The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-08
CHAPTER XVIII.

\ hOmB observation-disclosures
The children Of consumptive parents should
| have daily opportunity for outdoor exercise
| and sleep In the ARREST room of the house.
| Their allowance of sleep should be measured
| by inclination, and. If necessary should he
supplemented by two hours siesta. Their
diet ought to be nutritious and non stimulat-
| ing-sweet milk instead of coffee; butter and
eggs instead of meat; but plenty Of saccharine
| food-honey, ripe fruit and farnaceous dishes,
admitting liberal admixture of sugar.
would limit their studies for the first few
| school years to three hours day-two in the
morning and one in the evening; avoid the
| causes of mental worry; let them bask in
| moral and physical sunshine, and confidently
| trust the rest to nature. In young children
| even the splitting of blood unless accompanied
by extreme emaciatiou) is by no means hope
less symptom, and with slight notifications of
treatment, according To climate and latitude. l
would warrant cure in one Summer, or any
half year including three months Of weather
favorable to outdoor exercise.
HYd1EEIc PRECAUTIONS.
Any cause of impaired vitality aggrevates
pulmonary disorders. Children with weak
lungs should be carefully guarded against all
stimulantvi ces-a penrhant for any kind of
alcoholic liquors or tobacco, or even strong
coffee. The strength sorely needed for tho
elimination OF Il deadly disease should not be
wastedI in defensive wars against superlluous
evils. And no consideration Of less than vital
Importance can excuse tho subsection of siekly
children even to an intermittent process Of
high pressure studies, night-work, after-dinner
lessons, and spasmodic efforts Of memory, slim
ulated by fear or ambition. Let them take
their time. What use to shorten the school
term by year or two, It the method should
prove TO shorten life by 30 years? Better to
have boy with sound lungs con his primer
than to see him graduate with the mark of the
highest honors on his diploma aud the seal of
death on his hectic cheeks How many durable
consumptiyes, too, arc sacrificed to the prejudice
In favor OF indoor occupatiOnsl Ten to one
that the young man with sore cough is SEN
fenced to pass his days in counting. house or
taior-shop TO keep him out of the cold; l. o.,
out OF the fresh air that would have cured him.
"lf j should undertake the cure of a cousump-
tive" says DIR. Langenbeck. " should begin by
driving him out to the Deistcr" IN wooded
mountain range near the city of Hanover, land
keep him from entering n human dwelling till
wind and weather had knocked his lungs into
proper working order,"-a rather extreme way
of stating the problem; but in country like
ours, with such abundant opportunities for
outdoor work, no consumptive boy should DO
left to perish for want of fresh air. War would
have atoued for much of its havoc If wc would
but heed the Significance OF the statistics which
prove that pulmonary complaints are more
frequent In we'll warmed barracks than 10 the
tented camp aud the biyouac.
Stuff cold and starve o fever" Is an old
adage that may have done much mischief in ita
time. but deserves TO be Endorsed with slight
modihcati0n-the advice 20 limit its applca.
ton TO the use Of calorfic heat-praducingl
food. Greasy made dishes In the dog days are
certainly q tccming cause Of many so-called
climatic diseases the pork-eating negro dies
where the frugal Spaniard survives; and in
our gulf.coast towns fasting. IN the old sense of
abstinence from hcsh-Good would certainly
save tons of quiniue. Yet it is equally true
that IA. e0aHteraets tabfreies. A fatty diet may
satuTate the blood with elements unfavorabe
10 the development Of DIR. kocb's animalcules.
Just as certain skin diseases can be palliated
with oily ointmcnts). or calorilic food may be
positive lung tonic; at all events lis liberal
nsc seems to insure remarkable immunity
from pulmonary complaints. The Buddhist
monks of Ihibet told Father Hue that their
brethren had for centuries cured consumption
with marvellous compound sold at not less
wonderful prices, but the principal element
OF which, they confessed, was nothing but
clarified butter. The poor monkeys OF our
northern menageries are passonatoly fond of
cream aud sweet milk; negroes instuctively
follow their example by treating themselves
10 heroic doses OF gravy, aud the Bapanders,
who subsist almost on fat meat alone, know
consumption only from heaFSay. The old
SCHOOL ineulctne' men uld not wholly Iall To
recognize the significance of those facts but
sticking TO their prejudice in favor OF repul.
siyo remedies, they prescribed their oieagiuous
lung balm ~ the luftn Of cod-rver oil, just AS
they preferred glaubcr salt to u dish Of baked
beans aud the nauseoas fobrifuge of qunine 10
the pleasant equivalent Of cold air. For the crew
OF ala ice-bound nialer, cod-liver oil might be
valuable remedy; bat 10 land of milk. butter
aud olive oil IL should be rcmorselessy flung
In the soap grease barrel fsinee dogs would de.
cline TO touch it). as long AS less disgusting
kinds of fat will do the same work more effect
ualiy The famous milk.eure establishments of
Switzerland treat consnmptiyes with mount
ain milk and mountain air;" /. c.. n ealorGc
diet. combined with tperhaps equally eiieetiyc)
change Of climate.
ASTHMA.
For asthma, too, a change OF climate Is the
best possible cure. As consequences Of mis-
treated measles, suppressed caTarrh. etc, the
diHarfipr pruarnIiv utuuffrata tfaaif rnuu si,a