in height
should weigh one hundred ant
forty pounds; one six feet tall should
weigh one hundred and seventy five
pounds, and one six feet four inches ONT
hundred and ninety-five pounds. From
which it will appear that as a genera
rule, for every inch of stature hey ond fiVt
feet, o healthy man should increase il
weight at the rate of five pounds to tn,
inch, No table of Women's weights j
given, but as they are smaller. boned thai
men, their weight for the given height
would probably be less. The importan
thing is to know about how near one is Il
the standardof healthy men of his inche
that he may try TO increase or diminisl
his weight accordingly.
1t is not well, however, for man VIII,
lives quiet life to make any very de
cided change in his mode Of living with
out medical advice. 1t is doubtful If sucl
systems as that of Mr.. Paintings hav
not harmed as many as they have bene
flied. Americans are not, as class, corpu
lent men, and those who have becom
eonspiculously so have heretofore beel
disposed to resent the soft Impeachment
But in these days of fat mems clubs ant
clam -bakes, glorifcation of obesity ha
come about which keeps the leviathans o
the flesh in excellent cpirits.
In the matter of flesh and weight, ex
ucmes are to be avoided. In his ardor L
get rid of his supeTtluous flesh, many
young athlete has so completely succeeds
in getting all the flesh out of his system
that he has left no cushion for his muscles
80 that slight blow or even bruisc pre-
duces boil or carbuncle, as any physician
who has had collegians under his care ca
testify. Itis unhealthy and uncomforta
BILE to be 80 thin that pillow is necessar
to make chair comfortable seat, but
is not more healthy or comfortable for
man to be so stout that he cannot tie hi
shoe or see his own knees. Some sy stem
readily take on fat, while others are natu
rally lean; and as long as we can maintai
the usual degree of health, the wiset
course for both stout and thin will be
study contentment under the condition
Detailing them.-Hedrh and Home.