The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-05-24
The Nay appetite.

About this time Of year q large proper
ton 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 bore, and it takes them some time to
make up their minds what they can eat
for dinner. The man charges 1t TO the
"muggy spring weather., or else con-
cludes that he is "getting bilious.r
Whatever the cause, he feels, Is the old
fashioned folks would say, kinder gin
eout." And SO, in the American fashion,
takes salts, or drinks ale or root-and-
yarb" tea Or, if he be poor and guilt
BILE, he swallows two or three kinds of
patent medicine-anything to disturb and
punch up, as it were, poor Mother Ma
ture.
Now. this is all very bad kind Of nom
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 pound given twenty years ago
where an ounce saffices now. IntelIi-
gent people have learned that wise regu.
lation of diet, with physical warmth and
cleanliness, and plenty of either rest or
exercise, will prevent or cure all ordinary
disarrangements of the system. No
one who has put thought into his
eating, and observes the effect of food or
drink upon himself, as every sensi.
BILE man should do, need ever do violence
to his system with physic. But 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 whole race Of the earth, all change,
and all the conditions of living are al.
tered; but they stick to their beef and
ham and mutton and hearty food just the
same in April or May as in December
and january. Nature brings them up
with round turn, and says: Give me
a fair shOw-if you won't treat me right,
I'll be revenged? ?" And SO the man
has a "spring appetite" and drenches
himself with bitters, or peppers himself
with pills.
1t is great pity that common sense in
these matters should be SO uncommon. II
man isn't hungry, why should he eat
II he can eat breakfast and relish it al
eleven or twelve O'Clock, but can only
force down few morsels at seven, why
shouldn't he conform to the situation
Not fifth of the civilized world break
fast In the arbitrary and senseless fashion
in vogue in this country. Many man
and woman would find their appetite equal
to plate of orange, 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 butteI
will often be relished for lunch where
hot soup or cold meats would 70 un
touched. Fish and eggs are now plenty
and cheap, and they afford great variety
and combination 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-yenti
lated cars all winter will walk to and from
their business, or far enough to get up {
good glow every day, they would soor
notice change in their relish for food
If the women would get out into the air
say around the markets for nice things t.
get the home table out of the old familia,
ruts visit their children's schools-walh
for the fun OF it, or even to see the sprinl
openings-the change from the nerve
rasping perplexities and sitting air of thu
house would revive their interest in the
bill of fare.
We are all too prone to sit still anc
see the wheels go round in the same
old fashion-ln matters religious, politi
cal, social, industrial and astronomical
If some of the pretty pious notices thai
adorn our homes could be traded off fol
the golden text" Variety is the Spice
OF Life''-and the Useful truth it elnbod
les could be applied as it ought to be-
there would be a good deal more fun in
the world. and more good digestion, and
therefore, it would be less of Z. . dog ken.
mel of q place" than the dyspeptic philos
opher declares it to be.-Golden Ruk.