Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-03-11
Correspondence.
For the Gallipolis Journal.
Do 1 Know Myself?

Do L Know Myself?
[CoSTNUED.l
There is no subject so little known
or studied by the masses, and vet no
topic of such vast importance to our
physical, mental and spiritual welfare,
and none that so buoys the soul into
the glorious beauties of supremacy
and causes mind to counsel with the
Infinite.
Being endowed with the physical,
mental and spiritual, we too often
conglomerate the whole in a mass and
90 cropping our way in the dark, re-
living too much on chance, fortune
and luck, when pluck alone is the
only true source to renown and sci
entific achievements.
In knowing ourselves we are ne
cessarily counseling the mental and
being guided by the spiritual. while
our physical being is the burden
bearer.
Science in its various phases has
dethroned superstitions, incantations
and hobgoblins, wherever it has been
permitted to enter, and none have so
vitalized the mind of man in a knowl-
edge of himself as chemistry and the
microscope, which have portrayed to
us the animalcule world and the com
ponent parts of our whole organiza
tion.
1t may possibly be creditable
characteristic of medical and dental
human nature, that it is so ready to
welcome new inventions and discov-
cries that tend to ameliorate pain and
nervous diseases so long as the ten
dency to disease is so general. A
great deal of good advice goes un-
needed. and were it otherwise it
would not be so lavished, yet, no one
but a chronic grumbler can analyze
the human heart so as to satisfy him.
self that the faithfulness in discOv-
cry and invention which marks the
medical and dental professions is not
worthy of the highest need of praise
and admiration.
Your physician will tell you that
vegetable decayed matter and its
gases are very injurious to your
health, and advise all such to be re-
moved from your premises, and at the
same time will tell you that animal
decayed matter and It's gases are ten
fold more iniuriou. to your health
than the vegetable deeayed matter.
Now, were your physician to adj
wise you to eat small portion ct de-
cayed vegetables of any kind each
meal and to hold in your mouth Il
piece of rotten onion between each
meal and during the night, what
would YOU think or say? Strange to
say that so many American people in
this nineteeth century are doing
themselves the tentOld more injurious
act. Press the finger firmly on the
gum toward the teeth and see how
much animal decayed matter can be
suppressed from around each tooth.
If the gums appear infamed around
the neck of the teeth, or bleed
easily, the poison turks there. If
a bad taste or an offensive
breath is your comforter in the
morning after refreshing sleep,
the poison warns you of the future.
If neuralgia in the face, head or
neck is your visitor, or iniamed or
languid eyes with catarrhal symp-
toms warn you of approaching suffer
ing the venom Is there. If dark
circle envelopes the tooth next to the
gums, or the teeth seem elongated
from the gums, slow but sure de
velOpment of the ravages of animal
decayed poison is there. And every
meal you eat and every breath you
draw is more or less contaminated
with it. And as a 'day is as year
or a thousand years" in the ordeal oil
Providence, so with u gradual ap-
proach are these sins against His
physical laws; and soon to pay full
penalty by an operation, or in Ian
gushing health; soon to be devel-
oped in organic or constitutional
disease and fall into premature
grave!
Is there no way of avoiding these
calamities? Let us investigate few
facts.
The Chemical News ascribes the
potato rot to a deficiency of lime and
magnesia in the soil, and it is proven
by ANALYSIS that the ash of healthy
tubers possess over five per cent.
of lime. and from five to ten per cent.
of magnesia, and in diseased tubers
there is but 3.94 per cent. OF mag
nesia and LIT per cent. of lime. Like
observations show similar results in
fruit trees and other vegetation in
which the deficiency of mineral salts
is sufficient to cause decay. Now,
the interesting question arises wheth-
er there is any article of general food
used by mankind which is deficient
in the mineral ash that is essential
for our bony structure.
Mr.. Sharpley, weil-knOwn chem
ist, recently analysed for +. Cutter
NJ. D., some of the finest or best fam.
lily -four and found it to possess O.55
per cent. of mineral ash, a little over
one-half per cent, and likewise found
that the whole grain of wheat pos.
sesses from I.65 to $50 per cent OF
mineral salts. So, the diminution OF
mineral food in our fine flour varies
from two-thirds to four-fifths. Ana
we. as American people are deprlvlng
ourselves of from two thirds to four
fifths of the essential elements that
should 90 to make up our teeth and
bony structure. as probably, there are
no articles of food that enters so
largely into our subsistence, in va
rions ways as wheat flour.
Should we wonder at our children
tooth decayin0 so soon? Take away