Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-10-30
Causes 0f Disease.


give a general description of the sup
ply and waste of the body in health,
to enable a body to comprehend It's
diseased condition. A man of 140
lbs. weight receives annually into his
lungs 900 lbs OF Oxygen; into his
stomach 1000 lbs of water and 500
lbs of solid food; 5000 or over enc
and half tons This one and a hall
tons is discharged from the body
through the intestinal canal, kidneys.
lungs skin and mucous membranes,
During the passage of water and food
i through the intestinal canal, the
nourishing portions are absorbed by
the lacteals into the thoracic duct, and
is emptied into the blood before it en-
tiers into the lungs. The Oxygen
which enters the lungs at every in
spiration is absorbed into the blood
and the Carbon in the blood is given
off to the atmosphere at every expira-
ton The blood then returns from
the lungs to the left ventricle, laden
with all the materials for supplying
the tissues, and is distributed to every
part of the body
During the disposition of this
amount of nourishmsnt there has been
an equal amount of matter which
formed part of the body been decom
posed, and carried in the blood to the
lungs, kidneys, bowels and skin for
removal In youth the supply is
greater than the waste, and the body
increased in weight. In middle age,
the supply and waste is about the
same In old age the waste is greater
than the supply, with few exceptions.
The perverted action of the waste
and supply of the system is It's diseas.
ed condition, and pain is the result
The approximate and remote causes of
disease are numerous, and the work of
man not his maker. In support of
assertion, it is only necessary to refer
to final causes to establish the fact
that pain, sickness and premature
death were ends contemplated in the
creation. is a superstition with all that
nature elsewhere teaches Of the benev-
olence of the Creator, from The fact
that wild animals and reptiles are al
most or wholly exempt from disease,
although many of them inhabit region
more fillen with miasmsT!l than any
of the abodes Of men. Tanner animals
subj more to the influences of
man mode OF live, are liable to some
few diseases.
Instan ;e, fowls ara pet animals. as
deer, rabbits, &c. The most highly
dOmesticated are subject to the most
numerous and fatal diseases, and to
even, that are contagious Instance.
horses, cattle, sheep, dogs. &c And
the maladies of the human race are
found to surpass those Of the brutes in
number, complication and fatality, to
a degree fully as great as that in
which man S habits are more artificial
and unnatural than theirs. Still fur
Their, those among the human species
, who lead the most artificial life, are
ever the most subject to disease. -
IHClC, 1HSu, 10 piUOl WHICH, III SUu-
beams There we have Il regular
series of results, step by step dc
parting from the condition of simple
nature; aud by the same steps, de
parting from the highest strength and
happiness, and sinking into an atmos-
phere Of pain and premature death
Diseases then are not chargable on
: "chances," Or Mature" or "Provi
dence ;" they are the results Of un
natural habits and conditions of life.
Man brings disease upon himself from
inattension, recklessness or ignorance
on the part Of himself or parents
God does net willingly give his chill.
dren pain, therefore disease comes not
from Him. Of the most unnatura
habits and conditions we will enumer.
ate the most important.
Over taxation Of the body or mind
: in the form ot-excessive or mental la
Dor, the anxieties. hurries, perplexi
ties in business, anger, excitements OF
the feelings, deep emotions, excessive
indul gence of the passions. This last
cause produces more incompetency fol
: successful exertion and leads to N ore
diseases, hundred fold more. than i,
ever dreamed of by the mass of com
munity. The person who abuses the
fits God has given, INDUCES in ex-
cess, frequent in fits of passion, easily
angered, without patience fails to cou
troll their temper. must perish prcma
turcly For all these wear out,
consume, and subtract from the pow
ers Of life faster than by rest and
nourishment, we can add to, repair,
and reinri9orate them Incidence, OIL
want Of due exercise of the entire
body, or Of certain limbs or organs
To oyertax some parts, and underta1
others at the same time, is doubly tc
invite the inroads of disease Me.
chanical causes-Of these, by far the
most prolific of evils is an unnatural
mode of dress. This may injure ii
numberless ways-by cramping the
organs, COMPRISING limbs. overheatine
some parts, exposing others to cold
dragging upon weaker parts, checking
circulation, respiration, and free mo-
ton, and forming unnatural postures,
narrowness of chest, and every species
Of deformity. Hereditary predisposi,
ton, or the transfer OF diseased condi.
ton from parent to child. 1t is
: through this, in good degree, that
all alonu the halfway of infancy and