Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-08-08
Timely Health Hints.


The farmer, of all men, should enjoy
good health. He can have the best and
freshest of natures productions for food
and drink; his work is healthful exer-
else, and the air he breathes is free and
pure. Yet statistics show that the life
Of the farmer is below the average, and
that several classes who lead sedentary
lives in the city are longer lived than
he. This must proceed from gross
disregard of the requirements of health
on his part, and if we look at the mat
ter critically, we must confess that
many of us farmers treat ourselves as if
we did not care particularly whether
we lived or not. Now | shall, perhaps,
say some plain things, and l say them
without eXempting myself. Do not
think that speak from n high pinnacle
Of fancied personal per ection. 1 am
quite willing to admit that l am as
much at fault as any of my brethren.
We must confess that we are un-
cleanly about our bodies. All over the
surface of the body there are many lit
tie glands. opening upon the skin,
body the particles of broken down, dead
tissue. This etfe.e matter is cast upon
the skin. and must be FIRE luently re-
moved with soap and water. or it will
finally close up the glands, and the
| dead matter must be retained in the
body, producing disease. There are
also other glands opening on the sur
face OF the body, whose Office it is to
pour out an oily liquid. This liquid
soon becomes unit for the purpose for
which it Is designed, and other must
take its place. But unless that first
thrown out is removed, it will close up
the mouths of the glands, and prevent
the exit of fresh matter. 1t is plain
that if no matter fell upon the surface
of the body from external sources, fire.
quent ablutions would yet be neces-
sary. But our work is such that
the body must continually receive
dust from the air. Currying the horses:
milking the cows; plowing, narrowing,
Oh dragg ng the land; binding or hand
ling the grain, all are attended with the
settling of dust upon the body. At this
season, when the sweat glands are un-
usually active and keep the skin damp,
this dust is more than usually liable to
adhere to the body. Thus from both
within and without the body is contain
mated and made unclean. So rapid is
the work at this season that the body
should be cleansed every twenty-four
hours, and it is best to do this when the
days work is done, for then the body s
liability to receive dirt from external
sources is small, and the functions of
the glands can be properly performed
during the night, insuring healthful
slumber.
But how many of us do cleanse the
would be that full as many cleanse the
body only once week, as those that
cleanse it once a day. Not one farm
house in fifty, take the country over,
has bathroom; and 1 doubt if one
farmers family in twelve has even a
bath-uub. This is sad commentary on
our way of living, and explains the
prevalence of fevers in the country,
where they should be almost unknown.
know only too well how tired the
plowman is at the close of the day, and
the fatigue is yet greater if the day has
been spent in the harvest field. 1t
seems great task to drag The wearied
body even twenty feet to bed. The
thought of going to the trouble and
expense of time OF bathing may appear
almost absurd. But my word for it.
that you will be largely the gamer by
so do ng. To batbe will not require
more than ten minutes, and you VIII
have added two hours toyour slum-
ber. You have shortened the time for
sleep by ten minutes, but you have
made slumber so much more sounder
aud sweeter that you have gained a
dozen mes the time expended. Try
bathing each night for week, and
you will no more think of retiring with
out first cleansing the body of sweat and
dirt than you would of going to bed with
your boots on. And remember that
while you have gained so much in rest
aud comfort, you will ultimately gain
more in ealth
During warm weather meat and oily
food should be almost entirely discard
ed, and fresh vegetables, and ripe fruit
should make up the bill Of fare. AS q
people we eat too much meat; yet New
Englanders do not sin so greatly in
this respect rs their Western brethren.
Yet it is safe TO say that even New En-
glapders eat toe much meat in warm
weather. AT this season of the year
comfort. which is another name foi
health, demands that we keep the bodi-
ly heat at tho lowest possible poin
while exercising in the hot sun. The
bodily heat is pro iuced by slow com
bust on, the fuel for which is carbon
Meat and oils are rich IN carbon, ant
when used for food increase the bodily
heat. Vegetables and fruits for die
keep the bodily heat at a minimum
figure; hence the wisdom of the use o.
the latter for food But fully half o.
the farmers do not have good garder
or good orchard. 1t is l.ard to no
count for this. for when properly at
tended to- no other part of the farm l
more profitable than tho orchard ant
garden. From money point Of yiev
alone tho farmer should be conylnce'
that good policy dictates an early an