Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-10-21
Domestic.

WASTE OF HEATH AND STRENGTH IN
THE YoUNG.-Let me ask you ladies,
with all courtesy, but with all earnest
ness-are you aware that more human
beings are killed in England every
year by unnecessary and preventable
diseases than were killed at Waterloo or
at Sadowa? Are you aware that the
great majority of those victims are
children? Are you aware that the
diseases which carry them off are for
the most part such as ought to be
specially under control of the women
who love them, pet them, educate them,
and would in many cases, if need be,
Law down their lives for them? Are
you aware, again of the vast amount of
disease which, SO both wise mothers
and wise doctors assure me, Is en-
gendered in the sleeping room from
simple ignorance of the laws of ventils-
ton and in the school room likewise,
from simple ignorance of the laws of
physiology from an ignorance of which
l shall mention no other case save one
that too often from ignorance of
signs of approaching disease, child is
punished for what Is called idleness,
listlessness, willfulness, sulkiness; and
punished too, in the unwisest way-by
an increase of tasks and confinement to
the house thus everlasting still more
brain already overtasked, and depress-
ing still more, by robbing it of oxygen
and of exercise, system already de-
pressed? Are you aware, 1 ask again,
of all this / speak earnestly upon this
point, because 1 speak with experience.
As single instance, a medical man, a
friend of mine, passing by his own
school room, heard one of his own little
girls screaming and crying, and went
in. The governess, an excellent woman,
but wholly ignorant of the laws of
physiology complained that the child
had of late become obstinate, and
would not learn; and that therefore
she must punish her by keeping her in
doors over the unlearned lessons. The
father, who knew that the child was
usually good one, looked at her care
fully for little while sent her out of
the school room and then said. THAT
child must not open a book for a
month" 'If, had not acted so, he
said to me, 81 should have had that
child dead of brain disease within a
year."
Now, in the face of such facts as
these is it too much to ask of mothers,
sisters. aunts, nurses, goverresses-all
who may be occupied in the care of
children, especially girls-that they
should study thrift of human health
human life, by studying somewhat the
laws of life and health There are
books-I may say whole library of
books-written by scientific doctors on
these matters, which are, in my mind,
far more important to the school room
than half the trashy accomplishments,
so called, which are expected to be
known by governesses. But are they
bought? Are they even to be bought
from booksellers All for little
knowledge of the laws to neglect of
which is owing so much fearful disease,
which, if it does not produce immediate
death, too often leaves the constitution
impaired for years to come D! All, the
waste of health and strength in the
young, the waste, too, of anxiety and
misery in those who love and tend them
How much of it might be saved by a
little rational education in those laws
of nature which are the will of God
about the welfare of our bodies, and
which, therefore, we are so much bound
to know and to obey the spiritual laws
whereon depend the welfare of our
souls