The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-11-28
ANTIQUATED NONSENSE.
No Other Term Will Describe
Some Popular Beliefs.
People Who Are Content With Ideas
Originated Centuries Ago Aged
Medical Theories Exploded
Some Practical Health
Hints.

The savage is always child, and so
are millions as well clothed, housed
and polieed as ourselyes-slaves to
their passions, prejudices and super
stitions. These are all fetich-worship-
ers to greater or less extent. Of all
people that doctors have to deal with
they are the hardest to treat that have
some superstition or other in regard to
diseases or medicines. Some of these
superstitions, almost all of them, In
fact, are the remains of bygone medical
theories or methods of practice.
"Stuff a cold and starve fever" is
superstition very frequently met with.
Until fifty years ago doctors never had
an idea that fever patient should be
fed; they were well starved, and if
they recovered they had to thank their
strong constitutions. But even at this
day, when every doctor knows that
feeding is the most important part of
the treatment in case of fever, peo-
pie still believe that it is a death war;
rant to feed person with fever. With
the starving of fever patients may be
placed the belief that persons with
fever, measles and some other diseases
should have only warm drinks. Of
course such a person should not have
ice-water, but man that will allow
only warm drinks and Cruel to such
patients deserves to be roasted for
awhile. Let him have measles once
and he will change his views.
There are a good many queer ideas
afoat in regard to bathing. One man
can take cold bath every morning in
the year and feel better for it; conse-
quently he thinks every person should
take cold bath on getting out of bed.
Some people can't stand this, and there
Is no use trying to force the body to
Withstand a severe shock. The cold
bath crank thinks his children should
% trained to do what he does. It is
ioolhardy to try to harden" children
In this way. If a young child likes a
cold bath it is all right, but to put a
struggling and screaming child into
water that makes its teeth chatter and
iIs surface turn blue is cruelty. It is
cruel, too, to make children go about
IN winter with thinly-clad legs, thin
stockings and knee-breeches, or short
oreeehes and short stockings. For one
enid that can be hardened in this way
Ten will have the foundations laid for
weak constitutions.
1he proper way to harden child is
% give it plenty of pure air, pure and
wholesome food, plenty of playtime, as
aItle brain work as possible, and plenty
Oh sleep, training it to regular habits
ol lie. Of course the proper time to
oegln to train child is to begin with
Us ancestors, but there are some diff
cuttles In the way of doing this. Still,
as every child is presumably an an
eestor OF future children, we can train
me ancestors of those future children,
slFlng them sound bodies, sound
minds, and even tempers.
1he notion that person should not
sss before going to bed is another fet-
'ea' Why shouldn't people eat before
so,ag to bed if they are hungry? Some
SAi say that digestion stops during
s1eep' 1t does nothing of the kind; ii
! saoWer during sleep, but there is nc
hurry about the matter. People start
gas IN life, as babies, by eating and
snea going to sleep. The truth is, eat
e Just before going to bed is one oi
.ae pest means of treating insomnia
AaS nave ever tried. We Americans
~ Always so much in haste that dur
s 'ne day we do not give our food
ss' rsoper time to be digested; and if any
ug should say that our digestive or.
saas nave better opportunity for do.
sas ! e gooa work during sleep than al
~ near great many people say
A'a 'asFe L measles around, nWell,