Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-05-10
SPRING AND HEALTH.
BY MARY ASNABLE FANroS.


1t is not more than single generation,
since spring was accepted as the doleful
season of the year. Poets did praise it re-
luctantly, and flowers would bloom; but
on the whole it was regarded as a time of
general misery. People were expected to
take cold, and to ''get run down.; and
when home wasn't made desolate by
house-cleaning, there were horrid herbs
brewing and dreadful connections being
handed out to tone up unhappy humanity.
The present generation is more cheerful.
1t finds hopeful spring a pleasant season,
TO be spoken of respectfully. It doesn't
write so much poetry, nor take SO much
medicine. 1t plays golf instead, and
makes friends with spring. But there is
still left the occasional spring cold, that
is so hard to get rid of, and the tendency
toward relaxation from the nerve pull OF
winter. One can have ills with the utmost
admiration for whimsical beauty of the
early warm days; and dosing but increases
the evil.
The best spring t.nic that know of
is morning plunge into cold water;
a tub full of water, cool and inyigorat-
ing, yet invariably soft. There is no
spring lassitude at breakfast if a cold
bath has interviewed between bed and
board. To speak in spring parlance, ait
starts the sap running and il the blood
is circulating well, the nerves are quiet,
food is digesting, the brain is clear and
there is fresh color in the cheeks and
cheerful light in the eyes.
You can't have the 'sblues' and spring
fevers and moodiness if you are feeling
vigorous and energetic, and you can't feel
listless if the organs of the body are in
good working order. Sleep with your
windows open land screen about the bed
if you like), and never forget that elixir
of life-the cold plunge, if you want to
find all the joy of spring.
But make sure that the water is soft. A
daily plunge in hard water would so
roughen and harden the skin, as to bring
about condition of actual misery. You
can't thoroughly dry the skin from a
hard-water bath, and damp skin means
first roughness and through roughness,
possibly poisoning, from contagious
eruptions.
To a tub full of water add teaspoonful
of borax, well dissolved in warm water.
Then the bath will not only be invigorat-
ing, but positive benefit TO the skin
making it white and velvety. 1t is an
excellent plan if one lives in hard water
country, to have in the bath room a solu-
| tion of borax-water with as much pure
borax as it will hold in solution always
ready.
| During arduous house cleaning days, a
| teaspoonful of this solution should be Jut
in all water used for any sort of cleaning.
| 1t helps the cleaning and saves the hands.
/ 1t is also the greatest comfort in the world
to the weary woman who has ''trouble
with her feetn. A teaspoonful of borax
\ in basin of warm water, and then inn
-merse the feet for some ten minutes, a
! dash of cold water, brisk rub, and every
\ bit of swelling and pain is gone.
One can't suggest too many restfui ideas
/ to busy woman, and this water cure,
warm at night and cold in the morning, is
1 one of the most pleasant and healthful
suggestions that modern science has yet
! offered to an evilling spring time world.