The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-23
Health Hints and
Rules Of Hygiene
Suggestions That May Save You Many
a Doctors Bill.
WISDOM FOR THE HOUSEHOLD
These Hints Don't Cost Much, Are Not
Copyrighted. and il They Don't DO
You Any Good. They'll Not
DO You Any Harm.

We cannot back up our claim by sta
tistics, for to tell the truth we do not
know that trustworthy statistics on the
subject have ever been collected; yet
We venture to assert that the splitting
habit Is on the increase among Amer
leans, in general, and among the resi-
dents of Scranton and its environs in
particular At all events, any tobac-
conist will tell you that his sales of the
nicotinian weed for chewing purposes
are growing at a faster rate than the
growth in population; and it seems n
fair deduction that this means more
profuse splitting and Il larger prevail
ence of filth, disease germs and fu-
nerals. There Is an aesthetical side to
the subject which could be dilated upon
for three good columns. But the spec
tacle of rational bipeds of the human
variety making slime fountains of the
same mouths through which an inscru-
table Providence intended them to re-
ceiYe food is so little calculated to turn
ones thoughts upon the True, the Beau
tful and the Good that we shall restrict
our present comments entirely to the
physiological side of the subject.
Perhaps it is a species of threshing
over old straw, yet we shall be delib-
erately guilty of that offense by saying
that the place for ones salivary secre-
tions is in the mouth. the throat and
the stomach, rather than on curbstOnes,
car floors or in cuspidOrs. The saliva IS
needed in the stomach's business. 1t is
not necessary to good sidewalks or to
proper transportation. The saliva is
meant as u kind of mixer for the food.
If it isn't there, to do its necessary
work digestion will be interrupted
and the splitter will correspondingly
suffer. A large percentage Of the dis
eases that originate in insufficient di-
gestion can be traced back directly to
the anxiety of the average American to
acquire skill in killing flies at ten feet.
The man who wants to enjoy good
health, as well as to retain a reason
able hold upon the respect of his neigh
bors and friends, can do nothing better
promotive of these desires than to get
permanently rid of the innate mascu-
line proneness toward promiscuous eX-
pectoration.
Treating of cancer Professor Hugh
Percy Dunn remarks in The New Re-
view, upon the view entertained by
some writers, that the disease can nei-
ther be caught nor given-the idea un-
derlying this belief being that the all
ment commences de novo in each per-
son whom it attacks, and also that its
in ha Inr nre
of single family is due to hereditary
transmission. Professor Dunn thinks i,
doubtful, however, whether, in view OF
our recent knowledge, this general
opinion can be maintained-almoSt eV-
cry year facts accommodating which in
evitably point to its being d disease OF
parasitic origin and probably at no dis.
tant date a cancer microbe will be dis.
covered; If this should actually prove
to be the case, it would clearly bt
necessary to reconsider the question as
to the Effectiveness of the ailment. Ii
former days no definite knowledge eX-
listed in regard to the infectivity OF
erculosis-certainly, no evidence
such as could be practically made use
of in support of any suggestion of tho
kind was available, so that, naturally
no precautions We're taken in this direc.
ton to prevent the dissemination of tho
malady; since. however, the discovery
by Koch of the tubercle bacillus, al
preconceived notions upon this point
have been revolutioniZed. The com
pletion, by Professor Coles, of Kings
ton, of a new Electric Eye of superior
visual power, expected soon will un-
questionably shed much valuable light
on this subject by bringing a magnify
ing power expressed by from 100000 tc
100000 diameters - bear upon minut,
portions Of cancerous growth.