The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-22
Summer Hygiene.
Lecture by DR.. William b. Fletcher Of
indianapolis.

One fourth of the children born die
under the age of five years old, and to
a great extent this high rate of moral
itv was due TO acknowledgement. a
newlv-born child is very much like a
lecch, it has a very good stomach and
little else. \ child must have proper
nutriment and proper rest. 1t must
be free from the regulation b~andaSes
which fashion has bound about your
children. The custom of handling
children about to be admired and pet
ted prevents them from having their
proper rest. At the age of One year
the child is ready almost at the slight
est provocation to being supplied with
the soft, pulpy, nutritious food for
which the stomach IS designed, It Is
often given starchy food, which en-
gender disease. Another ource of
disease is found in the custom Of giving
children evening rides over damp side
walks. and where there is a great deal
of miasma in the air. The plunging Of
children into cold ba, hs is one of the
most frightful sources of cholora, in
fammation and intestinal disorders.
The same causes result in the same
effects with the children Of poor and
rich parents. 1t is not constant lot or
cold weather that causes disease. hut
sudden changes of twenty or thirty
degrees of temperature when children
are unprotected and exposed are al
most certain to produce the dreaded
cholera infantum, for the stomach Of
the child is almost like a sieve. Veget-
able fOod almost always undergOeS in
the stomach Of the child fermentation
instead of digestion. There is no OBJ
lection to vegetable diet for adults,
but in the case of children the same
food acts as a poison. Probably the
most important and useful thing that
could be done would be to go into the
kitchen and teach mothers how to make
children's food. The use of tea instead
of fresh milk among Il poorer colOred
families Is a frequent OF d1SeaSe:
but it is very difficult in this case to
suggest means OF Improvement. Sewers
and sinks are perhaps within a few
feet Of the well used by a large number
of families, which are necessarily filled
with poison. In one street last week
the little bit Of Grape was hanging on
six doors. and he had no doubt but
the poisoned water caused death, but
the children we're better of, as they
were removed from abject poverty.
Look at the system of sewerage in our
city, and L surroundings of pork
houses on the southwest, which at
sometime Will be the cause of a serious
epidemic. 4 bad system of sewerage
is worse than none, Us it is better to
carry the filth a distance away to be
buried in the soil. The principal
weakness o. our sewers IS in not hay
ing enough water passing through
them to carry off all the sediment.
The owners of tenement houses ought
to be compelled to supply their proper
tv with water-workS water. which is
generally much better than the water
from any driven well IN the neighbor-
hood of a dozen hsuses. This city is
fortunate in the supply Of good food,
but the milk supply is not as good as
could be wished. although it is much
better than formerly. Even poor peo-
pie can now get milk which, if it is not
absolutely fresh, IS not quite sour.
The opening Of the parks to the public
in this city Will be of great advantage,
and IS already being highly appreci-
ated. 1t is a great pity that the park
a mile or two south is not nearer the
heart Of the city or within reach Of the
poorer people by street-cars. Sick
children should always be placed III
the pleasantest and arrest room in the
house. u this rule is very often neg
lected. Children require more thar
the three regular meals a day, but
food should be given as often as called
for. and they will digest it if they are
healthy and have plenty of exercise
The best way to develop a child IL
form and muscle is to give it plenty O
rest. exercise and good food at FIRE
quent intervals. never allow it to e
with what is called an empty stom-
ach.' The Doctor concluded by adj
vocating better sanitary laws. and
strict enforcement Of those we nov
have: also that a strict register 0
births and deaths should be kept, an,
said the aim of all good physician
should be the prevention as we'll q
the cure of disease. He was dispose,
to think the Chinese had the RICH
: i~dea-they pay the doctor when the
are well, and he pays them when the
5 are sick.