The Bossier banner., 1893-11-23
AUTUMN WEATHER AND HEALTH.
A Few Hygienlc Rules for the Changing
Season.

A Few Hygienic Rules for the Changing
Season.
There is no season of the year In
. this locality more pleasant than the
autumn, but no other season is more
destructive to life and more detri.
mental to health. The winter and
early spring are especially trying to
the old and the hot summer to the very
young. But the fall is the time of year
in which the most harm comes to the
vigorous and middle-aged. The seeds
of disease are then laid which are never
wholly eradicated and which often
bring quick and fatal results.
There are many causes which bring
about this situation. A man or woman
in vigorous health takes little notice
of the changing season. The warm
summer weather has bred habit of
out-of-door life and for thin clothing
A stay on the porch after sundown,
which few weeks ago did no harm,
even to the frail, and the wearing of
garments whicn the chilly air of the
evening makes unsuitable, often in
duce cold that is hard to break up.
The fact that the body adopts itself
slowly to the changing temperature is
adequately recognized by the great
majority of people. But the neglect in
the matter of wearing clothing suita-
bic to the changing season is no greater
than the folly of beginning diet in
the early fall adapted only to the cold
weather of winter. The system which
has relaxed and adjusted itself to the
light food and drinks of the summer
cannot change quickly and handle the
heavy foods and drinks that too many
people begin to use as soon as they dis
card straw hats and sun bonnets
There are few plain, simple rules
by following which much of the incon-
venience and injury resulting from the
autumn temperature can be avoided.
Clothing adapted to the temperature
of the hour should be worn if it neces-
states change three times or more a
day. If any one values his health less
than he does little inconvenience,
and prefers to risk a cold rather than
redressing, that is his lookout. A
diet midway between the light
foods of summer and the heavy, rich
foods of winter should be adopted.
Nature has provided just such diet
for che fall, and those who keep close
to nature are the most healthful and
lcng-lived. Good ripe fruits are gem
'srally abundant after September 1, and
free use of this kind of diet is bene-
fetal in a majority of cases. A careful
attention to night air in the sleeping
room is also necessary, neither the
open window of summer nor the closed
draft of winter being allowable.
But there is nothing more effective
in warding off colds and in aiding the
body to adapt itself to a variable tenn
perature than a clean, active cuticle.
Open pores and blood vessels carrying
rich, warm blood to the surface of the
body are the best preventives of cold.
Frequent cold baths, it was long
thought, were necessary to this health
full condition of the skin, and as only
the vigorous could stand them, the
frail gave up the hope of ever reaching
this happy physical condition. But it
has been found that a vigorous rub
bing with coarse towel or a flesh
brush produces the same result as a
cold bath and with none of it's dangers.
Such rubbings when accompanied with
frequent changes of woolens are pro-
ductive of all the beneficial results of
cold bathing. Another guard against
colds is long breathing which devel-
ops the lungs, brings larger quantity
of blood in contact with the air and
charges the blood with greater de-
gree of oxygen.
The laws of health are few and sim
pie, and those who obey them receive
the benefit in good health and in
creased activity. But they demand
foresight and careful study of each in
dividual case. 1t is much easier to neg
lect them, and when the penalty comes
fly for relief to pills and potions. The
result is seen in the general ill-health
of the American people and their
breakdown when they should be in the
full possession of their powers. At no
time of the year is this lamentable lack
of knowledge of the laws of health
more painfully apparent than in the
variable temperature of autumn
Philadelphia Press.