The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-22
CHAPTER xxx.
HOME RBMEpiEs-(continued).


att isn't my fault, your Honor" said pris-
oner who had been hauled before the court
with o bevy of ragged, unwashed children;
they shut off the waterworks last night and
those youngsters couldn't get washwater
enough to clean their faces this morning"
Washwater2" laughed the Police Surgeon,
pulling a rum-bottle from the coat-tails OF the
defendant; whats the reason you are stinting
yourself in drinking waterP"
In Midsummer that question would often be
hard to answer, where wel-water is free and
ice only half cent pound. On warm days
the best natural aperient Is more fluid diet.
We do not moisten our food more than half
enough, at least not with any available sort of
fluid. Tea-drinkers, for instance, might rs we'll
hope to ease their system with laudanum or
any other narcotic, while such pungent fluids
as hot, peppercd soup, considerably aggravate
the case aud require themselves an additional
supply of moisture to neutralize their caustic
elements.
THE MOISTURE CURE.
Fresh water. on the other hand, will solve
the problem without any medicinal admir-
lures, saline or suphurous, which are too apt
to make the system dependent on the aid of
drastic tonics. Such hayoring additions as
lemon juice aud sugar won't do any harm; on
the contrary, they help TO assimiate our fare
10 the diet of our frugivorous ancestors. In
his dinner of ce-bread, with melons and man
gosteens, the Burmah peasant gets about So per
cent of fluid elements TO 10 of soluble solids,
aud in spite Of the torrid climate of his native
swatnps can dispense with calomel as we'll AZ
with quinine. We should cat more fruit in
warm weather and less greasy viauds drink
mere spring water, lemonade or sweet cider,
aud less narcotic beverage. Even iced lemon
ado would BIO better than hot tea for refrgera-
tion, in all its forms, has an aperient tendency.
For those who prefer it, a liberal external
application of cold water will help to counter
act the effects of an astringent diet. The pres
ent standpoint of natural science is n summit
whichsmanknd has reached for the first time;
but the history of public baths proves that in
the matter of hygienc knowledge we could
still learn much from the ancients. In our
boosted adaptive land of civilization we have
hardly an incorporated town where the use, for
bathing purposes, OF any contiguous. e.,
easily aceessible-river or lake is not made an
oifenSe punished with fines that would swallow
the weeks income Of a laborer's family. The
hire Of tin trough in the basement of the bar
ber's shop would exceed the days wages CT
factory boy.
What are the children OF the poor TO dol
Near Cincinnati, on the ont-of-the-way laud-
ings Of the Miami Canal, groups Of boys, ven-
turing to battle in moonlit nights, will fee
like criminals ut the rusilinE Of a waysidc
bnsh; and even In the wealthy cities OF our
Eastern seab0srds, dozens of applicants may BIO
seen hour after hour, waiting their turn for the
key of the charity BATH" while at the time
Of Trajan every larger city OF the Roman En-
pire had q system of spurious bathing halls,
which even the poorest used IS freely rs we use
the drinking. water of the public fountains.
But, at all events, Mrs. Grnndy Is water block
ade has not yet reached the open country. and
there is no excuse for negiecting the free bath
ing facilities of the mead0w-hr at least
from May TO October, for later In the year
cold sponge hath win. from hygienic point Of
view. answer the same purpose.
Air-baths produce similar effect by mider
means, perhaps preferable for feeble persons.
'The cold BATH" says Benjamin Franklin.
has long been In vogue tonic; but the
shock OF the cold water has always appeared 10
me, generally speaking. as too violent and
have found 10 much more agreeable TO my con-
stituti0n TO hathe In another elament-7l mean
cold air. With this view / rise early almost
every morning aud sit In my chamber without
any clothes whatever. half AN hour or an hour.
according 10 the season. either reading or writ
ing This practice Is not the least unpleasant,
but positively agreeable, aud IL l return to bed
afterwards, before dress myself, as sometimes
happens, make supplement- to my nights
rest Of one two hours Of tho most pleasant
sleep that can be imagined"
In tho hospital Of Nancy, where in the Sum-
ner of 1870 thousands Of soldiers suffered from
the combined effects Of heat aud wounds. DIR.
Casaes tried that plan for tho relief OF pa
tients who would have been unable 20 bear the
effects Of drastic drugs The hospital records
show that ia his ward mortality from cerebral
congestion aud similar affections induced by
heat and constipation, were thus reduced 20
per cent. at the very time when the snltry
weather effected weekly defamation of tho
other wards.
sEDEgTARY OCCUPATIONS