The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-01-03
DYsPEprIc FARMERS.
lc. E. Paige, M. D., in N. Y. Tribune.

lC. E. Paige, M. D., in N. Y. Tribune.l
 A man in fair conditioner horse, OK, or dog, for that matter--will live al least forty days without food, and ten days without either food or drink but moi three minutes without air. We can skip a 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 excreiion, without the fear of "s starv- ing" This one lesson, if fully appre- ciated by everybody, and acted upon would save thousands of lives every day.
 It would extend the average age of life by many years. Every one will admit that we cat too much but few, indeed, have anything like a correct idea as to the degree of excess commonly indulged in everywhere. If ve regard this ques- ton in its bearing upon, say the farmers, how many, let me ask, in the hundred make any sort of calculation as to how much food is demanded for SO much work3 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 leisure more has been
 
 Supposing the case of laboring and well-nourished man-one in a well-bal- anced 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 should say, less of his stored-up nutriment has been consumed, and, therefore, less is re- quired to restore the balance, 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 working-as in the logging swamp, or when employed in getting out and "work- ing-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-taking habitually more than would be best for him ? Does he do this2 Let me take aside almost any one in the first dozen farm-houses we enter, and question him little, say in "haying." He will prob ably show up something of a dyspeptic. Let me say, first off: "I have been there;;" have worked on farm, summer after summer, and know just how to han dle my supposittious candidate.
 Not only did observe the prevalence of dyspepsia among farmers and farm hands, but l suffered in my own person from indigestion (dyspepsiA), In spite of hard work and outdoor air. Beyond question, much ot the mischief arises from the time and manner of eating, es- pecially 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 se- rious violations of natural law. Again, the farmers heaviest meal-the mushiest, least chewable, greasiest, and, conse- quently, least digestible meal and least nourishing mesl-is eaten at midday, when he is already somewh at tired and very much heated, and when he must inn mediately resume his hardest and ottest work. There is not a single wholesome feature in this whole process. The farmer could not treat himself worse, except by adding "nipper of spirits before the meal and a "pipe of tobacco after. Of the three transactions, bad as the last two named assuredly are, and al- ways 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 as the work and the outdoor air are concerned the farm CTS life, in summer, is of the whole somest sort; and if he would breakfast lightly. lunch at noon more lightly Cor better still, lie in the shade for an hour), and then at night full hour after quit ting work, eat the principal meal of the day, and of plain, natural food, he would be the gainer in every way. If he would treat the pork he raises upon the prnci- pie 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 in general, would make themselves some what wise in the matter of health-laws-I simple and plain as they are" So simple and plain," says one of the wisest of "that the people refuse to understand them "-most of the doctors and the druggists would be forced to take to the soil for a livelihood them