Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-01-03
HEALTH is AMONG THE VIRTUES.
II Is Now Admitted That 1t Is a Moral
Obligation to Keep Well.

ODllgatlOn TO heep wen.
In recent paper on "The Right Edu-
cation Of Girls" Miss May Hoggenboth-
am, the head Of the domestic science de-
partment Of the Drexel institute, perti-
nontly says that "among the convictions
that the earnest spirit Of the nineteenth
century is plowing deep into the minds
of men are the dignity and preciousness
Of h1man life and the moral obligation
that rests upon each and all to preserve
that life in health and yigor for as long
a period as may be possible. "
After emphasizing the fact "that the
time is coming when pestilence and dis
ease shall no longer be looked upon as
visitations Of Providence, and show
ing, too, how physicians, boards Of
health and legislatures labor in vain to
establish healthy conditions while the
great mass Of housekeepers are ignorant
Of sanitary principles, " the paper con-
tinues
Every woman should understand the
details as we'll as the theory Of santa
tion. She should understand what is
meant by good air and good water, un-
der what conditions they become con-
taminated and What means Of preyen-
tion are in the power Of the housekeep-
er. The serious and imminent dangers
to life and health that may arise from
defects in the water supply and drain
age Of the house can often be ayerted by
intelligent oversight and a knowledge
of what defects 10 look for.
When women knowwhat is meant by
good plumbing, good woodwork, good
sanitary conditions generally, builders
will not dare to rely, as many do now,
upon frescoed walls, tawdry mantel cab
inets, snowy stationary wardrobes and
beveled glass doors to sell or rent houses
that have thin walls, wretched floors,
mean woodwork, meaner plumbing and
unsanitary conditions generally.
Upon proper diet more than upon any
other thing depends the health and con-
dition Of every human being. Life itself
is matter Of nutrition, and man 5
earthly destiny turns on the considera-
tion Of his diet. 1t involves his strength,
both Of body and Of mind, and it large
ly determines his disposition. We all
recall the case Of Carlyle. who made
things hard for himself and those around
him because he was the miserable
owner Of a diabolical arrangement called
stomach" If Carlyle had possessed the
knowledge Of foods that is possible to
the school girl or boy Of today, he
would have been a better man and his
wife and mother happier women.
No argument is strong enough to con-
vey the full significance Of the mother S
responsibility to her household in the
matter Of foods In those periods Of in
fancy and early childhood which are be-
yond the control Of the individual it
rests with the mother to supply the food
that will best build up the tissues Of
the body, keep the blood pure and sup
ply the heat and vital energy to keep
the bodily machine in motion. There
may be a hereditary taint-a tendency
to biliousness, headache, poverty Of
blood, nervous hysteria. She can COM
bat all with proper diet at the right
time. With the knowledge attainable
today it will be a disgrace for the wom-
an Of the future to exclaim, as thou
sands do now: "Oh, yes, it is unfortu-
nate. My mother and grandmother had
it. 1t runs in the family. New York
Times.