The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-03
Medical and Sanitary.

Professor Page, of the university OF
Virginia, has written letters to Messrs.
Harris and Tucker, urging that nitrate
of soda and muriate OF potash, both
articles of prime necessity in southern
agriculture, be placed upon the free list.
He says the former is the cheapest
source of nitrogen farmer can use, next
to his domestic manures, aud muriate of
potash is the cheapest form of that
valuable element of plant food
Nobody should venture in a sick-room
when in perspiration, for the moment
the body becomes cold it is in state
likely to absorb the infection; nor visit
q sick person, if the complaint be of a
contagious nature, with an empty stom-
ach, nor swallow your saliva Ia attend
ing sick person, place yourself where
the air passes from the door or window
to the bed of the invnIid. not between the
invalid and the fire, as the heat OF ~.
fire viii draw the infections ysp or fn,.hat
direction, aud there is dafI-
ingit.
A celebrated English physician says
that pedestrian exercise particularly
exhausts the spine and brain, and ia,
therefore, the kind of exercise less suited
to Intellectually hard-working men. 1t
is on this account that horseback exercise
is the medicine it is-the horse having
the fatigue, and the rider the exercise.
To sufficiently jar and agitate the liver
aud other internal organs, for some
convalescents, the loins and legs must be
overworked. The thorough shake-up
which is got in the saddle is without
effort, or with the effort of only such
muscles as can best afford it; and the
student-rider comes back with physical
forces all refreshed, beside the exhilsra-
tion of movement for the spirits ana the
change of mind.
In females the ratio of cases of pull
monary consumption to those OF all
other diseases is highest in those follow
ing ssdentary employments, less in those
having mixed indoor emplovments, and
least in those occupied out of doors.
The highest ratio occurs in the case of
females whose habits of life are irregular.
In men the ratio of cases of pulmonary
to those OF all other diseases
in the case of men following indoor en-
pigments varies inversely as the amount
of exertion, being highest where there is
nd
ments requiring strong exercises. Neither
a constraii ed posture, nor exposure TO q
high temperature nor a moist temrera-
ture appears to have any marked effect
in promoting pulmonary consumption.
By noticing the way we breathe, it is
seen that the chest heaves aud the ab-
lomen swells as air is inhaled, but
.hrinks as the air is expelled. This
proves that the bending posture pre-
vents the bowels from giving way before
he diaphragm, and thus lessons the
vacuum, and, of course, the amount Of
air inhaled. On this account no one
,hould ever bend the small of the back,
but always iDwardly, so as to
.hrow the abdominal organs forward,
.hus giving them room to retire before
he contracting diaphragm. Ia sitting,
he back OF the chair should rarely be
,ouched, but, if so, the spine must be
Kept straight. Ottomans are conse-
Iuently preferable to chairs, and all
hould learn to sit independently of the
,hair>back, bending only at the hip
oint