The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-12-24
PHYSIOLOGY OF WORK.

From Lecture by j. H. Kellogg, NJ. d.
of Battle Creek sanitarium.
Idle hands always find plenty OF mis-,
chief, and work is one of the best anti-i
dotes for wickedness known. A great
deal moro than is necessary is said about
rest cures and oyerwork. If business,
man gets sick, it is laid to too much
work; if a young lady, it is laid to over
study; If lawyer or clergyman gets
sick. it is laid to too much brain work,
and all the while nothing is said about
too much improper food or late hours or
other excuses. Work is healthy in re-
lation to all forms of life. 1t is the
normal state of tho animal and vege-
table Kingdoms. Nature from lowest
form to highest engages in work.
In human bei ngs work may be defined
rs the exercise OF the faculties Of the
body in a. useful way, and it was de-
signed that all should work. Work
develops and strengthens the body
and its organs; non'use means de-
terioration. Nature abhors idleness as
much as she respects use. The Hindoo
devotee who dcdicates an arm to his
gods, and who has it stretched out and
motionless loses the use of it entirely so
that it is mere stick with just enough
life to keep it from decay. The heart
or stomach or any other organ OF the
body becomes weak from disuse and
this is particularly true of the
muscular system, and from its
intimate relation of the nerv-
ons system also. If any of the
strong muscles OF the body are
set to work, the heart beats
more vigorously and the whole vital
machine runs at higher speed. In
creasing the action OF the heart in
creases the action of the lungs; the
diaphragm is accelerated in its work of
cburning the stomach and squeezing
the liver, as we'll as in its work Of
pumping the blood. This wonderful
automatic arrangement explains why
person who takes a little exercise after
eating has better digestion than the
one who lies down to sleep.
When the muscles work they become
clogged with the ashes of their work,
not unlike the debris Of locomotive
with its ashes, sparks and smoke. The
reason why q muscle Is tired is because
1t is poisoned with the products of its
own work. The same Is true Of brain
WEAKNESS. Its natures way Of calling a
halt that she may havo chance to re-
move this debris by washing it away
And because of use, she will rebuild
the tissues stronger than they we're be-
fore. But you must not stop exercise be.
cause of soreness and lameness of tho
muscles, for If you keep on working, she
will keep up with the demand until the
individual capacity is reached.
The effect of idleness is to allow
poisonous waste tissues to accumulate,
for there is always moro or less break
ing down of tissue whether the body is
active or not. If a hand is laid up be-
cause of broken arm the joints lose
their flexibility. The lubricating mate.
rial by which they were accustomed 20
glide over each other has become hard.
dened. The muscles may be considered
as a collection of joints. The
little fibers glide upon each other
by means OF lubricating fluid, aud
when the blood is sluggish from lack OF
muscular activity these interstices be-
come filled with debris, and the muscles
are in hard, sodden condition.
So work is necessary for health, for it
increases the activities of every organ
OF the body. Weak, flabby muscles
mean weak heart sluggish liver,
representative nerves and stagna-
ton of the blood in various parts
Of the body. The rushing mount
ain current leaves no chance for debris
to accumulate in coyes or behind rocks.
If the life current is lazy, it may leave
stagnation Of blood in the liver, and
that organ may be torpid; or in the
nose, and there will be predisposition
to catarrh; or in the joints, and tb,re
may be rheumatism.
Heart weakness is really very seri.
ous trouble. A man retires from active
life, and then spends twenty years be-
hind desk or in luxurious idleness.
Let him run to catch train, and it is
not unlikely that he will die
In few hours from apoplexy,
owing to the unusual strain upon his
weak heart. If he had kept his muscu-
lar system in good trim his heart would
have been correspondingly strong. Thou
sands of people die of weak hearts be-
cause they have not cultivated their
muscles. 1t was formerly considered
that person with weak heart must be
kept very quiet; now such person is
directed to take moderate and judicious
exercise. A German physician recon-
mends mountain climbing.
There is no royal road to health ex-
cept the straight road of duty and hard
work. by Helen J. Manning