The Cecil Whig., 1883-03-10
WHY FEW PEOPLE LIVE TO GROW
OLD.

The ghth lecture CT the course in con-
nection with the New Century Evening
| Glasses for Women, was given on Satur-
day evening, at the Franklin Institute,
Philadelphia by DIR. Henry Hartshorne.
To live to a healthy and vigorous old age
was. he said, the right of every man and
woman. That so few attain it, is due III
part to unhyglenic ways of living and in
part to the inherited effect Of the bad
living Of our pTogenitors. One hundred
| years is the terminus to be expected from
the organization OF man, yet only one in
1000 reaches it. OF these, there are
more women than men, more foreigners
than natives, more coioYcd than white.
The average of life III this country is less
than 40, which, after allowing for epi-
denies, casualties, etc, is still unreason-
ably low.
Many are handicapped at The start by
a bad inheritance: many 4 child is born
with short-lived constitution. is 40 at
birth, and dies of old age in iniancy.
| The children of drinkers are apt to be
unhealthy even VIII n the habit has not
obviously affected the parent. The mar
riage of consunptives is always danger
Gus: weak lungs in both parents are al
most certainly fatal to offspring, and
most of all the marriage Of persons under
age is likely to fill the world with weak
iings. The waste of life among children,
especially III cities in hot weather, is due
in large proportion to dirty streets, un
clean and unventilated houses, and close
packing together. This is SO obvious
that a rhy ysician could go through the
! city and predict in what streets and
| alleys, and almost in what houses, pesti
lential diseases would be generated which
should spread to punish city.
| The speaker was especially earnest on
the subject of vaccination. ''Consider
no child safe, said he, because once
vaccinated, but when about twelve years
old, re-vacciEate, and don't be satisfied
until it has taken.' Hot weather is more
dangerous to children than adults. The
| Children's S Country Week and the Sani-
tarium give to thousands every summer
something to breathe. 1t would be well
If the mothers iii any small court or
small street would take turns through
the hot days in spending each i day in
public square with the children Of several
families together.
Cold is also very trying to young chill
drcn, and the positive cruelty of mothers
i'll allowing, sor fashion, sake, the legs
Of children to bo lightly clothed in via
ter, was earnestly condemned. When a
child is in bed it is not enough to depend
on bed clothing for warmth; 10 amount
of cold clothing will make heat; it will
simply contne the amount of animal heat
already in the body. If child is put TO
bed cold it may stay cold, although un-
der piles Of clothing. The right way is
to have artificial heat in the room not
only for its own warmth, but to make it
easy to lower the windows and let into
the lungs Of the sleeper the oxygen bear
Jag fresh air, which shall turn to heat in
the body itself. Take a child in ordinary
health out of doors every good day, even
in midwintcr; even al infant, in the first
month Of its life, wrap up carefully and
don't keep out too long. The reason why
skating, one of the very best modes Of
exercise, lost favor, is that people skated
too long at a time, and sat down on the
ice when warm.
The Spartan method Of putting the
baby out of doors over night to see if it
was robust enough to live till morning
was not recommended by the lecturer.
The food for babies is milk and nothing
else.
The theory Of adding water is now al
most wholly abandoned, said the speaker
except by miilmen. But above all things
the milk used Icy an infant should be
kept as 'resh as possible even a few
hours in warm room may bring disease
to the delicate stomach of the child. If
ice cannot be had, it is better to boil it at
once. Beware of giving starchy food
alone to babies. They need nitrogen as
we'll as starch. You can almost starve a
child by giving it all it will take of arrow
root and water. And don't be forever
feeding. Often child simply wants a
} drink, and the water is far better than
: milk. For older children and adults tea
|
better than either. Cocoa is pleasant,
nnurishing. and does not disorder the
nerves.
For alcohol in any and every form, the
lecturers emphatic advise was. LET il
alone More and more largely, with
every year, are scientists coming over to
the doctrine that alcohol is one of the
agents to be resorJed to only by advice,
after careful thought, of the family
physician. In regard to foods, at least
two-thirds in ordinary cases should be
vegetable but whatever you eat or drink
refuse if you wish to keep healthy. to
eat and drink foul air. If in that conveu-
lent appurtenance, the permanent wash
J basin, you observe peculiar oior have
the trap examined, cork up all the little
holes at night, or remove it altogether
that is. if you dislike diphthcria and kind.
red affections. If you observe the slight
est smell Of gas from your coal stovo,
have it looked after: leave the room and
open doors and windows, Don't as a rule
blow ont the gas instead of turning it off
but remember that gas from your stove
is more insidious: because it permeates
) the air 50 gradually that you sit uncon-
) scious of the poison. Never sleep with
out 4 window down. Wash every morn
ing in cold water: this is a great preven-
} tive of colds-catching cold is almost
always catching bad air, which puts the
body in state to be susceptible to every
draught. If You travel be benefactol
to your race by insisting that the venti-
lators in the cars shall be used for venti
lating. The iaithfulness Of conductors
in shutting these apertureS is worthy OF
a better cause.
If We are to have men and women capa
) BILE OF good work, said the speaker, the
children must be allowed to play, anG
that most of their time. Three hours
brain work is equal to seven or eight o