The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-31

get wet occasionally. they are no m ore liableto
take cold than others. prehaps not SO much
so. Rheumatics should avoid exposure, wet
In most instances. Persons with Heart Dis
ease should avoid sudden drafts upon their
muscular or nervous systems. Such exam.
Piles might be multiplied Indefinitely.
BODILY EXERCISE NECESSARY FOR TIE
PRESERVATION OF HEALTH.
Bodily exercise is necessary for the
preservation of health. 1t is estimated that
every healthy man should eXpend daily in
exercise an amount Of force equal to that
required to raise l50 tons one foot, or walk
of about miles. Most active pursuits call
for at least this amount OF expenditure. but
in the majority OF them the exertion is made
with certain sets OF muscles. Persons thus
engaged and those of sedentary habits require
exercise in The open air such as to employ the
unused groopS OF muscles Of The one class,
and to distract the thoughts Of the other.
Exercise for the sake of health Is best taken
for some other object than the simple making
muscular exertion, else it will soon grow
unpleasant and be abandoned. ri. =.
Those engaged in mental labor often make
the mistake OF supposing that they need
as muchexercise as Others whose ayocatiors
call for physical exertion. Brain work
ers need rest and food, and only as
much exercise rs will give appetite and
produce fatigue sufficient to insure good sleep.
It is to be remembered that muscular develop.
ment is no guarantee OF good health and that
physical strength does not prevent disease,
so exercise should be regarded as means,
not an end.
WHAT, WHEN AND HOW TO EAT.
What, when, and how, we eat, are matters
Of great hygienic Importance, but they are
largely controlled by circumstances. lndivid-
ual taste, likes and dislikes, the relative
amount Of hunger present the quantity and
quality of food spread before US, and many
othor fhinps i1finnnca ug SO pDtireiy in this
that 1t Is useless to generalize upon It, There
are however some erroneous ideas upon this
subject which 1t may be well to notice. One
is that abstemiousness IN diet is certain 70
secure health or Is at least indispensable to
it. Another Is that we should always stop
eating before the appetite Is satisfied, and
another, that food should be taken only al
one may be. Or. Austin Flint speaking upon
this subject, says. physiology experience,
and common sense, are alike opposed to these
popular notions relating to food. Condi.
tions of perfect health are, trst, sur
normal appetite before the want OF food
reaches the abnormal degree expressed by
hunger, third, the satisfaction Of appetite by
an adequate quantity Of food. But 1t will be
asked "Is appetite infallible as guide" Fol.
lowing 1t as guide, is food meyer taken be.
yond the requirements OF health ?' answer
1t Is reliable guide under normal circum'
stances.
"The inevitable circumstances of life are
often not altogether normal, although pro
ducing no distfact morbid affection. Expert.
ence teaches, for example, that In state Of
fatigue or exhaustion (Which is not q normal
state4 inconvenience may arise from the fuli m
ertions, mental or physical are 70 follow,
hearty meal may occasion disturbance, and
other examples might be added.
APPETITE SAFE, IF NOT INFALLIBLE
GUIDE AS TO KIND OF FOOD REQUIRED.
irrespective of abnormal or disturbing
influences If appetite is not infallble, II is al
all events more reliable than rule based on
theoretical ideas. popular notions, or on pure
ly physiological data.
Moreover twas evidently not intended that
the quantity of food should be accurately ad
justed to the needs Of the economy. To do
this is impossible, and therefore 1t Is neces
sary to elect between the risk or taking either
more or less food than Is actually required
Which Is to he preferred? Nature provides fol
O redundancy but there is no provision
against persistent deficiency. Hence we
may say that q super abundance OF food is q
requirement for health. AS In appetite we
food, and the quantity to be taken, SO taste
is a guide in respect OF the kinds OF food re-
quired."
authority and we may we'll ponder them
carefully. "
THE USE AND ABUSE OF STIMULANTS AND
NARCOTICS.
II seems proper in this connection to gay O
few words about the use OF stimulants and
narcotics. .-..
Everybody knows that the use of alco.
holic beverages is productive OF an i'm.
mense amount OF disease, but 1t Is only IN
late years that we have learned that moder-
ate drinking causes perhaps more diseases
than drunkenness, No one knows now 10
stop this evil, though the remedy Is self-evi'
dent.
With regard TO the use Of tobacco there Is
much more difference OF opinion, quite res.
pectable proportion of students of this subject
is justifiable. harmless and even beneficial
The majority Of impartial observers now hold
the reverse opinion. There may be, and
doubtless are some cases where the beneh.
cia. effects outweigh the injury it inflicts, but
these cases are exceptional, and prove the con.
trary to be tho rule. The ordinary, habitual
use Of tobacco Is In the vast majority OF cases
an abuse. It is 4 mistake to suppose that the
flicts. We must recollect that the pleasant
effects are transient, the injurious ones perma-
nent and cumulative.
THE EFFECT OF cIGAIErTE SMOKING ON THE
SYSTEM. ...
tits not upon men that tobacco works the
greatest amount OF injury, but upon the cigar
system at this period is undeye1oped and Is
wholly unable to cope with such an insioious
poison as nicotine, and the result is that mind
Saa sSdy ypape schoo sad he he Could
ways tell when a boy began the use Of tobac,
co by the record of his recitations," 1t is said
that during period Of fifty years no tobacco
user stood at the head OF his class at Harvard.
Whatever need,for a stimulant men may
feel or think they feel, boys do not have 1t. 1t
is the force OF example that leads them to
smoke, aud the men are thus directly respon-
sible for this crying evil which assails the
youth of this country.
The annual expendition of our people for
tobacco is over seven hundred millions Of
dollars, twenty per cent more, 1t Is said,
than Is spent for bread. If anyone will read
man Of the so-called Divinely ::Benefcent
Gift, Tobacco, by DR.. j. NJ. w. Kitchen. pub
lished in the Medical Record April q; 1857, he
will be convinced that the tobacco habit is
useless, injurious, and without excuse-pro-
vided he is not user of tobacco.
THE OPIUM HABIT Is DEGRADING AND HOPE
LESS.
As to the opium habit, it can be dismissed
with word. 1t Is the most degrading and
hopeless of them all. do not believe that
The opium habit tends 10 shorten life as
alcohol or tobacco.
The clothing of men from sanitary stand.
point is in the main correct. Women and
children however, wear insufficient, excessive
or badly fitting clothing. more frequently,
but this Is from poverty or fashion, against
either of which we can do little. Tight lac
ing, high heeled shoes, and too little protection
for the chest and legs, an the sins against
Hygiene most frequently committed. To
these must be added unnecessary and excessive
weight OF the clothing depending from the
hips. Bearing these points in mind we may
sometimes have an opportunity OF doing
good in individual cases.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BATH IN PRE-
SERVING HEALTH.
Wemust not close without an allusion to
the importance Of the bath. We are not all so
situated that we can take frequently plunge
clnL, l,nt Rnt " WhnfnNnr Surr0und-