The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-06-04
Living TOO Fast.

Other sudden ana SIeal AolA "a
perature. has been the cause otmark-
ed increase in attacks of sharp dis
ease, of the more rapid decline OF IN,
valids, and a largely augmented
number of deaths of children and
aged people. The doctors will ac-
count in the bills OF mortality ior
these deaths by Group, pneumonia,
marasmus, old age, etc. But they
know, and the unscientltic puellc
are beginning to find out, that there
is an intangible something in the
human body which We call vitality,
which is affected by another lntan-
gible something, cold or heat or
electricity, in the air. The. vital
current. like the sea, has It's regular
ebb and flow. In the spring when
everybody, without cause, wakes
tired" and longs to shirk work, 1t
is at its low tide for the year. All
nervous diseases then develop most
rapidly and chronic invalids sink.
A zone of storm, DIR. Weir Mitchell
will tell Us, corresponds very nearly
to neuralgia zone, the centre OF one
answering very closely to the centre
of the other, and a wave of cold or a
sudden depression produces a rehu-
ent wave of death. Not that Group
or other diseases are more malignant
at those times. but that the body has
less vitality to meet their attacks.
II is the tremendous drain thus
made upon the human system by
the violent changes of our climate
which renders men unfit to bear
steady or long continued work.
/ Call it Cd, or electricity or simple
heat, as YOU please, there Is a subtle
/ influence in the air at some seasons
! that is the yerv elixir Of life 1t is
conspicuously absent in such wealth
er as that of last week, and its alb
I iscence produces the decay Of vital
force. disease for the middleaged and
death for the old.
All this sounds ike a collection
of truisms. But they are just such
truisms as those which define the
evil of bad drainage and the neces-
sity for pure air, which never can
be sufficiently beaten into the brain
of the average American. He be-
gins to take vague cognizance otany
talk about sanitary precautions when
he has heard it for years, or TO be-
lieve In the prevention rather than
cure of disease. Then he cleans his
drains and Yentilates his church,
his office, his chamber. But what
prevention will prevail against cold
waves from Omaha or a sudden lack
of life-given force in the atmosphere
throughout the whole continent? \
family 20 to bed in sound health,
and waken weak, depressed, lrrlta-
bic. Neuralgia has attacked one,
bronchitis another. and influenza
1 all that remain. They are consoled
6v finding that the whole city Is IN
| the same condition. Then the doc
tors rush in with tonics and active
medicines of every sort. After a
week the sun shines out, and all
the victims recover who have not
died.
What are We to do? Literally we
/ fight vainly, "are as they who beat
the air. The usual remedy is stim-
ulant, IN the shape Of liquor, which
is temporary relief and a perma
nent weakening of the vital force
which is already succumbing
!. Woollen clothing. from head to foot.
is useful as far as it goes, but all the
flannel in the world will not yitalize
the air which we breathe.
The only remedy which either
common sense or science can sug.
gest, is either to fly from this air by
going to the sea coast or mountains
or. if that be not practicable, tc KEEP
up our vital force so thoroughly that
we may be able to stand these mur
derous assaults Of our invisible foe
This is to be done by our readers by
wholesome, nutritious food and by
rest. When a lawyer or clerk or
tradesman begins TO find that his
appetite Is capricious, his sleep full
of Nightmares, or that he cannot
sleep at all when he is troubled by
unaccountab)e rigors and headaches
he NAV know that nature is calling
out, Halt! His pace is too fast. He
f may be a grayneaded elder of the
church, bent only on laying on lay
ing by competency for his children.
But be Is dIssipitatlng his vital force
as fast as any sot in the corner grog-
ge-v, and Is as culpable. He needs
not a year Of idleness as yet, 1t may
be, or a sea voyage, but only an
hours additional sleep in the twenty
four. A dav or two . month given
to fishing or browsing over old
books or china, or to a genuine
shameless loaf of absolute idleness-
whatever pleases himshest. Nature
gives Us sleep, daily intervals of ut
ter inaction, TO repair the damage
done bv work that is all the hints
We need for successful treatment OF
premature old age. Amuse, re-creatt
yourself. You cont afford the time
{ to stop work? You can afford aE
hour daily better than to stop alto
r gether. The Anglo-Saxon theory
that persistent work in money get
1 ting was virtue, and a leisurely life
e vice, have ruined more bodies ana
- souls than any other. The Ameri
d can hates simple preventive RENE
p dies, but he will find that only thi.
e prescription of a little more sleeI
= and a good deal more amusemen
/ sifted through the twenty-four hour
G will enable him to face unconcernet
q the waves of cold and death which
p sap away his life.
r Robbery in the Mountain.