The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-05-15
Climate and the n \ ,a1.t !; Z H 4


The New York Christian Advocate
contains an interesting article from tho
pen Of Abel Stevens, LII. d. entitled
81 American Disiccatio The author
takes rank among the ablest thinkers 81 I
the country and therefore what he has
70 say respecting the effect Of our eli:
mate on the national health will be read
with serious attention. Limited space
viii only permit q glance at its more
prominent features. Europ can writer's
assume that the European race has
never yet been acclimated in North
America and viii not s3be for sey-55.
eral generations yet to come. Some
think that the ttronb1e " lies in our
having an excess Of 4 ozone 3 or 81
electricity or Of atmosph eric changes, 81
but pretty much all united III The opin-s
ion that we suffer from atmosp heric
idryness DR.. Stevens is Of the opinion
that the prevalence of nervous diseases
ofeyery kind among us furnishes proof
favorable to the general theory. Of these
foreign writer's. While Americans at
tribute much Of these nervous morbid
:tyto the excessive activity Of life in this
country, and their disease take on forms
indicative of the fact that they live UNI
der constant and intense stimulation,
DIR. Stevens is inc lined to take upS the
European belief that climatic canses lie
ct the bottom Of our principal physical
maladies. But he says that our climate,
per SO, should not be conside Tered an evil,
though we suffer evil from it. If We do!
so1itsis; our own fault, for he argues
that We know the climate to he full Of
Stimulus, Of vital and yet 60 on and
abuse it. But notwith Tristan ding our dis
position to care 1essness he beliVes that
the general effect Of the climate Oh the
national temperament and habits Ia,
good that ~ Is on the side Of industry, {
of enterprise, Of achievement, 81 prog
sress. We sometimes argue that We
have the humanity Of the future ID this
country Referring to this DR.. Stevens
declares that ours ought also to be-
the climate for that human q !cli.s s
mate Of sunshine, Yliivacity ,Sand energy
"a climate giving brightness to child.
hood, beauty to Momanh ODD, and enter
prize 70 manhood, II We fail in these
respects it Is because of our careless
habits and heed lessness Of. hygiienics. Z
Though our mir is full of atural stimu-
;lus. says DR.. Stevens, we I'LL our 5stom-
sachs, besides, with artificial stimuli. ns
In III very few words he then R
goes on to point ont the minor
causes which Affect the national
health. He says !: q have more i
need than any other nation of being /
temperance people, and yet it may, be &
doubted whether any other people stip-
lPlesas much as we. We use tobacco
more than other people, for II any other
smokes At as much as We, none chew IL $
and spit away as much saliva ns We. We
impair our digestion by eating hot bread
and drinking ice water. wv s soak our
bread with mel ted butter, not Withstand
ing that med deal autho ties agree that
melted butter is simply 4 rank poison y
How can people, he asks, ba healthy IN
any climate whose mothers bring them
up from chile hood ii suoh . diet. DE-.
Stevens expresses the opinion that our
dietetic habits are, in all pro- bility, the {
worst to be found on earth and alleges as
a reason that whils syerY thing abounds
with rB yerything can be abused, while
with most other nations want, III least,
Restraints excess and many other abuses. on
Besides these habits, 30 united To- onr
climate, the a1thor declares that sour
other modes of life are equally bad.
We live too fest and drive business too
rapid On these accounts We need tsi,
universal ching sof the gospel Of re-
,laxation. !. Looking att these several h
MASTERS he concludes, and we agree 4
with him, that in order To become Il
adapted to the excessively stimulating
climate Of this broad land !, We need IN
almost universal physiolog ica1 reform,
while phyaissl education shonld be-
made 81 fund amental imp rtance ia our
primary school system.