Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-06-27
Vol. XIV. Whole No. 1878. M. 26.

mol. Milton once said. however. that Tho
Nric poet may drink wine aud live ven.r.
1 ousiy; but the epic poet, he who shall slnu
oi the gods, aud their descent unto men
| must drink water out ut a wooden bowj
According to Milton. then. Mr. Bryant was
,i, more OF an epic than ly ric poet, aud though
ms verses are not OF the epic order, no one
sAox .he epic spirit could have trans.
| lated Homer as he did 20 8, 60
Mr. Bryant retired early: IN :, N
In the country somewhse earlIer. For
several years he avoided, i0a the evening
every Kind OF literary occupation which
asked tne faculties, such ~ composition
even 20 the writing OF letters, because
e4cited his nervous system and pre-
preVented sound sleep. He never used to-
oacco. II never meddle with is = he said.
except to quarrel with its use: / ahomi.
nate all drugs aud DaI cotics. and have al.
ways carefully avoided everything which
spurs nature to exertions which che vonld
~ io' o,nerwlse make. Even with my food
10 MOI take the usual condiments, such AZ
hygiene ana CUnsumVJIOn.
At the tables Of how many farmers and
mechanics, We wonder. is the huckwheat
breakfast gone into disgracep'' We readily
recall the time when u ted multitudes
OF families broke their fast of twelve hours
and faced the work Of clustering winter
day with nothing but greasy buckwheat
cakes and molasses, They might almost
as well have eaten sawdust; and what had
they for diDnerf Boiled salt. pork and no.
tatoes, and for supper boiled salt.pork and
potatoes agsin-cold, and made palxtabIs
with vinegar! All, we forge the pie,-the
everlasting pie, with Its sugary center and
'ts ieathery crust.-the one Utilization OF the
palate that made life tolerable Good bread
nr mill k,,,
and mutton, nutritious puddings, all these
things have been within the reach of the
people OF New England, for they have al.
ways been the thrlftiest people In the
world; but they have cost something, and
they have not really been deemed neccssa-
ry The people have not realized that
what they regarded as Injuries were nee
essaries, and that the food upon which
they have depended for protection from
the climate. and for the repair OF the
wastes OF labor has been altogether inade-
qnate, and has left them with impoverished
blood and tuberculous lungs.
Alter taking into account all the infu.
ence Of heredity, which Is made much OF
In treating of the causes OF phthisis, insuf.
hcient nourishment Is responsible alike, in
most instances, for the deposit OF tubercle
and The inflammation to which Ii naturally
gives rise. There sre many men, who, by
n change of living, render the tubercles al
ready deposited in their lungs harmless,
vitality becomes so high In It's power that
1t dominates these evil influences, and they
live out fairly long life with enemies in
their lungs that are rendered powerIess by
the strength OF the fluid that fight them.
We have seen consumption cured again
and again by the simple process OF building
up the forces of vitality through passive
exercise In the open air. and the supply OF
an abundance OF nutritious food; and we
have no doubt that it can be prevented In
most instances by the same means.
No human body can long endure the
draught made upon 1t by q cod climate
and by constant labor, unless IL Is we'll fed.
vel! clothed, and well housed. Some
where deterioration will show itself, and
IN New England nay, all over the king
dom OF Great Britain it is the same, where
the people are worse led than here,-the
poverty of blood shows itself In the deposit
OF tn6erculous matter In the lungs There
IN New England In consequence Of the in
creased intelligence of the people, but SO
long as so many OF them are running west
ward, aud their places ARE taken by an ig-
norant foreign population, it Is not likely
that the statistics will show much Improve
ment tor great many years to come. Ii
our physicians could only be paid for pre-
venting disease, and could be permitted to
prescribe for each family its way OF living,
there would be but little difficulty in rout-
Ing from its stronghold that most fatal
and persistent enemy Of human life, which
we call consumptiou.-Dr. Holland in July
.Scribner.