Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-02
DYSPEPTIC FARMERS.
The Mischief Arises from the Time and Man
ner of Eating-The Remedy.

ner of Eating-The Remedy.
A man in fair conditioner horse,
OK, or dog, for that matter-will live
at least forty days without food, and
ten DAYS without either food or drink;
but not three minutes without mir. We
can skip meal or two, or even fast a
day or two or more, whenever there
are indications that we have ''got ahead
of our digestion and excretion," with
out the fear of starving" This one
lesson, if fully appreciated by every
body, and acted upon would save thous-
ands of lives every day. 1t would eX-
tend the average age of life by many
years. Every one will admit that we
eat too much; but few, indeed, have
anything like correct idea as to the
degree of excess commonly INDUCED
in everywhere. If we regard this ques-
ton in its bearing upon, say the far
mers, how many, let me ask, in the
hundred make any sort Of calculation
as to how much food is demanded for
so much work? How many take one
meal less, or less at either regular meal
on the day succeeding an idle day,
when, perhaps, by reason of more leis-
ure more has been eaten than on a
working day?
Surprising the case of laboring and
well-nOuriShed man-one in we'll
balanced condition; he should eat less
when at light work or on half time,
and much less whenever he passes a
day of entire rest, for less of his bodily
tissues have been used, or perhaps we
oh ofl hi or fri
ment has been consumed, and, there
fore, less is required to restore the bal
ance, or, so to speak, make good his
vital bank account. In winter, except
when working hard in the open air,
the farmer should eat less than any
other season of the year. If SO work
ing-as in the logging swamp, or when
employed in getting out and working
up" the years wood-he will require
more in winter than in summer. He
will require more: but supposing that
he largely overeats in summer-ta taking
habitualIy more than would be best for
him? Does he do this? Let me take
aside almost any one in the first dozen
farm-houses we enter, and question
him little, say in 'haying." He will
probably show up something Of a dys-
peptic. Let me say, first off: II have
been there" have worked on a farm,
summer after summer, and know just
how to handle my supposftious can
didate.
Not only did / observe the preva-
lence of dyspepsia among farmers and
farm hands, but suffered in my own
person from indigestion Dyspepsia,
in spite of hard work and outdoor air.
Beyond question, much of the mischief
arises from the time and manner OF
eating, especially at the most busy
season of the year. Farmers work hard
at this season and should eat well; but
they constantly err in eating when
tired, and they resume work directly
after eating-two very serious viola
tons of natural law. Again, the far
mer's heaviest meal-the mushiest,
least chewable, greasiest, and, conse-
quently, least digestible meal and least
nourishing meals eaten at midday,
when he is already somewhat tired and
very much heated, and when he must
Immediately resume his hardest and
hottest work There is not single
wholesome feature in this whole pro-
cess. The farmer could not treat him
self worse, except by adding d nip
per" of spirits before the meal and a
''pipen of tobacco after. Of the three
transactions, bad as the last two named
assuredly are, and always harmful, the
meal such as it is and taken under the
conditions described is even worse.
But this is the custom, and it is kept
up without any question or thought as
to whether it is precisely wrong or not.
SO far rs the work and the outdoor air
are concerned the farmers life, in sum-
mer, is one Of the wholesomest sort; and
if az would breakfast lightly, lunch at
noon more lightly Cor better still, lie
in the shade for an hour, and then az
night, full hour after quitting work,
eat the principal meal of the day, and
of plain, natural food, he would be the
gamer in every way. If he would treat
the pork he raises upon the principle
OF the wise doctor who will not ''take
his own pills, " he would have less occa
sion for swallowing pills and potions
and if farmers, not only, but people il
general, would make themselves some.
what wise in the matter of health-laWs-
simple and plain as they are-''So sim
pie and plain" says one of the wises
of physicians, "that the people refuse
to understand them''-most of the doe
tors and the druggists would be forced
to take to the soil for livelihood them
selves.-C. b. Paige, N. d., Ia N. 7
I1ibuns.