The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-02-16
TOO FAT TO MARRY.

A very fat young woman came to my
Office and asked TO see me privately.
When we were alone she said:
Are you sure no one can, oVerhear
ns?"
Quite sure. 80,
You won't laugh at me, will youP'
Madame should be unworthy OF
your confidence if could be guilty of
such a rudeness.
"Thank you, sir; but no one ever
called upon you on such a ridiculous
srrand. You won't think me an idiot,
will youe'
II beg of you to go on. y
You don't care to know my name
or residence?'
Certainly not, if you care to con-
ceal them"
81 have called to consult you about
the strangest thing in the world. |
will tell you all. | am % years old.
When | was 10 | weighed l22 pounds;
now | weigh 209; | am all filling up
with fat. | can hardly breathe. The
best young man that ever lived loves
me, and has been on the point of ask
in0 me to marry him, but of course he
sees am growing worse al the time,
and he don't dare TO venture. | cant
blame him. He is the nobcst man in
the world, and could marry anyone he
chooses. [ don't blame him for not
wishing to unite himself to such
great tub as | am. Why, Doctor, you
don't know how fat | am. | am a
l.. bn 20 anp IN
TO see if anything can be done. | know
you have studied up all sorts of curious
subjects, and | thought you might be
able to tell me how to get rid OF this
dreadful curse"
She had been talking faster and
faster, and with more and more feel
mg (after the manner of fat women,
who are always emotionaD, until she
broke down in hysterical sobs.
"Oh, | starve myself; | don't eat
enough to keep "A canary bird awe,
and yet grow fatter and fatter all the
time. | don't believe anything can be
done for me- We all have our file
lions, and suppose we ought to bear
them with fortitude. wouldn't mind
Tor myself, but it's just breaking his
heart: if it wasn't for him | could be
reconciled."
| then explained to her our nervous
system, and the bearing certain con-
ditions of one class of nerves has upon
the disposition of adipor tissue. l
soon saw she was not listening, but
vas mourning her sorrow. Then |
asked her if she would be willing to
Iollow a prescription might give her.
"Willingp willingP' she cried. Il
would be willing to 90 through fire, or
to have my flesh cut off with red-hot
knives. There is nothing would not
be willing to endure if could only get
rid of this horrible condition.
| prepared n prescription for her,
and arranged that she should call upon
me once II week, that might supervise
her progress and have frequent oppor-
tunities TO encourage her. The pre-
scripton which read to her was this:
l. For breakfast eat a piece OF beef
or mutton as large as your hand, with
a slice of white bread twice as large.
For dinner the same amount of meat,
or, if preferred, fish or poultry, with
the same amount of farinaceous or
vegetable food in the form Of bread or
potato. For supper nothing.
2. Drink only when greatly annoyed
9Th thirst; then mouthful of lemon
ade without sugar.
s. Take three times week some
form of bath. in which there shall bo
immense perspiration. The Turkish
la, 70 Won Xynply oil bnr
IN walking or some other way, several
hours dav.
''But, Doctor, | cant walk; my feet
are sore.
81 thought that might be the case,
but If the soles of your shoes are four
inches broad. and are thick and strong,
galking will not hurt your feet. You
must walk or work until you perspire
freely, every day of the week. OF
course, you are in delicate health, with
little endurance, but, rs YOU have told
me that you are willing 10 do any
thing. you are TO work hard at some
thing six or seven hours every day"
4. You must rise early in the morn
ing and retire late at night. Much
sleep fattens people.
8. The terrible corset you have on,
which congresses the center of the
body, making you look great deal
fatter than you really are, must be
taken of, and you must have corset
which any dressmaker can fit to you
corset for the lower part of the alb
domen, which will raise this great mass
and support 1t.
This is all the advice have to give
you ut present. At first you will lose
half o pound a.day. In the first three
months you will lose from twenty to
thirty pounds. In six months forty
pounds. You will constantly improve
n health, get over this excessive emo