The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-08-25
Height, Weight and Health.

IT is not q comfortable thought for such
weather as we have endured for the past
few weeks, that if we are healthy, we
grow stOuter in summer-it is, neverthe-
less, a fact. The fat men who are prepar-
ing for their annual clam-bakes will doubt
less be glad to learn that they have q good
chance of increased weight just now; but
the most of US swelteriDg mOrtals who have
been struggling through the heated term
would probably prefer to defer any flesh
gain until cooler weather. The doctors,
however, insist that We ~improvethe warm
weather by growing heavier. This in
crease is 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.
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 ali the organs One
of the earliest developments Of consump-
ton and kindred diseases is a tendency to
GlOW II 4A IA tAso OOb ~ A|NtANNt WIZ
patient takes hope. In fact, the presence
physical ~well-being, and it is to supply 8
want of it that cod-liver oil and fatty arti-
Giles OF food are prescribed.
Il is natural to suppose that in healthy
| persons there should be a normal and,
ordinarily, a fixed proportion of height 10
| weight, and investigation has shown that
+-.ra Il, Dr Trh, IIrtoI;rc0n on Enn-
lish physician, has lately given o II
siderable attentI N to this subject, and has
obtained some valuable results. He col
lected the heights and weights OF over
five thousand persons, out of whom he
selected 1850 as 3 basis for the compila-
ton of tables. This list included sailors,
firemen, policemen, soldiers, cricketers,
draymen, gentlemen, paupers, and pugl-
lists, all in full vigor and in the prime
Of life. We Learn from these tables
| that 8 healthy man five fest high should
weigh one hundred and fifteen pounds !;
one five feet six inc5es in height
should weigh one hundred end
forty pounds; one six feet tall should
| weigh one hundred and seventy five
pounds, and one six feet four inches one
hundred and ninety-iyc pounds. From
which it will appear that, as a general
rule, for every inch OF iatur hey ond five
feet, a healthy man should increase in
weight at the rate Of five pounds to the
inch. No table Of wOmer's weights is
given, bu. as they arc smaller boned than
men, their weight for the given heights
would probably be less. The important
thing is to know about how near one is TO
the standardof healthy men of his inches
that he may Try 20 increase or diminish
his weight accordingly.
1t Is not well, however, for 3 man who
lives i quiet life TO make any very de-.
cided change in his mode of living with
out medical advice. il is doubtful If tuch
systems as that of Mr.. Paintings have
not harmed as many as they have bene-
fitted. Americans are not, as q class, COTpu-
lent men, and those who have become
c~onspiculously so have heretofore been
disposeda.o resent the soft impeachment.
But in these days Of fat mems clubs and
clam-bakes. q glorification OF obasity has
come about which keeps the leviathans or
the flesh in excellent sririts.
In the matter OF flesh and weight, ex-
treines are to lie avoided. In his erdOr to
get i'd OF bis superfuOus flesh, many q
young athlete has so completely succeeded
IN getting all the flesh out of his system,
that he has left ne cushion Cor his muscles,
SO that q slight blow Or even q bruise pro-
duccs 3 boil or carbunCle, asany physician
| who has had c~ollegians under his care can
testify. 1t is unhealthy and uncomforta-
bic TO be Sd thin that q pillow is necessary
to make q chair a Q niortable seat, but it
IL not more healthy or comfortable for q
man 10 be SO stout that he cannot tie his
shoe or see his own knees. Some systens
readily take N fat, while others arc natu'
rally lean; and as long as We can maintain
the usual degree OF health, the wisest
course for both stout and thin will be to
study contentmeBt under the conditions
| befalling them.-IHGTN and Home.