The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-17
Medical Notes.

Z INV ~ SSSA w WV }
A~D~1~~~~~-o~~-o-o~-~~~-~-
The actual amount Of food necessary
varies with the person. Some people,
finding that two meals a day are suffi-
cient, are ardent advocates of that plan,
and some find only one sufficient, this
limited diet apparently sustaining their
strength and maintaining their health
On the other hand there Is no doubt
that many people eat too much, if not
too often. The brain worker who dimes
generously, and not always wisely, in
the evening, sleeps late and gets up with
no appetite may well breakfast on a
cool glass of water and an orange, post
pontng his first real meal till lunch time,
but the man who rises at or in the
morning and has completed half a day 5
work by breakfast time may make that
meal a hearty one Food should never
be eaten directly after severe exercise.
nor should severe exercise follow
hearty meal Too much food at any
time taxes the digestive powers and in
1ures the nervous system. The stomach
should be allowed to rest periodically,
and not be constantly kept at work by
little snacks between meals. Under no
circumstances should a person under
take severe work or violent exercise be
fore he has taken food in the morning.
Experiments show that a man is at his
weakest when he arises in the morning,
and for this reason some slight food
should be taken, even though it be but
cup of coffee and a roll Next to over
work and, on the other hand, idleness as
causes of debility may be placed too
little food, the case being similar to that
OF trying TO run a steam engine with but
little fuel under the boiler.
Long distance bicycle records are usu-
ally undertaken for self-glory, but Will
lam II. Brown undertook his recent task
to demonstrate the value of long-dis-
lance cycling as a cure for cOnsump-
tion. While his ride of 1 400 miles in
about 148 hours, under the most trying
conditions, may not have demonstrated
any medical fact, 1t is curious to note
that he actually gained in weight during
his ordeal. When he commenced his ride
he weighed 152 pounds; after riding 1,CO0
mites, mis- weight was 145 pounds, and
at the end Of the l, 400 miles his weight
was 1882 pounds. Several physicians
who examined him found his temperature
normal, his pulse co. firm and regular.
and his respiration q per minute, slight
ly over the normal number He showed
80 AAiNAN SA5AlS VI leAli5 JG llldn many IlQ-
ers do after wheeling a single century.
His diet was noticeable, because 1t con
sisted chiefly of raw vegetables and
cereals, diet by the way, indorsed Dy
Charlie Miller and Frank Waller who
recommend raw oatmeal, wheat and
barley as the proper food for such train
ing.
DR.. Haney, who has been giving a series
medical tp 8
public school teachers, points out that the
average girl is at least two years in ad-
vance of the average boy in mental as
well as physical DEVELOPMENT. aIthough
owing to his greater physical strength
the boy works harder. and thus keeps
abreast of the girl. in spite Of her greater
intellectual maturity. He especially en-
plaSlzes the need of discOuraging precoc-
ity by the aid Of physical culture. He
cautions teachers against attempting -
judgment of the character or condition Of
the child from the formation and cOn6g-
uratlon Of the face and skull SDeakIne,
Oh fatigue, he calls attention to the i'm
portance Of plenty of sleep and recreation
pointing out that the child's best hours
1or work are from to II o'clock In the
morning and the worst between 4 and )
o'clock in the afternoon. AS a test of ia o
tigue the teacher should call upon the
pupils to hold out their hands. and if this
is done Hstlessly it is an absolute sign
that they are unduly fatigued
There is popular opinion, and one that
has even prevailed among physicians that
typhoid fever is not and cannot be com
mun1cated to the healthy from the sick
except by eating food or, more especially
drinking fluids which have been contain
mated by discharges from a typhoid pa
uent. DR.. GoodaU believes that typhoid
fever is directly communicated from the
SICK 10 the healthy more commonly than
mas been supposed. and proves this by
many striking instances in which nurses
domestic servants and ward maids in hos
pltals nave contracted the disease while
caring for typhoid fever patients. There
has been a reaction in medical opinion
winch Will no doubt lead 10 the same pre-
cauuonary sanitary measures as in other
known contagious or infectious diseases
IN which disease-bearing material Dassez
from the sick to the healthy.
s%
DR. Hudson, in a recent paper before the
Medico Legal society referred to the Dsv-
chologfc phase Of police confession. He
believes t"at there is danger that innocent
persons may be made to confess deeds
which they have never committed sf--~1v
through the psychologist process of sug-
gestion He especially deprecates the Gus
tom of allowing confessions Of guilt bv
persons charged with capital crimes, es-
pectally when they are obtained Nby turn
ing detective loose upon the accused
person and brOw-beating before he has
had a chance to engage counsel. He de-
clares that by such a process a confess
sion may be obtained from an innocent
person. and that It is as barbarous and in
human as the old modes of torture
AS a result Of Investigation of the re-
suits of using colortng matter and pre-
serFatives in food DR. Starting, Of Eng
land, concludes that formaIin should be
absolutely prohibited as a food preserva-
tive, bat he considers salicyHc acid less
harmful although in acid fluid it acts as
an antiseptic and prevents the action OF
the gastric juice, being in addition a DO
tent drug Of variable action which should
be only given under medical advice and
control The most nearly harmless Of
preservatives is boric acid. but he be-
lieVes that the milk supply can be car
ried on without the use of this, and
would prohibit the use Of boric acid I'm
milk
Many people who call themselves vepe-
taIfans are not such, for the term vege-
table diet, If accurately used. excludes
butter, lard, eggs and milk and every
animal product, even in the process of
cooking. If this is done it is almost i'm
possible to construct an exclusive vege-
table diet in which the necessary eIe-
mentS are DrOnerly rrODor+fo,oJ