Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-26

cases OF tnlcKenlngss IL musb Dc femeLn-
bered that such mal-developments in the
bowels are of poorly vitalized tissue and
very prone to pain. The indication was to
keep her comfortable, the bowels open and
her nutrition as healthy as possible. She
was fed on beef, with little vegetable food,
the bowels kept open with small doses OF
chemically pure sulphate OF soda (Glauber
salts) and the pain controlled as best
possible.
In May she went to the seashore at Buzz
Yards Bay; here she was doing quite we'll
when she went home back to malaria (a)
and less careful habits. Malaria attacked
her and probably there was some ptomaine
poisoning from pepsin (e). at any rate there
pain, and she gradually sank, dying early
in August. Thus ended brave life.
Some of the Thoughts Suggested.
This history, duplicate of many which
stranger can hardly read without bitter re-
grets, provokes some searching questions.
(a) What right has any person of tuber-
culous blood and descent TO marry early in
life, till the system has fully matured its re-
sisting strength or else has developed its
tendencies to disease? To marry young and
enter on hard work in q malarial climate is
sheer suicide. But how many people am
bilious OF getting on in life, stop to think
that to take the best business chances In an
unhealthy region is throwing the dice
with Death? In this case, with tuberculous
blood and malarial air, the dice were
loaded. Up to the very last it was the ma
larial poison, not the tubercle, which killed.
(b) The exquisite nervous system is at
once the delight and the anxiety OF doctors
by its susceptibility to good or bad sur
roundings Grosser natures are 1nsen-
sible, apparently, to bad air, bad food and
depressing circumstances, but once attacked
by disease 60 down fatally, more surely
than the high strung, delicate sort. The
latter are easily depressed, but given
chance get the better Of dozen attacks
which kill ordinary people. 1t is mournful
that social and inferior ambitions turn of
this.splendid force to money making, show
housekeeping, to observance of social and
family rites, to petty economies even, while
health and life are set aside.
Overworked From First to Last.
Heavily weighted as she was by birth and
bad air, this smart, sensitive woman must
overwork herself from first to last. You can
see her. working for household OF IT peo-
pie the first summer of her married life, when
she should have been most careful of her
self; breaking down in the spring Of 1877;
better in a month; OVERRIDING her outdoor e1-
ercise in the summer; running down IN the
fall; we'll from January till the cook goes,
and she needlessly takes the work for seven
besides her own family, and breaks down
with meningitis in May; cough again in
August; bleeding from the lungs in Septem-
Der; feels she is going to die, but under treat
ment is out of bed in a week. She fees the
malaria which depresses her, but does not
leave her misdirected energy behind.
Everybody else is making Christmas pres
~ Il
and strength, as brides do on their trous-
seaus. She feels she must not be behind the
rest-there must be box OF presents for the
children, no matter if their mothers life
goes into that box. This remnant of energy
should have gone toward laying up strength.
Anyhow, spending it left her bankrupt for
the time. She never had strength to squan-
der any more in the nine months remaining
of her life. A woman with vitality enough
to vanquish a goitre in September, if pru-
dent of her strength, might have possibly
escaped the fbroid which finally wore her
out with pain.
Measure Work by Strength.
Ten thousand wives and mothers will read
this, who used the same caution for the COM
ing summer and year, which could have
saved this brave, rash invalid at least some
precious months of life. Will they have
courage, if needtul, to measure their work
by their strength, to let anything 60 which
conflicts with health and easy living? How
many will have conscience and loyalty to
their own to say: ST must give up this
committee and club work. cannot attend
a reception or give dinner this season,
perhaps not for year or two, till my
strength is settled again."
Friends want to visit them or insist affec-
tionately on visits from them. Doctors
should be subpenaed to say how many good
women have got their death in entertaining
visiting friends. or going tlresome
journeys to visit others. If the
startling truth were known, the CHASTITY
list recited, friends would not be hurt
or husbands disappointed by refusal to be
worked to death in the name OF hospitality
given or received. As for housekeeping, it
is better to take the children out of school
all summer to help mother, or hire a boy for
indoor work if no sort of help is available;
better to sleep in unmade beds and eat
canned dinners, wear rough dry linen and
sweep once a month, dreadful penalties, but
worth endurance to save needed strength.
Death Lurking in the Nerves.
If you can't keep up with society and
housekeeping together, let society go first,
and housekeeping after it, rather than trade
on nerves till they let the soul out. I can
not write strongly enough on this point. The
one thing invaluable to family is the life
of its mother and wife.
When once the vital force begins to run
down 1t seems as if everything could be de-
pended on to drive nail in ones coffin.
The Indifferent beef-whose fault was that?
The cold caught on the sleeping car, un-
ventilated, unprovided with sufficient cover
ing, i'll warmed or overwarmed, does not
matter; one is as bad as the other. Sleeping
cars have sown seeds of death In many
frail traveller. The ptomaine poisoning
from pepsin not prepared with sufficient
care-whose fault was that? The latter
finished the deadly work and clinched the
last nail which shut this woman away from
her world forever. 1t is impossible to deny
that the prevention OF any one of these
disasters might have left the balance of
vitality in her favor. The growing refine
ment Of humanity means increasing suscepti-
bility for good and evil. And there
is no evil, whether chilly sleeping
car, food ill prepared. or impure medicine,
which you and may not have to meet with
vital energies SO depressed, that it is the fin
ishing stroke to our lives. Tubercle causes
death-what causes tubercle, meningitis,
fbroid grip? Microbes bred and nourished Of
the false conditions of our soil and habits.
Correct these, and microbes, tubercles and
fibroids disappear. SHIRLEY DARE.
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