Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-10
The NOStrUna EaIlacy.

When child complains of headache. lassi-
tude, or want OF appetite. the nurse concludes
that he must take something" If the COM
plexlon of a young lady grows every day paler
and pastier, her mother will insist that she must
''get something" to purify her blood. If the
baby squeas day and night a doctor is sent for
and is expected to prescribe something"
What that something should be- the parents
would be unable to define, but they have a
vague idea that it should come from the drug
store. and that it cannot be good for much I'M
less it is bitter OF nauseOus. Traced to it's prin-
ciplcs their theory would be about this .'Sick-
ness and depravity are the normal condition of
our nature; salvation can come only through
abnormal agencies; and remedy in order to
be elective, should be as anti-natural as posi-
BILE" Perfectly logical from Scriptural point
OF view. But Nature still persists in following
her own laws. Her physiological laws she
announces by means of the instincts
which man shares with the humblest
of his ellow-creatures. and health
is her free gift to all who trust themselves to the
guidance Of those instincts. Health is not lost
by accident, nor can it be repurchased at the
drugstore 1t is lost by physiological sins, and
can be regained only by SHINING no more Dis
ease is Natures protest against gross viola
ton OF her laws. SURPRISING the symptoms of
disease with drugs means to silence that pro-
test instead of removing the cause. We might
az well try to eXtnguish a fire by siencing the
IRE bells; the alarm will soon be sounded from
another quarter, though the first bells NAV not
ring again till the belfry breaks down in gen.
erai cOnfiagratiOn. For the laws of health.
though liberal enough to be apparently plastic.
are in reality as memorable as time and
efavitatiOn. We can not bully Nature
We cannot defy her resentment by fresh
proVocation. Drugs may change the form of
the disease e., modify the terms of the pro-
test-but the law cannot be baffled by cOmplicat-
ing the offense; before the drugged patient can
recover, he has to expiate double sn-the
medicine and the original cause of the disease
But shall parents look on and let a sick child
ask III vain for help? BY no means Some
thin" is certainly wrong, and has to be rightetl.
The disease itself is cry for help. But not for
drugs. Instead of "tIhriRq something" some
thing ought to be done, and Oftener something
habituaily done ought to be omitted 1t the
| babys stomach has been tOrrnented with ten
/ nursln@Sa day. omit six of them; omit tea and
! coffee from the young lady's ne,s,; stop the
| dyspeptics meat-ratiOns. and the youngsters
! grammar lessons after dinner. But
| open the bedroom windows. open the
| door and let your children take
romp in the garden, or on the street. even on
| snow-coyered street. Let them spend their
| Sundays with an uncle who has good orchard;
or, send for barrel of apples. Send for the
| carpenter. and let him turn the nursery or the
wood-shed into a gymnasium In case you have
i nothing but your bedroom and kitchen there
will still be room for emphasizing; the Bos-
Ion Hygienic Institute has patented kind that
can be fastened without visible damage to the
ceiling. If the baby won't stop crying, some
| thing ought to be done about it. Yes, and as
soon as possible; remove the strait jacket APP
paratus, swaddling- clothes. petticoat, and all,
spread couple of rugs in comfortable corner,
and give the poor little martyr a chance to
move his cramped limbs let him roll. tumble,
| and kick to his hearts content. and complete
| his happiness by throwing the paregOric-b bottle
out of the window-Dr. Fetir L. Os,ratd, In
Popular Science Monthly for December.
How Washington Treated CORVALLIS.
| From the Toiedo Blade.
| Uncle Nelse. one Of the characters met the
other week at Yorktown. really persuades him
self that he saw Gen. Washington and Lord
Corvallis '.Tell us about it," we said: ''Well.
| you see Massa Lawd CORVALLIS he stood right
dab. and Massa Gineral WASHINGTON he stood
| right heah. jess so soon en- Massa Lawd Corn
| wallis seen Massa Gineral Washington, he pulled
Off his hat. and ne seq, seq he:
| "'Good mawnin. Massa Gneral Washington.
"'Who is you: sez Massa Gineral Washington
| booking very cross.
Why. Use Lawd CORVALLIS, sah,' SEE he, a.
/ bOwin and q scrapin'.
lis ye, We son-of-a-gun? says Massa Gineral
Washington: an pulln' out-his sword he chopt
/ his head clean Off"