Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-18
HON r TOPICS.
How to Exerci,e.


one can discourse glibly on the snbject
and in q general way prescribe it fo,
every ailment. Twenty years ago tn,
hobby was cold water bathing ten year,
later warm water was substituted TO,
cold then the gymnasium, with its
dumb bells and "lifting" machines
"health lifts," as they are called. and
think very properly, because no device.
save dumbells, could lift mans health
and carry it away more effectually.
Strictly speaking, cold bathing NAV NOT
be considered exercise but I desire to
say few words ON that subject. There
are many mothers even now who bathe
their infants in cold water every day, in
the belief that it is q sanitary practice.
1t seema 20 me that a little reflect;on
will cause any intelligent mother to
abandon it ut once. The infant is deli.
cate and sensitive creature, who has but
three chances in four of ever getting out
OF his swaddling clothes under ordinary
treatment Were he intelligently cared
Tor, his chances of reaching manhood
would probably be ninety-nine in hun
dred. hut the average baby has his feet
forced into shoes several sizes too small
Tor him his dress Commences low and
ends high, leaving shoulders and knees
exposed to cold air he has less than half
enough food to eat, and hardly thimble-
iul OF pure cold water to drink during the
DAY II he survives these tortures, few
cold baths often suffice to chill the
blood 30 that it ceases to flow and, final
~, the responsibility for this cruel igno-
rance is sacrilegiously attributed to Prov.
idence. The gymnasium would be n
valuable institution II all who 90 there
TO exercise would limit their gyrations
and contortions within reasonable bounds,
hut there is always more or less rivalry
IN the performance of difficult feats, and
the actors are often goaded on beyond
the point OF safety. Hundreds of young
men have been broken down in this way
beyond the hope of restoration to health.
All bodily motion is induced by contrac-
ton or extension of the various muscles
OF the body at command of the will now,
II the individual becomes excited and
eager to excel in some difficult feat, he
iorgets himself; that is, reason for the
time loses control Of him and he over
exerts himself. The muscles have been
30 long on the stretch that they are tired
out and lose their elasticity and have not
the power to regain it. A man who has
lad much OF this sort of experience may
display some muscles of abnormal de-
velopment, but it is often found that the
material has been taken from points
where it was needed far more. 1t is per-
maps better to take no exercise than to
carry the thing to excess ; but it should
DE an easy matter to regulate the amount
70 the requirements of the individual.
IL this is done its effects nre marvellous.
A lew simple rules are sufficient. Never
exercise to the extent of great fatigue
stop short OF that and YOU are always
gaming strength; go beyond and you
lose strength III proportion. The best
exercise is horseback riding, because it
keeps all tire muscles in motion, nrOi,0,-
tdrilyj the horse lends you his muscles.
walking is the next best method; all the
muscles are brought into use, but it re-
quires an effort of the will to maintain
the motion, and this detracts from its
value. Every one has noticed how much
more sprained wrist, for example, is re-
lieved when rubbed briskly by another
person than when rubbed by the other
hand of the patient. There is something
soothing IN passivity. 1t is said that lazy
people live the longest, and that may be
the reason.-HaWs journal Of HeaiM
Hard nd Soft Wa err.
You often hear of water for household
purposes being called "hard" and "soft. p"
The reason why some waters, especially
spring water, are ''hard" is owing to the
mineral matters dissolved in them. Rain
water is never "hard," because it is near
~ free OF solid matter. The reason you
had such an uncomfortable wash and
shave this morning at your friends house
was owing to the water being largely
charged with lime and magnesia. When
the soap is rubbed between the palms in
water OF this description, the stearic acid
in the oil of the soap combines with the
lime and magnesia, and forms compounds
which the water car. not dissolve and
hence the provoking curliness you OBJ
served. For the lather to be a perfect
one, complete solution of the constitu-
ents of the soap must take place, and in
pure water this would be the case. But
some waters are permanently hard, while
some are only temporarily 80. Perma-
nent hardness is caused when the water is
charged with sulphate of lime and mag
nesia, and temporary hardness by carbo
mates OF lime and magnesia. Pure water
dissolves the sulphates, but not the car
donates. Then how do the carbonates
come to be in the water at all The
reason is this : All natural waters, but
especially spring and well water, contain
more or less free carbonic gas in a state
OF absorption, and, when thus charged,
are capable OF dissolving the carbonates !;
but whenever this gas is expelled from
the water, say by boiling it. the carbon
ates are at once deposited; and this ac-
| 10 To- tha - I.
and when this takes place the water be-
comes quite soft. The boiling does not
affect the sulphates to any degree in this
way in water that is permanently "hard. +"
Temporarily hard water can be made soft
by more means than boiling alone. If a
tubful of it at night be stirred up with
little "slaked" lime and allowed to settle.
in the morning there will be white de-
posit at the bottom of the tub, and the
water will be found to be quite "soft, Z"
because the lime added will combine with
the free carbonio acid gas in the water.
and the whole OF the carbonates will be-
come deposited, in virtue of their insolu-
bility in water without this gas. For
drinking purposes, rain water, after being
passed through charcoal filter to remove
the organic matter it contains, is the
most wholesome for adults The general
objection is its tastelessness. pinch of
salt will remedy this. For the young.
however. solid matter in the water, of the
right kind, such Us lime aud magnesia, is
good, as these go to build up the bony
structures of the child. d.-Chan,Jers's
Journal.
Miscellaneous Recipes.
Rice Waffies, which are simply delicious
for breakfast, must be started the day be-
fore you wish to eat them that is, the
rice must be boiled. A good way to ac-
complish this is to make rice pudding
to-day and reserve half n cupful of the