The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-06-12
Written for THE NATIONAL TRrBuNE.l
HEALTH BINTS
For Old and Young.
ny FELIX l.. OSWALD. NJ. D..
Author of Physical Education: Household
Remedies": THE Bible of Nature" etc.
WHITTIER Xxx
POPULAR FALLACIEs-(c ontinued).

n low years ago Il sClentlnc journal pUbiS0e0
an article on Lost Arts and Neglected Dis
covercs." that put the barbarism OF the Middle
! Ages into a very strong light. The author
| proved that the Pythagorean theory of the
solar system-soving so many cnigmas Of the
univcrse-had been permitted to fall into oh
| livion chiefly by preference for less consist
ent and more mystical hypothesis. The Nor
wegian buccaneers who discovered the great
continent Of the Western Hemisphere contcnted
themselves with bringing home few shiploads
OF timber and did not even think it worth
| while to trace tho southwark extent of their
Good Vine-Land." II was also proved that
certain varieties of "Grcck Fire" were almost
identical with our modem gunpowder, and
| that, like tho Chinese, the medieval manu-
| iacturcrs of that potent compound used it
chiefly for making mighty noise.
| The author failed, however to mention tho
long neglect Of an almost equally important
dlscovcry-Or shall we call il au instructive
knowledge was perfectly familiar to
the civilized nations of antiquity during a
period OF nearly 700 years. when it found its
expression in the almost universal observance
OF the rule to eat the principal daily meal at
| the end of the working day. If health is tho
chief basis of happiness the general recogni-
ton OF the physiological principle which led
to the adoption of that rule would really suffice
to secure the welfare of millions of human
| beings whose ailmeBt could hardly be relieved
by scientific inquiries into the chemistry Of
Greek fire or tho geographical boundaries Of
the American continent.
If we should ask the invalds Of Chrsten-
dom TO name the most prevalent, most trouble
some and most inCurable of all chronic diseases
plurality Of votes would probably agree on
Chronic Dyspepsia" But rs to the cause of
that ii!e-blightiug disorder there would be
considerable divergence of opinion.
REST AFTER MEALS.
They might name the excessive use OF meat
the abuse of drugs, hot spices the alienation
of icc-cOld and sCalding-hot beverages. etc,
without mentioning far more frequent and
mischievous cause, viz, aftcr-dinner work
The prevalence Of dyspepsia bears an almost
exact proportion to that of the baneiul habit
OF shortening the time of after-dinner rest.
Chronic disorders Of the digestive organs are
very rare in countries where people eat their
meals Mt leisure, and are almost unknown in
southern Europe. whore climatic conditions
ohligo employers to give their workmen n siesla
or after dinner recess of two or three hours.
From May TO October the afternoon heat Of
East America is quite as oppressive as that of
the Mediterranean coast lands, but our labOrers
and clerks have to content themselves with "A
single hour OF noon rest, aud often with con-
siderably less. One hour for dinner" is the
rule of thousands of North American factories,
workshops. counting rooms, aud municipal Of
fees; but during that hour many hard working
clerks have to walk half a mile To their homes
aud back, artisans have to clean up their shops,
female factory operatives to attend To domestic
affairs, railway llborers TO run a hand-car to a
section-house or To the next spring, thus re-
ducng the time OF actual rest to few min
utes. ii not to zero
Tho difficulty of reform in that respect has,
on the whole. less to do with the illibcrality OF
employers than with the prcjudiees of their en-
pOyee5. petition to lengtheu the noon day
recess might prove n failure, like the eight
hour movement" aud in many mercantile es-
adjustments the early afternoon is really the
busiest time of the day; but neither hard task
masters nor the tyranny OF circumstances could
prevent their victims from solving the dilemma
by eating the principal meal of the day in the
evening. By that simple expodiont the digest
i've organs could bc saved from the martyrdom
of having to perform their functions under a
comb nation of unfayorable circumstances, re-
peating their interference day after day, till
the stomach of an ostrich or of catamount
would break down under the incessant strain
For, in the first place sultry heat iutorieres with
the process OF digestion and assimilation, while
frost Is a digestive tonic, and the three hours
from II III. TO ) r. III. could therefore not be
chosen much worse for the purpose of giving
our organism q chance 10 dispose of full meal.
But, besides, that chance. even in cool weather,
depends upon the possibility Of concentrating
TIC ttitl Eto VI tue system pom tue Nuik OF Ill
gcstion. Our instincts at that time never cease
to repeat their plea for rest, for temporary sus-
pension Of brain, work or hard manual labor:
but that plea remains uuhecded; the stomach
has 10 postpone its work till night, and in the
meantime take care of its contents the best way
it can, aud not always with the result of being
able to prevent the jRqcstd from undergoing a
process OF fermentation.
That risk is increased by the influence of
moist heat; hence, the lassitude, the drowsiness,
the un5poakabIe distress by which nature tries
to enforce compliance with her demands in
the swoltering afternoon hours of our East
American dog days.
Want OF appetite soon seconds that demand
The real needs of the system could in Mdsum-
mcr be abundantly satisfied by light lunch
eaten during the hour of noon recess-a mere
compromise meal of fruit and cakes, followed
by more substantial meal in the cool of the
evening. Habit would soon help to overcome
the abnormal appeteucics of q dyspeptic stom-
ach aud the benefits would be life long, even
aside from their sanitary effect. for the feeling
of ease aud freedom from drowsiness and gas
trio oppression would more than double the
working capacity of the conyalesccnt The
principal mcal-call it dinner or supper-could
DO eaten at leisure in the cool of the evening
SLEEP AFTER MEALS.
But should we not avoid ropletion before
sleepp' hayo often been asked. Our instinct
guided feliow-creatures certainly betray no
scruples of that sort. After full meal, wild
beasts of prey retire to their den deer and
wild black cattle rest in the shade of the thick
cts; boas remain quiet for days together, and
even our lively relatives. the frugivorous mon
keys, feel decidedly disinclined for active exer-
else. Infants screaming aud tossing in spite of
all luiiabies, can DO put to sleep by good
nursing.
But Tho best way TO explode popular de-
fusion is to explain it," and the popular dread
of late dinners can probably be traced to tho
following origin: In the heat of Il Summer
noon hardworking people, after dinner, often
yield TO the temptation of drowsiness and drop
asleep; but after minute or two are awakened
by their fellow workmen or by the ptiless
of the factory-bell. For the first half
hour the interruption of such maps is apt TO
avcnge itself in feeling of distress far sur.
passing that of the preceding WEAKNESS The
cause of that distress is not the untimelness OF
the sicsta-nap. but ats ioaat of completeness i:
gyerLhelnSS the VicIifn9 nf the rasuIt ara aDt