Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-06-24
HYGIENE.
BY REV. DIR. GERHARDT.

BY REV. DIX. GERHAkDTs
Esculapius is the god of the healing
art. Hygeia was hts daughter and
goddess of health. From the latter
name the term Hygiene is derived,
which means the science of the preser-
Walton of health. The choicest earth
ly blessing is health, and to preserve
it Is of the utmost Importance. Finan-
cial losses may be repaired, but lost
health is seldom regained. A knowl-
edge, therefore, of the principles of
Hygiene is of vital Importance to all,
and especially to the teacher, the edu-
~catoF of the rising generation, to whom
is entrusted in great measure, the
care of large clusters of the tender buds
-of humanity, which need to be pro-
tected against the chilling blasts of ig-
horance in reference to that which an
hually sweeps millions of our fellow
beings to an untimely grave. If the
seeds of disease are sown in the bud,
how can the blossom escape? or how
can we expect full blown and healthy
flower?
1t becomes the faithful teacher, there
fore, to stand upon the watch-tower
and cry" Behold the enemy is at
the door and knocks"
We must know what causes disease,
so that, if possible, we may take meas
ures to remove it and prevent the eff
feet. We may divide them into two
general classes, predisposiasg causes and
e.rciti,U causes and these are almost as
numerous as the sands of the sea; in
fact, there is nothing in nature that
comes in contact with our bodies,
which may not, under some circum-
stances, produce deleterious effects up
on the human system; but / am here
limited to those which are most COM
mon among the young and most con-
Germ us as teachers, and even of those
we can only touch upon few in the
short space of time allowed us.
First, we viii mention the habits of
living as one fruitful source of disease.
Food may engender disease, either by
quantity CIR improper quality. Ali
ment may be deficient or excessive.
The heroes Of 40 days fasting, like DIR.
Tanner. may survive the trial, but
they culpably curtail their days, by a
depletion of their physical powers, and
endangeripg their future vitality. All
the textures of the body suffer, the
muscles become small and tendinous,
the fat diminishes and even the bones
undergo diminution; while the blood
turns thin, the surface becomes cold,
and the sufferer in the end becomes
delirious end gradually pines away.
aBnt by far The greater number ere
injured by ercessire food. Sometimes
the appetite becomes immOderate, and
Graves more than the system can bear
and appropriate to itself. Ifgratified,
the digestive organs are overtaxed, ir-
ritated and distended, and dyspepsia
is the result.
The quality and proportions of our
food are also important. Man by ma
ture is omnivorous. His jaws partake
of the compound motion of the whole
animal kingdom and his health is best
preserved by mixture of animal and
vegetable food, and these taken Unjust
such quantities and proportions as the
digestive organs can best dispose OF.
Intoxicating liquors, strong tea or
coffee, Highly spiced victuals, or the
filthy use of tobacco, especially the
quid and the cigarette, are also among
the exciting causes to disease. Now,
ladies, just want to whisper word |
of mischief in your ears concerning
those who are debasing themselves by
the first and last named articles. It
certainly is ungentlemanly for them
with their polluted breath to offer to
salute you by lip service. If their lips
are so Overlooking with kisses, just
tell them to walk out and spend them
on the barn-door, or the door of the
pen of other happy grunters. A few
modest hints of this kind from you,
might have great effect in working
A reformation.
Violent exercise often leaves its
mark upon the system. 1t causes a
rush of blood to the heart which, to
relieve itself forces it in great quanti
ties to the extremities. The capillary
system is unable to absorb it all, and
and are sometimes ruptured causing
of the blood into the cav
tiles of the trunk land causing immedi-
ate death.
In this connection it seems necessary
10 speak of the circulation of the blood
in the human system. Probably there
is no subject that comes within the
scope of human scrutiny, of which
are SO generally ignorant, as
they are of their own mechanism, and
hence how necessary is a knowledge of
which should be made a
regular branch of study in all schools
of higher grade.
The heart is the center and mov-
ing power of all physical action.
1t contains four cavities, two auricles |
and two ventricles. 1t is divided in
to two parts by partition, the right |
and the left. The blood is sent from
the left cavity of the heart by the con-
traction of its muscles into large |
curved artery called AOrtd. At the
commencement of this artery, are
three small valves termed the semi !
lunar valves. They open when the
ventricle contracts to let the blood
flow into the Aorta, and then close to
prevent it's flowing back, while the
ventricle again expands to receive a
fresh supply. From the Aorta large
branches ramify which pass to the
different extremeties these, in turn,
are constantly giving off smaller
branches which flow to all parts of the
capillaries or hair like duets. There
the yenOus circulation commences,
and thence the blood makes its way
to the heart again, the smaller veins
continuing to unite until all are con-
centrated into the ascending and des-
cending vena cava, emptying their con-
tents into the right cavity of the heart,
performing very much the same OF.
flee in the human system that the Mis-
sissippi and Amazon rivers do in the
Western Continent.
Thence the blood passes through the
pulmonary artery to the lungs where
it undergoes change from yenous to
arterial blood by coming in contact
with the air. Now what are the chem
ical changes that take place during
this circulation? Let us see. While