Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
RULES OF HEALTH
COTTON MATHER's OPINION ON
HOW TO LIVE LONG.
Johns Hopkins Physician Writes q
Paper Defending Celebrated Di-
vines Motives.


lam Sydney Thayer. who. with Dr. Leweilys
| L. Barker. succeeds to DR.. Osiers chair or
| medicine In the Johns Hopkins University,
| has just been published in the Johns Hop
kins Hospital Bulletin for September. Cot
| ton Mather's Rules OF Health is the title
| OF the article, a dissertation In which DIR.
| Thayer, to a certain extent, defends the re-
| nowned preachers motives, and in a most
! interesting manner treats of the medical
| pIowess and rules of this man. whose deeds
| In the name of religion have been the sub
| ject- of exeeration.
After reviewing and recalling Cotton
| MGthers courageous and successful efforts
to Introduce vaccination a preventive for
smallpox, In the face OF threats and at
| tempts against his life DR.. Thayer recounts
an interesting list of medical directions
which have been left by the learned doctor
| of divinity. Among these is a list or rules
| OF health. embodied In a book OF 'Direc-
tons for Candidate for the Ministry
some of which are as follows:
The grand secret and sole method for
| long life and for the health which will
| sweeten and befriend II is to keep the blood
| and juices in n state Of due huidtty. And
| nothing will do this but keeping much to a
| spare, lean. fluid sort OF diet. Those who
| live long and without much pain, and after
such Il life at length die. easily, are such as
4 i've abstem.ousy."
| Here is one for the athlete:
| Bodily exercise profits. but no exercise
| comparable to that of moderate riding,
| the prescriptions OF the ancients (though
Galen has chapter about III for the re-
coyery OF the feeble, is because they were
| so simple TO ride without stirrups. Tho
| saddle Is the seat of health.
"A family purge may now and then be or
| service to you," says Mather, and no won
| der physic was formerly a thing to be
| dreaded Here is the dose:
"Pillulae ruin, especially when chaly-
heated with adding about a third part Of
sal martis. or else bottle of anniseed
water. with drachm of two OF rhuDar0
STEPPED in it,
Mather and Wine.
If Mather lived today his prohibitionist
friends of New England would have moth
ing to do with him. II tender you the adj
vice. he says, which the aged servant or
God gave to his valued son, Drink not only
water. but use little wine for the stom-
ach's sake And yet I would say upon
| drinking glass of generous wine, TO often
take glass of water. And If the beer they
bring be too strong for you. dilute 1t with
water. But never take water or anything
else cold when you are hot from labor.
There is death in the pot.
When you have run the hazard OF dis
| turbing your stomach with ingurgitations
| from a full table draught of cold water
will do good like medicine
Going to bed and sweating from a large
| draught of cold water not only stops and
cures cold, but also often extingushes a
| fever at the beginning.
Daily to wash your head ard mouth
| with cold water is a practice that cannot
! be too much commended, II were only for
saving you from the toothache.
For a frequency In the use of liquors,
which they call spirits, be as afraid of IL
| as you would be of a familiarity with evIi
spirits.
when you go to infectious places one OF
the best things you can do is to hold and
chew a bit of myrrh in your mouth"
Advice About Diet.
Truly Mather had In him some of the
leaven which is today making the class OF
nonvegetarians and milk dieters. ITO feed
much on salt meats he says, won't be
for your safety. Indeed. II less flesh were
eaten. and more of the vegetable and farm
aceous food were used, II were better. The
milk diet is for the most part some OF the
wholesomest in the world! And not the
less wholesome. for the cocoanut giving q
little tincture to II"
But what about tobacco. Apparently
then, as now. there was no determined
opinion upon the harmfulness OF tobacco,
the general rule even today being to avoid
excess in its use. But Mather himself was
firmly opposed to the habit Shall smoke
| tobacco?' he says. BE sure not, II L can
help tt ~, avg
In the Dutchy of Berguen people may
not smoke, without purchasing a license
for II. II you were to purchase OF me q
license for il, know not how high terms
1 should hold you to. If you want an by
dragogue, there is one preferable In chew
ing some such thing as a bit or masCch,
which would also wtiten your teeth ana
sweeten your breath, which tobacco poi
sons If once you get into the way OF smok-
ing there will be extreme hazard of your
becoming slave to the pipe. and ever In
suitably craving for it People may think
what they will. but such slavery is much
below the dignity of rational creature,
and much more of a gracious Christian.
There can be no apology for your taking
up the s!ovenly practice, and the pains that
must be taken to conquer the poison, II
you not well advised and assured that
your health requires it. But l shall only
recite the damages which the inordinate
and immoderate of this fume does bring
with 1t: for, besides the Unsuitable and
greedy lust of taking 1t, by its daily use
the memory is impaired. the stomach vio-
lated, the brain exiccated and the life short
ened and the offspring damnifed."
Knew About Appendicitis.
Peritontis which in most cases doubt
less represented appendicitis, is described
under the chapter on collie" as a fearful
and grievous disease, an appendix to the
collie now broken upon miserable world;
ii is called the dry-belIy-ache.
In such a grievous case" says Mather,
consult a wise physician and follow his
directions, relying wholly upon the bless
ing of God and piety. OF all the remedies
under heaven for the preservation of health
there is none like serious piety."
With great wisdom Mather agreed with
authorizes IN the propagation OF smallpox
plague, consumption and other diseases by
means OF minute parasites" and he de-
plores the lack of a worm-killer with which
to combat many deadly diseases. "A holy
and easy mind is the most healthful thing
under heaven. IL any sickness come upon
you. be TO be sick enough soon enough.
Delays are dangerous. and maladies taken
at the beginning may be easily conquered"
Among a series of rules of prudence
Mather has left some maxims which are
gems Several of these are:
The malice OF III tongues cast upon a
good man Is only like mouthful Of smoke
blown upon diamond, which though it
clouds its beauty for the present. yet IL is
easily rubbed of. and the gem restored with
little trouble to its genuine luster.
"You will meet some9unaccountable and
incomprehensible thingsH particularly, In
the conduct of many people. Throw them
into your heap of unintelligfbles, leave
them there. Trouble your mind no further:
hope the best, think no more about
them.
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