Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-06-10
The Exercise Cure for Rheu-
matism.

tlsm. 1t is apt to persist after once estap'
lished in spite of the best medical treatment
unless the patients entire habit of life and
his environments are changed.
One thing is certain, however, it can I've
greatly modified and relieved by proper diet
and exercise, regular daily exercise to the
pcrspiring point without fatigue.
Those who doubt this should consider
what exercise is. Its work is admirably de-
scribed as follows in Good HEALTH by DR..
j. H. Kellogg
We all know what happens to stagnant
pool when there is absence of exercise or
movement in the water; it becomes covered
with slime and gives off offensive odors.
But let running stream be turned into tho
stagnant pool, and it carries away the slime
and filth, and makes the water pure, and the
pool soon becomes pellucid lake instead OF
a stagnant frog. pond.
In the body which is not subjected to ex
crcise there is the same accumulation of TN.
wholesome things and the same giving out
of unwholesome emanations as in the case OF
the stagnant pool. To illustrate: When
horse has been accustomed to plenty of ex-
ercise, and then travels or works until he
sweats, the perspiration is clear and does
not leave stain. But if he has stood in the
stable all winter, when he begins to work
there is thick, sticky gum mixed with the
perspiration, which is quite difficult to curry
out of his hair, Do you ask, what is that
gummy substance which is mixed with the
perspiration? 1t is matter which has been
distilled from the horse,-a collection OF i'm
purities which have accumulated during the
idlenees of the ANIMAL and before it was in
the hair of the horse, it was in his Dody-in
every gland, cell and nerve fiber.
PERsrIRATIoN CLEANsEs.
The very same thing is true OF the man of
scdentsry habits If he sweats, this mucil
aginous sticky substance comes out upon the
skin because it is in all his tissues. Even
in the brain there are poisonous substances
which should have been carried off by mus
cular action; indeed there is an accumulation
of organic dirt in the whole body. That is
the reason why, when a person has been
sitting in his room for long time having
taken no exercise. his face becomes sallow
and his eyes yellow. Organic dirt has &C
cumulated in the eye under the transparent
membrane, and makes a dingy schlcrotica.
This dngy appearance Of the schlerotica is
significant thing to the physician; it means
not only that the eve is dngy, but that the
muscles, nerves, glands and everything con-
nccted with the digestive organs are affected;
the whole body is clogged with impurities
Now exercise is what is needed to rid the
system of these impurities. The body should
be stirred up in this way every day, so that
there will be no chance for impurities to col
lect as in stream rushing down q noun
tain side there is no chance for stagnaton.
Do you ask how it is that exercise secures
this result--how it accomplishcs the cleans,
the TISSUES? The heart beating from sixty
to one hundred and fifty times a minute,
sends a current Of blood through the brain,
muscles and tissues of the body, washing out
and purifying them; and this publication Of
the body is brought about not only by the
increased activity of the blood produced by
exercise, but by increased lung action, by
which an abundance of oxygen is brought
into the body. DR.. Brooks has shown by
experiment that person breathes in seven
times rs much oxygen when running as
when lying on the back and this scven.fold
quantity of oxygen burns up the impurities
Of the system. A great fire in a city has
one good ttlect-it burns up accumulated
impurities Now that is what a fever" as
it is called, does when it attacks the human
body; it Is like a fire, because it sweeps away
the impurities of the body, But when one
keeps his system clean and pure, there is
nothing there for fever to feed on hence
he is seldom attacked by it.
The person whose system lie filled with
poisons is apt to be in depressed state of
M nd, bat when exercise has brought in suf
ticient oxygen to burn up all this waste
matter, the brain is cleared and the spirits
brigtcn.
This applies to rheumatism because it is
well understood that the disease is never
cureo by local treatment. Anything which
purities the system and increases its eimi-
mating capacity, will help to timber the joints
and remove rheumatism. Great discretion
must however be used as to the method Of
exercise and its amount. The things advisa-
bic are, that it should be to the point OF
perspiratlon, should not involve fatigue and
should be followed by safeguards against
taking cold.
a writer in a medical journal tells this of
his experience with bicycle, and his story
will interest hundreds of readers who find
rheumatism their great bugbear.
AN EXAMPLE OF CURE
Recurrent attacks of acute innammatory
rheumatism, continued through many years,
caused me to grow continually sitter and
clulnser. With the hope of retaining a rea-
sonablc use of my muscles, it was my habit
to walk between my home and my place of
occupation, a distance of nearly three miles
But the time arrived when felt inclined to
do but half the distance, and finally did
that with more or less inconvenience. was
fifty-five years of age, but knew that l was
physically sound. and had not doubt that
should be vigorous but for rheumatism.
In July of the past year, my kind hearted
co-worker made to me what seemed the
meet ridiculo lone IF oil ,ocsil,Ia cporact;opc.