Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-02-05
CARE OF THE HEALTH.
Health in the Farmhouse.

Hcdlin III ZIG r aTm.nOuSe.
The first danger to the farmers health
is that arising from overwork. This
we are happy to say, is not as great as
formerly. These long work-hours have
been greatly modified by the introduce
ton of labor-saving machinery, the use
of coal as fuel, and more especially by
the general change in the hours of labor
in all industries. Still, with all this inn
provement, the occupation of farmer
calls for much hard work, and the
temptation of the ambitious is to strain
his muscles till he finds them stiffened
with rheumatism and himself "bunged
up''-as he says of his horse that has
been strained and famed by overwork.
Farmers seldom spoil their horses in
this way; this is done by hirelings; and
if they would have the same considera-
ton for their own muscles which they
have for those of their horses they
would prolong life and enjoy it more.
No man should do two days work in
one. He may possibly try it once with
apparent IMMUNITY, but let him follow 1t
up for succession Of days and Time
will show him his revenges. Sufficient
unto the day is the labor thereof.
Another drawback to the health of
farmers is working in the rain. Wet
clothes and wet feet have induced tuber-
culous deposits in many lungs. Ducks
can live in water, but man was made to
live on dry land, and did not the ducks
feathers shed water better than mans
clothes, even this aqueous bird would
suffer from exposure to wet. Farmers
must 90 out more or less in all weather,
but if at any time their clothes are
soaked, or their feet are wet, change
the clothes and dry the feet. With the
change give the body good rubbing
with a coarse towel. This will produce
glow on the skin, denoting healthy
reaction in the circulation of the blood.
Most persons can stand a showering, but
only the most vigorous can resist the
chilling effect of evaporation from wet
clothes.
Much has been said of late years of
farmers diet, the everlasting pot-luck
for dinner and fried pork for breakfast
being accused of inducing dyspepsia
among them. 1t must be confessed that
this disease is more prevalent among
farmers than it ought to be. A few
years ago the Massachusetts Board of
Health made a pretty thorough investi-
CATION of the diseases of farmers,
and the causes of the same,
and of the forty-nine physicians
who replied to the question, "What
diseases are most prevalent among the
agricultural Glass; 20 mentioned rheu-
matism, II mentioned pneumonia and
typhoid fever, and 10 dyspepsia. Of
the causes of these diseases, overwork
is mentioned by &c, improper diet by
%, exposure by IS, sanitary defects
about the premises by ten. Work in
the open air ought to enable the farmer
to digest fried pork, ham, pot-luck,
baked beans, or any thing he is pleased
to eat, and he would digest them much
better if he took more time for his
meals, but he is apt to be in hurry,
and, consequently, bolts down his food
without sufficient mastication, and mix
ing with saliva Hence his stomach is
taxed unduly to perfect what the teeth
and glands of the mouth left unfinished.
The evil also is partly hereditary, for
his ancestors have done this before him,
and have transmitted diseased powers
of digestion. If. I ever prayed for
any thing fervently,'' said a friend, " it
was that my children might not inherit
dyspeptic stomach Par
ents should think of this
transmission, both in selecting
their diet and taking time to eat it. A
little social pleasure at meals may con-
sumo some time, but will save some
medical bills. While on this matter of
diet, we wish to say that farmers would
find it greatly for their health to eat
more fruit and vegetables and less meat,
especially in the summer. Many of
them have a notion that Woodworking
folks must eat meat three times day.
An English laborer works just as hard,
ana is tnank1ul II ne SetS meat once
day. This he takes in the morning-if
he can get it-and for his dinner carries
into the field some bread and cheese,
and considers himself fortunate if he
can wash down this dry food with hug
of beer. A superfuity of meat tends
to an imfammatory condition of the
blood, and fevers may supervene. More
liberal rations of fruit and vegetables
will counterfeit this tendency.
Rheumatism and dyspepsia are bad
enough, and pulmonary consumption is
terrible, but these are chronic diseases
and can be cured if taken early in hand,
but typhoid fever comes sneaking into
the house like thief, through the kitch-
en- door, or privy vault, or up the cellar
stairs, and, perhaps, most commonly