The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-07-24
THE u1EALTH oFFARslERs.

State Board OF Health OF Mass
) achusetts, published last year, has
a series of papers full of common
sense on sanitary as on other ques-
f tons. Thereport shows that the
, longevity of farmers exceeds that
of persons in other callings, and
: we quote a notice of the same:
The first question considered is
that of longevity. A table collated
over twenty eight years shows the
average age of farmers at death to
be 65 73 years, figures far in adj
j vance of all other callings, and
greatly exceeding the lifetime OF
active mechanics mot in shops J,
who, averaging 50 81 years, appear
i next on the list. The opinions
| of the physicians consulted also
| go! to show that the farmers
chances of long Ifs are somewhat
greater than those of any other
class. AS regards general health,
there appear to be divided views,
the large majority of doctors,
no wever, holding that farmers and
their families enjoy better health
than most people, while respec
table minority advocate the re-
verse. This leads to a more di
rect examination of the causes
which tend to impair the health
and shorten the lives of the agri-
cultural classes. First of these is
Ioverwork, that is, not the nature
but the amount of labor perform
ed, combined with the exposure
to the weather. Labor carried too
far exhausts and enfeebles the
frame. During short season,
however, when the years opera
lions are crowded into a space of
five months, and when wages are
high, overwork on the part of the
farmer is too common. In Spring
he works at the pillow from morn
ing until night, to hurry through
the planting; in Summer, prodi
gies of moving and pitching of
hay are done, which too frequent
" tend to cause serious rupture
or other physical injury. In Win
ter, there is a continual series of
hard work in hauling wood and
doing similar exhausting labor,
causing sudden changes of tenn
perature in the body. The result
of the whole is that rheumatism
becomes by far the most preva-
lent disease. Again, farmers
wives work even harder than their
husbands, and, it is said, are the
most likly to be overOurdencd.
The remedy for such excess of Ia
Dor on the part of farmers and
their families is better compre-
hension of sanitary laws. 1t
should be understood that it is
not true economy to lay up money
when the process of accommodating
it makes the farmers wife an in
valid, and necessitates the expen-
diture of much larger sum for
sickness. More labor-saving ma
chinery should be introduced.
For small farms, where the more
Expensive machinery is not availa-
BILE, cheaper substitutes would
doubtless be invented, genius turn
ed that way through the liberality
of agricultural societies.
1t is somewhat singular fact
that farmers live so little upon
their own productions. They
send their fresh vegetables, fruits,
eggs, and poultry to the market,
and live themselves upon salt
pork, pies, and saleratus bread.
The result is dyspepsia and train
of kindred diseases. 1t is impor-
tant that good cooking should be
cultivated. 1t is actually easier to
cook we'll than badly, provided the
work is not done in a hurry. In
the bad cookery, the overwork is
again traceable, and it is the very
pressure of labor which causes the
prepara ton of the food to be done
in any way so long as the mater
ials are rendered eatable. A pork
diet is not healthy. The meat is
slow of digestion; it contains an
excess of fat; it may, if improper
ly cooked, produce trinchiniasis
and ktapeWorm, and it increases
the liability to consumption an1
scrofula. Farmers should live u
plenty Of fresh meat, use less tSh,
avoid frying as a means of prepa-
ration, cschew pies and cake in ex-
cess, and provide for their own
table abundance of vegetables and
fruits, with wholesome, well knead-
ed yeast bread.
AS rule, it is said, farm hous-
es are very badly located, worse
so than city residences. Farm
ers should comprehend the neces-
sity of choosing q dry and airy
locality, and the dangers resulting
from living on damp soil or in a
low shut-in situation. Where the
house is placed low, house drains
are sluggish and imperfect, and
fogs are frequent; when shut in
by higher ground, the air is stag
nant, and the effiuvia from the
house and outbuildings are not
blown away. Too many trees
conduce to dampness and shut out
the sun light.
Uncleanliness of surroundings
is a prolific cause of disease. Ty-
phoid fever and Summer bowel
diseases abound in the vicinity
of putrescent animal matters
which poison both air and water,
Faulty drains and neglected priv
les are the most dangerous, while
foul cellars and barnyards are al
SO deleterious. No farmhouse
should be without a commodious
covered cesspool several rods from
, the house, on lower ground, il
possible, and connected with the
kitchen sink by a well constructed
covered drain. In default of s
brick cesspool, an inverted hogs
head will, do if the soil be porous,
but a barrel never; it is too small
, to be of any use. The drain should
e then be kept free, so that the cess
r pool can be so used that not s
I drop OF dishwater, slops, or AM
f kitchen refuse whatever shall fine
\ its way out upon the surface o
/ the ground from the back door O.
1 window. Everything should g
{ into a cesspool, except what TIT
pigs can consume, and the bacl
A of the house should rival the from
f in cleanliness and tidiness. Pri
r vies should be thoroughly disin
p fected by the combined use of cart
4 and copperas. The latter can b,
! bought for from two to five cent
4 a pound, and it should be KEEP
n constantly on hand. The Plac