The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-01-03
HOW TO LIVE. TO A GOOD OLD ACE

The first Lesson TO be taught and
learned is:-that all disease is the re-
suit of broken law; that much of il
might easily be avoided by the observ
ance of the. laws of health ON the pari
"f the indivi,lual; that much more,
which is beyond the reach of indivilu
ais. might be prevented by the com
bined efforts of communities and the
state; and that those diseases which
are entailed upon this generation by
the law of heredity, might by obedi-
enee to law be gradually stamped out
of existence, and future ages be freed
from their curse.
The next thing to be taught is the
laws themselves-and with the laws.
and of even greater Importance, the
habit of obeying them. We know a
great deal more than we put in prac-
tice. This is the fault of the common
modes of health teaching. Our news
! papers and periodical literature con-
tain vast deal of popular instruction
in these matters. They are treated of
an abundance of well-written books
which are within easy reach of all who
care to read them. Our schools are
taking hold of the good work. and in
struction in hygiene is fast coming to
be recognized as an essential part OF
even an elementary education.
Our schools are full OF good gram
marians who do not use respectable
English in common conversation. So,
too, they may be full of glib reciters
of the laws of health, who do not OBJ
serve single one of the laws they
have learned. The main point is to
secure obedience. The greatest Grimm
ais are usually well versed In the laws
of the land; but their knowledge does
not avail to keep them out of the pen
itentiary when they have broken these
laws. Neither will knowledge OF
the laws of health keep man from
being sick, SO long as he does not live
up to his knowledge.
We are. creatures of imitation. Ex-
ample counts for more than precept.
The parent knows The law. and the
child knows it too. When the parent
keeps it. then the children will keep il
also. 1t does little good for a child to
learn mt school that the food should be
properly masticated, when three times
every day at home he sees a hungry
group crowd about the table like pigs
around a trough. and bolt their food IA
nearly whole as il can be made to gu
down, The child whose mother gives
it asbite of something to eat every time
it cries for il, will not be in condition
to profit from an understanding of tine
law that food should not be taken be-
tween meals, until it is too late for the
knowledge tu be of much service.
The law of pure air and proper ventila-
| ton may be taught never so plainly in
the textbooks but to the boy who is
brought up to sit and to sleep in a
close unventilated room, foul with the
breath of human beings, and to shun
fresh air as he would q plague, the
knowledge will be of little avail.
While his fathers cellar IS filled with
decaying meat, vegetables, and al.
manner Of filth, and the cesspon.
smells to heaven from beneath ih
kitchen window, Gll the teachings oi
the schools will not prevent his having
typhoid fever, or diptheria, or SOME
form of filth disease, when the summer
sun calls into activity the germs oi
disease which are latent there. II
| liquors are kept upon the sidebOard
and wines are served upon the table in
his home, not all the teachings of ali
the temperance textbooks in the land
can be relied upon to produce in him
habits of sobriety and total abstin-
| ence.
1t is the practice of the principles OF
hygiene in our homes, and this alone,
which will lessen the rate of disease
and death to-day. and develop a
stronger race tomorrow. The child
who has learned the laws of health
from its father and mother, by seeing
them continually and persistently APP
piled, will come to follow them in his
own case, as naturally as he will con-
duct himself properly in good society,
if good society has been his birthright,
and gentlemanly conduct has become
habitual.-Good Housekeeping.