Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-08-14
Timely Health Hints.

Timely Health Hints.
The farmer. of all men. should cnyof
good health He can have the best and
freshest of nature 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 sedcntary
lives in the city are longer lived than
be- This must proceed from q 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 IS 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 high pinnacle
Of fancied personal Persectio3. | am
quite willing to admit that l am IS
much at fault as any OF my brethren
We must confess that we are un-
cleansy about our bodies. All over tho
surface of the body there are many lit
tie glands. opening upon the skin,
whose Office il Is 10 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. OF il will
finally close mp 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
sOoa becomes unit for the purpose for
which IL L designed. and other must
take its place. But unless that first
thrown out is removed. IL will close up
the mouths of the glands. and prevent
the exit Of fresh matter. Ii Is plain
that if no matter fell upon the surfaces
Of the bods from external sources. fire.
quent ablutions would vet 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.
OF 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 il Is best 10 do this when the
DAYS work Is done. for then the bOdy's
liability 10 receive dir: from external
sources is small. and the functions Of
the glands can be properly performed
turing the night, inSuring healthful
slUmber
But how many of US do cleanse the
body each night? | am afraid the truth
would be that full as many cleanse the
body only once n week. as those that
cleanse il once n day. Not one farm
house in fifty. take the country over.
has a bathroom: and I doubt il one
farmers family in twelve has even \
nzth-tub. This IS sad commentary on
0ur way Of living. and explains the
prevalence of fevers in the country,
wh.rc they should he almost unknown
! know only too well how tired the
plowman IS AZ the close of the day. and
The fatigue is yet greater IL the day has
been spent in the harvest field IL
seems great task to drag the wearied
body even twenty feet to bel 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
80 dong. To bathe will not require
more than ten minutes. and You will
have added two hours toyOur slum-
Der. You have shortened the time for
sleep by ten minutes. but YOU have
made slumher so much more sOunder
and sweetef that YOU have gained n
dozen times the time expended Try
bathing each night for \ week, and
you viii 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 resi-
and comfort. YOU will ultimately gain
more in ealth-
During warm weather meat and oily
food should be almost eniirel- discard
ed. and fresh vegetables. and ripe fruit
should make mp the bill of fare. As
people we eat too much meat; vet New
Englanders do not sin so greatly in
this respect rs their Western brethren
Yet it is safe to say that even New En-
glanders eat too much mea. 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 pos .ible point
while exercising in the hot sun The
bodily heat is noiuced by slow COM
bust;on. the fuel for which 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 4 minimum
figure: hence the wisdom OF the use Of
the latter for food. But fully half Of
the farmers do not have 4 good garden
or a good orchard IL is hard TO ac-
count for this. for when properly At
tended to. no other part of the farm Is
more profitable than the orchard and
garden From a money point of view
alone the farmer should be convinced
that good policy dictates an early ans
productive garden John ~ Sad
81 NelD England FicT7acr.