The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-12
FRANXLIN'S VIGOR.

Paul Leicester Ford, who is writing of
"The Many Sided Franklin"in The Cen
tury Magazine, deals with Franklin's
Physique, Illnesses, and Medical The
cries" i'm the December number. Mr..
Ford says:
In his autobiography Franklin re-
lates that his father had an excellent
constitution of body, was Of middle
stature, but well set. and very strong. 3"
qualities all inherited by the son. From
the maternal side the boy derived like
wise an excellent constitutions" and
he asserts that II never knew either
my father or my mother to have any
sicllnesses but that of which they dy' d
he at 50, and she at So years OF age"
This heritage of soundness and
strength was large element in the
success Franklin achieved. He himself
took pride that in the printing office
where he worked during his first Lon
don sojourn. "on occasion, | carried up
and down stairs a large form of types
in each hand, when others carried but
one i'm both hands, After he set up as
a printer for himself, he often worked
till far into the night, diligence which
led a Philadelphian to remark that the
industry of that Franklin is superior
TO anything / ever saw of the kind; !
see him still Ct work when | go home
from my club, and he is at work again
before his neighbors are out OF bed.
Even after the necessity for severe la
Dor was over. i'm his scheme of en-
ployment for the "a hours of a natural
day" for sleep he allowed himself only
six hours or those between ten anJ
four.
If his constitutional and muscular
vigor enabled him thus to tax his body
il did not save him from the illnesses
his parents had escaped. In l121, so he
states, when ] was just pass'd my
2fst wear. | was taken ILL., NV dis
temper was a plcurisy which very near
ly carried me off. / suffered "A great
deal. gave uD the point i'm my own
mind and was rather disappointed when
/ found myself recovering, regrettin2,
i'm some degree. that i must now. some
time or other. have all that disagree
able work 20 do over" In 1855 he had
a second attack of this complaint. Of SO
serious a character that the left lung
suppurated Prior Co these two seizures
too he thought he had avoided an ILL
ness only by having read somewhere
that cold water. drank plentifully, was
good for a fever ana when lin the
evening I found myself very feverish,
Il followed the prescription, sweat
plentifully most OF the night and the
next morning was well again This
is the more interesting since for many
years afterward the usual treatment
for fevers involved the entire denial of
water T.. the sufferer.
In another way Franklin differed
from his own generation In not dread
ing water. Not merely did he approve
of water internally. but externally as
well. Swimming he maintained5 was
one OF the most hcalthful and agree
able exercises i'm the world. and If one
did mot know how 20 swim. ia. a
warm bath. by cleansing and purifying
the skin. Is found very salutaTy.
| speak from my own experience.
frequently repeated. and that of others
TO whom 7 have recommended this"
In the year i77s. when suffering from
a cutaneous trouble. he says. II took
a hot bath twice a week. two hours
at n time" with the utmost benefit:
and aubsequent NEGLECT when ne
hardly bathed In those three months"
served 90 bring on a second attack.
In the last years OF his life, when suf-
fcrlng from complication OF maladies
Cutler relates that ne used a warm
bath every day" i'm a bathing vessel
said to be q curiosity. 1t is copper. in
the form Of slipper. He sits IN the
Heel and his legs 60 into the Namp.
on the 1nsteD he has u place To fix
his book. ana where he sits and en-
Joys himself About the time 7 left
the city OF Philadelphia. they chose
him President Of the Executive Council.