The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-11-15

Health and Temperance, which in it's
broadest sense is the law OF health,
needs to be taught from the cradle,
When my little four year old boy dis
covered the veins in my hands, was
obliged to lay down my pen and give
plausible answer before his childish curl
osity would be satisfied. On being told
they were little rivers carrying blood, an
exploration OF his own chubby hands
followed with the delightful. discovery
that he, too, had those :'little rivers"
OF course avolley Of questions were fired
at me in quick succession. The first OF
which was "what is blood made OFF"
"What we eat" "What do the little riv-
ers carry what 1 eat to my hands for?"
"To make them grow" Does every thing
we eat made our hands grow" In that
way he soon learned that some kinds OF
food furnished better building material
for his bodily house than other kinds,
and afterwards when inclined to eat
something that was not suited to his
child's stomach, had no difficulty in
inducing him to deny himself, when re-
minded OF tbs work OF the ''little rivers"
He does not want tea and coffee, be-
cause in our talks he has learned that
they hurry the nerve builders; but is a
staunch friend OF milk and brown bread
and takes great interest in his food, and
by this meane is iearuing to have power
over his appetite and exercise sef-con-
troll. On discovering a picture OF man
drinking beer, his first question was
Hdoes beer make my house grow? "On
being told that the alcohol OF the beer
drank up the water in the little rivers
and injured them, he voluntarily pledged
himself against intoxicants: because he
is inspired with an ambition to possess a
fine bodily tenement. His delight is un.
bounded, if, when taking a bath he dis.
covers in some part OF his body a vein
heretofore unknown to him, Iconsider
that here is foundation for a desire to
make his body a splendid creature, with
every nerve steady, and every muscle
trained to do his bidding. His imagina,
ton makes the wonderful little builders
very real, and he will not Intentionally
retard their progress, He is willing tc
retire early because his house is being
built more rapidly while sleeping and the
very best work is done the first half O
tho night. We have even gone ster
higher in our little talk and learned tc
reverence the creator OF such 8 wonder
ful building, and that it is sin to abuse
a house SO costly and beautiful, because
| it is Gods workmanship. And all this
came about without cramming" his
mind. The question naturally came, al
intervals, even after had forgotten oul
previous talk, and it was better to give
the little philosopher reasonable salts
flying answer. He is a child OF only ordi
nary intellect, SO believe every fact anc
law Of physical life can be taught The
| child very early, and physiology become
O. fairy tale to the imaginative child, anc
they are all such. Every w. C. 7. u
woman, for this reuson if no other
should at once, enlist in the department
/ OF Hygiene. You owe it not only tc
yourselves and community, but mos
surely to our children whose first years
are spent entirely with yous and at {
time too when lasting impressions ar,
made; the early impressions enter into
the solid masonry upon which manhooG
IS built. Someone has likened tn,
knowledge acquired in maturity to pain
and whitewssh.
J NETTIE G. HALL, NJ. D., 1
Territorial Superintendent Hygiene
!, Dakota w. G. 7. T.. 7