Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-20
FArNEss AND LEANNEss


| Discomfort seems TO be natural instinct
every closet. the unmarried are discon-
tented and married life is often darkened with
sadness and sorrow. The young want to be
old, and the old yearn for the days of happy
childhood again. The poor grieve for
riches, but as they accumulate wealth, their
discomfort is increased in the desire for
| more The heart is always longing Tor the
| impossible and unattainable. And strange
| to say that there is more dissatisfaction with
| the personal corporosity than anything
else. Indeed, the discomfort on this subject
| is the cause OF much in6delity. The un-
| graceful and grim-visaged young Lady as
| she primps before the mirror rebels at the
| destiny which denied her the beauty of her
comrades and makes her montrosity. Peo-
pie seem 10 care more for the cssket than
the Jewels il contains. The fat and the lean
spend their lives in envying each other.
The lank, slab-sided proprietor OF skin and
bones, whose abdomen seems TO have
grown to the backbone, enyi=s the
quivering flesh and the kettle drum which
adorns. obesity. On the other hand, the
| mountain oiflesh, as it wabbles in its oleagi-
nous symmetry execrates the fate which
converts ''the human form divine" into an
oil mill. 1t is a misfortune that The super
Auous flesh of the fat cannot be sliced off
and dried like jerked beef and used 10 chink
the gaping cracks in the lean mans body,
Just as mortar is used to close the assures in
an old-iashioned log house. But in he pro-
gress of science it seems the day is not far
distant when corpulent persons will be able
to rid themselves OF their superfuous avoir-
dupois, and that the lean can take on as much
flesh as they desire. According to the opin-
ion of a no less eminent medical ant hority
than NJ. de Saint GERMAN, the causes which
produce obesity are known and may be read
lily avoided, and fat people may rid Them
selves of their abundant flesh without any
troubIs M de Saint Germain, in thesUaioa
1iedicaIe, szys that Che great difficulty 10 be
spprebendsd from obesity lies in The direc-
ton OF LESSONS OF the heart, and
that, while considerable difference exists
relative to The Innueucs or ON rIe ma
bility to the sffiiction, he believes that
women are more liable TO it, and that in pro-
portion as they are addicted to alcoholism
and inactivity. Among the causes OF obesity
are mentioned excess of food and alcoholic
drinks, TOO much sleep, and occasionally
marriage. Widowhood, which makes men
fat, has a contrary effect on women. NJ. de
Saint German illustrates his method of
treatment upon himself. Having grown to
the weight of go pounds, he tried to train
himself down by the regulation method of
treatment, and in six weeks lost twenty mine
pounds of flesh and most of his strength. He
then stopped, recovered his weight and his
health, and suffered no particular change
for eight wears. Then he took 10 horseback |
riding, gymnastics and fencing, varying his |
exercises occasionally, but always keeping
them up actively in the early morning |
hours. To these he added a severe regl-
breakfast after his fatiguiDg
exercises, but cigar 10 soothe his |
stomach, Later breakfast of two boiled |
eggs, outlet, with salad and fruit, coffee |
without sugar or spirit, no bread or wine, |
but water or tea without sugar to drink; for |
dinner, no soup, plate of meat, dish of |
green vegetables, fruit, no bread or wine; no /
dining in the city; absolute self-cestraint.
The result of this treatment was fall of |
his weight to 212 pounds and increased
vigor. Perhaps nine-tenths of the cases of |
offensive obesity which are seen among
either sex are the result of wine, beer, or
other alcoholic drinking. Should the vic
Al ia l. 1
beverages alone they would themselves be
surprised to see how quickly they would re-
turn to a symmetrical physique. Obesity
md drinking go together now as surely as
hey did in the days of that "epIcurean ras-
AL" Jack Falstaf.