The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-08-08
Timely Health Hints.

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 a 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 l shall, perhaps,
say some plain things, and say them
without exempting myself. Do not
think that speak from high pinnacle
of fancied personal perfection. [ am
quite willing to admit that I am Us
much at fault as any OF my brethren.
We must confess that we are I'M
clearly about our bodies. All over the
surface of the body there are many lit
tie glands, opening upon the skin,
whose Office it is to excrete from the
body the particles Of broken down, dead
tissue. This efeSe matter is cast upon
the skin, and must be frequently 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 unfit for Che 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 tho surface
of the body from external sources, fire.
quent additions 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; blowing, narrowing,
or 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-g Glands are I'M
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
i, -, 4 fo,, H., IL.
liability to receive dirt from external
sources is small, and the funetions of
the glands can be properly performed
during the night, insuring healthful
slumber.
But how many of us do cleanse the
body each nightP l am afraid the truth
would be that full as many cleanse the
body only once a week, as those that
cleanse it once day. Not one farm
house in fifty, take the country over,
| has Bathroom; and [ doubt if one
farmers family in twelve has even a
bath-Jub. This is sad commentary on
our way of living, and explains the
prevalence of fevers in the country,
where they should be almost unknown.
I 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 doing. To battle will not require
more than ten minutes, and you will
have added two hours to your slum-
Der. You have shortened the time for
sleep by ten minutes, but you have
made slumber so much more sounder
and sweeter that you have gained
dozen times 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
and comfort, you will ultimately gain
more in health.
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 a
people we eat too much meat; yet New
Englanders do not sin so greatly in
this respect as their Western brethren.
Yet it is safe to say that even New En-
glauders eat too much meat in warm
weather. At this season of the year,
comfort. which is another name for
health, demands that we keep the bodi-
" heat at the lowest possible point
while exercising in the hot sun. The
bodily heat is produced by slow com
bustion, the fuel for whish is carbon.
Meat and oils are rich IN carbon, and
when used for food increase the bodily
heat. Vegetables and fruits for diet
keep the bodily heat at minimum
figure; hence the wisdom of the use of
the latter for food. But fully half Of
the farmers do not have good garden
or good orchard. 1t is hard to ae-
count for this, for when properly at
tended to, no other part of the farm is
more profitable than the orchard md
garden. From money point of view
alone the farmer should be convinced
that good policy dictates an early and
productive garden. - John N. StGhl,
iss Ne0 England Farmer