The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-07-12
THE HYGIENE OF THE BIBLE.
soientiflo Sanitary Regulations Antioi.
pated In the Mosaic Law. Si

upon proper ilto. conduct aH tho mea oH
OF prolonging life and tho enjoyment
Of it. You shall observe these laws"
Moses taught, "that you may live
long" He did not command to be-,
liovo this or that, nor did he point to
reward and punishment in tho life to
como, but he laid down rules for con
duct in his life and ordsined punish.
mont for tho violation Of these !.wg,
Nor must wo overlook the fact that ro.
ligion as defnod by tho laws Of Moses
involved all laws for tho government
of man as int ividual and as momber
and integral part of tho State. All
laws were promu!gate in tho name of
God, the laws Of days Of rest and fos.
tivity as we'll as sanitary regulations.
Tho greater knowledge We have gained
through our ability of deoiphe ring tho
libraries Of ouneiform tablets and luor-
oglyphio medicine books oonvinoos us
that many Of tho sanitary laws con.
tajncd in the Pentateuoh have been
observed by the Egyptians, Babylon
ians, Assyrlans and othor Semitic ma
tions previous to the existonoe of the
lsraelitish nation, but no nation has
lived in suoh close conformity with
those laws as tho Jows, and by tho
overwhelming majority of thom arc
strictly observed 10 this day. When
over wo find in the Mos sic ,do a law
prohibiting the drinking or eating tho
blood Of animals because blood is tho
nephosh, tho life, we may assume that
the law giver know the intrinsic essence
and properties Of blood, tho rapid
chcmical ohanga which takes place
thero in after death, the 7tomaine poi.
aoning ef which !. is the cause, :ho
poison which it gathers from the do
oeaaod bodily organs and which arc
transferred to human body whom taken
as animal food. We may safely assume.
therefore, that tho ritual mode Of
slaughtoring praotioed by tho Jews
Bince timo immemorial has boon fou nd
tho beat safe guard against the trans.
fer Of disease from the meat ef AMI
mails used for food, and which also ac.
counts tor their groater immunity from
sepidemlos which dooimated large popu-
lations among whom they lived.
Tho fact is we'll established that tu !.
boroulosis, which is tho greatest soour-
60 of modern times, is largely duo to
tho transforenoe Of tho germ from the
meat and milk Of diseased animals.
Before m, ,dern hygienic regulation over
insisted upon tho introduction of any
modo OF inspecting meat Of animals
previous to its offer in the PUBLIC mar.
ket for consumption tho Jews had mado
1t obligatory upon those who were au I.
thorizod to perform the slaughtering of
animals to examine olosely and care
fully the carcass, 10 SEQ whether the
lungs were sound, whether tho vital
organs wero free from disease, 80 that
health was not endangered by tho CON.
sumption. The alaughtoring and in,
specting of animals was not intrusted
to tho frat conner. 1t was performed
by persons trained and educated for
the Office; they had to pass an exami.
nation as 70 their. kno %ledge Of anato.,
my OF animals and of the ritual laws
prescribed for tho performance of their
duty. The Ialmud, a work the redao Il
tion Of which has been completed some
sixteen hundred years ago, contains
extepsivo treaties on the subjeot and
disolosos a wonderful knowledge of tho
anatomy Of tho animal. l.
AS much stress Is laid in modern
days upon tho proper observance Of a
proper diet for the preservation OF
health as upon the uso Of drugs. The
Jews who lived strictly in compliance
with the dietary laws found in them
protection against infection by many Of
the microbes and bacteria which gem
orato disease. Thus was not only q
thorough inspection of the caroass Of
tho bovine killed for tho use Of man 70 :
quired by the religious law, but even
fowls were examined and If any intor.
nal injury was found OF character
that would have produced their netu-
raj death, the animal was declared uniis
for food. ASS protection against dole
terious effect Of microbes and bacteria.
though not known by their technical
names, it was commanded to thorough.
ly rinse berries and all fruits, losumin.
Gus and other vegetables, in wator to
purify them from all parasites and the
dust PARTICLES which made them dan
gesous to health before eating them
when raw 1t is only in modern days
that we have discovered tho triohinoa
in hog meat, which at least proves that
some good reason existed in those an.
oiont days for forbidding the use Of
swine flesh.
Another rule, probably Of simple
cleanliness, required the washing Of
hands before partaking Of any meal and
the rinsing Of the mouth after rising
from tho table. The Legislators evil
dently had shadowy idea Of tho in.
finitesimal cocoi, animalou!~. spiriIip
and baccili, which float around and give
the pathologiets and biologists 80 much
trouble. However, the rule was part Of
the hygionio system ard soryod wall
its purpose. 1t may roferentiallv bn
remarked hore that discussion" wsa
tho great characteristic feature Of the
Jows. The Talmud, which records tho
disputes among tho various schools of
learning from the time Of tho great
Ssnhcdrim to tho year 900 Of tho pros.
ont ora, furnishes evidence Of tho con.
stant flow Of discussion on the most
vital questions Of life, Of health and
sickness, Of religion and practices dur.
ing that onrly period, and the "disous,
sion" has ever aowed on to this day, so
that opinions among tho Jews as to tho
binding oharaotor Of ceremonies aud
ritual PRACTICES differ and variegato
moro than ever.
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