Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-09
Misfellamenms.
THE SPRING APPETITE.

About this time of year large proper
tion OF the people in our Northern climate
even those of pretty vigorous health
begin to lose their relish for food. The
breakfast bell has no music in it. Lunch is
a bore, and it takes some time to make
up their minds what they can eat for din
ner. The man charges it to the "muggy
spring weather. or else concludes that he
is ''getting bilious" Whatever the cause,
he feels, as the old fashioned folks would
say, "kinder gin eout." And so. in the
American fashion, he goes to dosing. He
eats rhubarb, or takes salts, or drinks ale
or ''root and-yarb" tea. Or, if he be poor
and gullible, he swallows two or three
kinds of patent medicine anything TO
disturb and punch up, as it were, poor
mother Nature. ea i348s az
Now this is all very bad kind of non-
sense. Even the physicians have made
wonderful progress within the past ten
years toward practical recognition of the
fact that Nature rarely needs medicine to
help her children out of trouble. There
was a ps und given twenty years ago whero
an ounce suffices now. Intelligent people
have learned that wise regulation of diet,
with physical warmth and cleanliness, and
plenty of either rest or exercise, will pre-
vent or cure all ordinary disarrangements
of the system. No one who has put
thought into his eating, and observed the
effects of food or drink upon himself, as
every sensible man should do, need ever
do violence to his system with physic.
There are men who will indulge heartily in
meats and heat and fat-making food all
winter, make no change when spring
comes, and then wonder what is the mat
ter with their appetite. The air, the skies,
the face of the earth, all change, and all
the conditions OF living are altered; but
they stick to their beef and ham and NUT
ton and hearty food just the same In April
or May as in December or January. Ma
ture brings them up with a round turn,
and says: "Give me fair show,-if you
won't treat me right Pll be revenged ~
And so the man has spring appetite,
and drenches himself with bilters, or pep
pers himself with pills. ....
1t is a great pity that common sense In
these matters should be uncommon. Ii
a man isn't hungry, why should he eat?
If he can eat breakfast and relish it at ii
or II o'clock, but can only force down
few morsels at 7, why shouldn't he con-
form to the situation Not fifth part of
the civilized word breakfasts in the arbi-
trary and senseless fashion in vogue in
this country. Many man and woman
would find their appetite equal to plate
of oranges, or dish of oatmeal and
| cream, or plate of hominy and sugar in
| the morning, who can't eat chops, fried
potatoes and griddle cakes. A head OF
lettuce and a slice OF bread and butter
will often be relished for lunch where hot
soups or cold meats would go untouched.
Fish and eggs are now plenty and cheap.
| and they afford great variety and COM
bnation of dishes, especially adapted TO
| the season.
Another point is too often forgotten:
Spring means renewed activity. If the
city men who have huddled in ill-ventia-
ted cars all winter, will walk to and from
| their business, or far enough to get up a
good glow every day, they would soon no.
tice change in their relish for food. If
the women would get out into the air
| spy around the markets for nice things
| to get the home table out of the old IA
miliar ruts--visit their children's schools
walk for the fun OF it, or even to see the
spring openiDgs--the change from the
nerve-rasping perplexities and sitting air
OF the house would revive their interest
in the bill of fare. @@N
| We are all too prone to sit still and
'see the wheels go round" in the same old
fashion-in matters religious. political.
social industrial and astronomical. Ii
| some of the pretty pious notices that
adorn our homes could be traded off for
the "golden text Variety is the Spice
of Life"-and the useful truth that it en-
bodies could be applied as it ought to be
there would be good deal more
fun in the world. and more good
digestion. and therefore it would be
less of "a dog kennel of place." than
the dyspeptic philosopher declares it to be.
Golden Rule.