Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-01-28
THE BODY AND ITS HEALTH.

UsE OF Far ASA Foop. -Liebig taught
that fat split up in the body aud that the
Tree carbon combined with the oxygen
taken in in respiration to produce car.
Oonic acid, and that il was bv the act of
respiratory combustion that the body
heat was maintained Fatty foods were
hence considered necessary as heat pro
/ ducers. Recent Investigations. however,
show that though ia, is split up and
combined with oxygen in the production
OF heat, especially during muscular ex-
ercise, the process is effected in the it's
sues by the action of the cells. and not
In the lungs, as formerly taught. The
use of the fat is now regarded as three
fold: l. TO maintain the body heat. In
cold ATTITUDES, where the body is subject
to rapid cooling, fatty foods become
necessity, so that the carbon may be easily
supplied for combination with oxygen
in consumption. Hence the Green
lander consumes large quantities of
blubber and oil, ?. To pro-
duce force. A muscular tissue is
only produced at the cost of oxidation
in the tissues; fat is rapidly burned off
during exercise. If absent the tissues
themselves would be wasted. 8. To pre-
vent the use of albumen a purely albu-
minous diet is wasteful. 1t has been
proven eXperimentally that small
amount of meat food taken in consider
alton with bread and fat suffces to main
tain the albuminous structures of the body
better than exclusively lean meat diet.
Fat stored in the body as adipose tissue
is bank on which the body may draw
for supplies of energy and heat when re-
quired 1t is stated that in the Franco
German war of 1870 the German ElApe-
ror, acting on the strongly expressed
opinion of Ebstein that muscular fatigue
could best be supported on fat, gave
orders that each soldier should have
served out to him $50 grammes of fat
bacon. 1t is also well known fact that
fat animals bear deprivation of food bet
ter than thin ones.
Nervousness AND ITs CJRE. DR..
Bilsinger, in an article on the cure of
neurasthenia, or modern nervousness,
which is pervading all classes of society
in an increasing degree, insists that each
individual has the means, to a certain ex-
tent, in his own hands, of alternating
by rational mode of life the general
harm to which modern man is exposed
under the influences which contribute to
nervousness. But the majority of pco-
pie seem to prefer to remain ignorant,
and more or less gradually impair their
nervous systems hy certain special in
dulgenccs, abuse of stimulants, too early
and excessive use of tobacco smoke, etc.
Among the early symptoms of derange-
ment from these causes are crossness, a
tendency to be overcome by trifes or
sensibilility to nervous disturbances.
But even in apparently critical cases, a
surprisingly favorable result may be
reached by the exercise of little patience
combined with proper and intelligent
ly directed general hygiene. Nervous
patients must school themselves religious
ly to avoid, as much as possible, all
drug remedies. Benumbing narcotics
should especially be forsworn,
no matter how, seductive they
may appear at first, for in the end they
to a certainty do more harm than good
of immensely greater value than drugs
10 nervous patients are the natural fac
tors of pure air, light, water, quiet and
exercise. Fresh air, and especially
mountain air, is invaluable and can be
INDUCED in without fear of excess. The
same, however, cannot be said of water.
This most sovereign of all remedies has
come into discredit in nervous diseases
because of its fragrant abuse. A too in
discriminate application of water is a
double poison to nervous patients. On
the other hand, combined with the air
cure and certain respiratory and muscu-
lar exercises, as well as massage, it is of
the greatest benefit Gardening is one
of the best and simplest cures for disor-
dered nerves, and an arm and chest
strengthened, which expands the chest and
regulates the activity of the heart and
strengthens the muscles, can be used
with great advantage provided the ex-
ercise is taken in wel-aired room. The
diet should be light, slightly stimulating,
and frequently changed; strong soup.
fruit, green vegetables and milk and
grain dishes are recommended. A suit
able mental treatment should 90 hQnd in
hand with hygienic and dietetic meas
urcs, and above everything, patience and
rest must be insisted upon.
CLIMATE INDooRs AND OUT.-The |
winter has barely begun, says the 7rt-
6Une, yet many complaints are already |
heard of the facilitating influences Of |
the climate. Americans live in over
heated houses and are unconscious of the
degree to which they are pampering and
enfeebling their bodies by furnace air.
BY the middle of October the fires were
kindled Two months have passed and
lassitude and depression are already felt.
1t is the climate indoors that oncrvates
rather than the climate outdoors Men
become accustomed during the winter to
living and sleeping in overheated houses
and to working by day with steam radia-
tors and furnace hues in full blast
they are weakened by this
atmosphere. They go about
with plaintive outcries against the sud
den changes in ''the worst climate on the
face of the earth" They seem wholly
unconscious of the fact that the sharpest
changes are those which are artifcially
produced between the climate in
doors and the climate outside. over