The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1905-12-05

CARE OF THE BODY
9 How to Acquire and Retain the Priceless Posses
/ sion of Good Health

Natures Preparation for Winter.


In the fall, when the cold weather is
approaching, the fur of animals be-
gins to thicken. Trappers catch AMI
mails in the winter because OF the SUI
periority of their fur at that season,
their summer fur being very poor and
thin. This thickening of the fur or
hairy covering is a protection for the
winter.
A corresponding change takes place
in the vegetable world,-in the trees,
plants, bushes and shrubs. AS the
cold weather approaches, they thick
en- their bark, draw in their sap, and
the clorophyl of their leaves and the
leaves fall off. Some little time before
the leaves fall we see the green col
or disappear. The clorophyl and the
sap had been stored up for use in the
spring, and thus preparation is made
for winter.
Corresponding changes take place
in human beings if they subject them
selves to natural conditions. A shrub
that's left standing out of doors gets
ready for winter. If it should be taken
up in September and kept in a green
house at temperature of 70 degrees,
it would not make preparation for the
cold weather. Put an animal In
warm building and keep him there,
and his fur will not thicken for Win
ter.
Some interesting observations have
been made concerning sheep. In the
tropics they grow only thin hair, but
when taken to Siberia they began to
grow fine wool, which thickened with
each generation until they had thick
woolly covering that was ample pro-
lection against the seventies OF the
climate to which they were exposed.
Leave a sheep out of doors and 1t gets
ready for winter. Bring 1t indoors
where it is not subjected to natural
conditions, and it is not affected by
meteorological changes.
This same thing is true of human
beings. Many people, when cold
weather comes, hide away in their
wind-proof houses, thoroughly barri-
caded against fresh air. Under such
circumstances, the power to make heat
diminishes, and they are afraid to
come in contact with cold air, because
they have coddled themselves too
much as the cold weather has come
on. When a person is in that condi-
ton, his vitality is lowered, his re-
sistance weakened, and he is an easy
prey to disease.
There is no tonic so good as con-
tact with cold air. The body rallies
it's forces to repel the cold, and while
the forces of the body barricade them
selves against cold, they are also bar
Reading themselves against germs
All the vital functions are affected
by the resistance of the body forces
to the contact of cold. The stomach
makes more and better gastric juice;
the blood-making process goes on with
greater rapidity, and more and richer
blood Is produced. One who can re-
sist. cold can resist pneumonia, con-
sumption, diphtheria, in fact, he is pre-
pared to fight every disease.
This power of resistance can be cul-
tivated by daily exposure to cold air.
Go out of doors each day and get into
the fresh air more and more. At night
let the fresh cold air come in. The
one who sleeps in a tight room will
strive in vain to accustom himself to
cold, for he will undo during the night
all the good he has accomplished dur
ing the day.