The weekly true Democrat., 1908-04-03
IN
HEALTH MATTERS.
Every Individual SbOuId Take q
Deep Interest.

From March Heath Notes, we repuD-
lish the following timely article:
Ignorance does not palliate nor excuse
crime. This may be considered q max
I'm of law. If, therefore, responsibility
rest upon the mentally depraved equally
with the higher intellectual order Of
citizenship, in an observance Of laws
which hold society in q peaceful state.
how much greater the responsibility Of
those whose advantages Of education
and environment of science continually
indicate methods necessary for health
full living, not only for themselves, but
for their neighbors, but who continually
disregard them.
The laws Of man are enforced, but
the higher law Of nature is disobeyed
and Oftentimes completely ignored.
Higher education Of the people, Of
which so much is said and advocated In
these days, avails but little If not di-
rected in the line Of physical better
ment Of the human family. IL goes for
naught IL the mental faculties shall be
brought TO perfection in development,
and the body remains weak and i'll cOn-
ditioned. Indeed, it cannot be expected
that the best work can be done in q
frame which hold the vital spark Of in
tellect, If the body is racked with pain
or tortured by disease. The intellectual
and physical conditions Of man are so
intimately blended and materially de-
pendent each on the other that to obtain
the perfection Of fruitful work there
must be a sound body as q fit habitatiOn
for q sound mind. The object sought
for by scientists Is TO impress the peo-
pie with an individual responsibility in
act Of living which will remove apathy
in dealing with health laws and will in-
crease an interest in everything which
tends to b. g. physically the human
family. =.
It is tn, .i;[rU every lover Of man
kind TO be- ; A@atchfpl Of all conditions
which threaten the heath or e Of his
neighbor as If actlr & directly upon HIM
self or family, and to warn against inn
proper habits Of living and against in
Nsssences which give subsequent banetul
results TO comfort and happiness. The
eesspO0l which is permitted under the
kitchen window or the flth-SOaked
barnysrd, an evidence Of neglect and
indifference, contribute disease agen-
cies not only TO the immediate family
but the neighbor must suffer equally,
by the transmission of disease germs
through soil and atmosphere. Can any
one dispute but that the contributor Of
these nuisances is responsible for evil
results So also, when a contagious
disease arises in q family, visitors to
the household should be warned Of the
nature Of the disease and prevented
from contact with the sufferer, that the
disease may not be distributed in q COM
munity by social visiting Of the sick,
which act many times is but TO crafty
q morbid curiosity. To visit the sick
and relieve the distressed is q beautiful
sentiment Of christian charity when
such aid is given in constant nursing
devotion TO the friend then is Christ
like In its virtue on the other hand the
practice which prevails in certain sec
tlons of the State of indiscriminate visit
ing Of the sick, irrespective Of the ma
ture of the complaint, especially by
mothers of families whose sympathy
actuates the visits, but whose duties
elsewhere IN their own households pre-
vent giving their entire time to proper
nursing, cannot be too strongly con-
condemned. In fact, and too often,
these visitors do not come TO nurse or
room vitiate the air which is needful to
the patient Many contagious diseases
of children are distributed in this way
and epidemics are produced through
thoughtlessness and mistaken exhibition
of sympathy on the part Of visitors TO
the household Of the sick.
An appreciation Of individual respOn-
sibility in the many conditions Of living,
by personal example and by attending
TO measures which prevent disease and
increase healthfulness will create a
sentiment in the community in favor Of
sanitary laws and domestic hygiene
which must ultimately tend to the gen.
eral good Of the State. 1t is believed
that It Is only necessary to have the
people think earnestly and seriously on
this subject and fruitful results will
follow. The Notes takes pleasure in
furnishing hints and subjects for the
intelligent reader TO think about and
apply TO individual benefit.