The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-09
WALK TO KEEP OFF
WINTER SICKNESS
Nothing Else Will Do as
Much to Reduce Preya-
lence of Illness
from the Now York World.

From the New York World.
Nothing will reduce the prevalence of
sickness during the winter more than the
formation of the habit of taking long
walks at least twice week. If parents
are interested in keeping their children
well, they should become interested in
their establishing this habit.
| If it costs as much to take an hours
walk as it does to provide for several
doses of a patent medicine walking would
be valued as medicine very much more
than it is now. It is because It is So
cheap that SO many neglect it.
Speaking from the standpoint of a ply
sician alone, it is safe to say that the
digestion of the average city man. woman
and child would be improved 100 per cent
by taking a short. brisk walk every day,
and walk of at least two hours twice a
week.
The great trouble from which our pub.
lie school children suffer is malnutrition
and the resulting anaemia. This is due
less TO insufficient food than it is due
to inappropriate food and less to inap-
propriate food and proper masticatou
than to the Inability of the body to uti-
lie what is eaten on account Of lack of
tone of the stomach and intestines. There
is no surer way of toning up the diges-
tive system into vigorous health than by
following the walking routine outlined
above. Walking will not fill decayed
teeth. but it will do many more things
for the body than will any one tonic,
however administered.
The prevalence of adenoids and en-
larged sonsils is very largely due to di-
Kestive disturbances and the characters
tic bodily stasnation of those who live
In cities and do not exercise. If ones
nose is partially blocked by overgrown
tissue, brisk walk viii do much to de-
crease this condition and relieve a corr
gestion which is the primary cause OF
this trouble. 1t is astonishing how quick
1y a partial blocking of the naso plarynx
Il will be improved by this simple measure.
OF course, there still remain serious
cases which cannot be corrected by any
thing save an operation, but even after
an operation. If the bodily stagnation
continues, the adenoids are most likely
to return. 1t is the proper use of the
hose and the establishment of good cir
culation, habits that we must look TO
for the prevention of this disorder.
The "fresh-a habit should be in
stilled in every school child. II there is
once inculcated q taste for fresh air
by walking, the children are very much
more likely to rebel against the stag
nant air, which is only too often char
aeteristic of even the best dwellings,.
Walking is a most valuable stimulant
not only to the physical structure of the
body. but favors the orderly arrange
ment of ideas. Any one of the successful
men of the country will testify that ideas
orient themselves in proper relation to
long walk. Many OF the older philoso-
piers realized this and delivered their
i hest orations while engaged in walking
In groups about the groves Of Athens.
Where two or more are walking to-
gether, conversation is likely to turn
upon common interests, which among
school children center in school affairs.
With the slightest effort to direct this
thought, school work may be made con-
crete and definite and become implanted
In proper relation to child life and ex-
perience more solidly than by class
room drill however effective that
might be.
There are so many things going on
In the city that walk of a single
block Will present to any observing
pupil items of great interest to him.
If the habit of observation is formed
and the habit of recording observation
follows it, most definite training in
this faculty may be obtained and the
bulk of important knowledge of civic
facts will be increased.
Much may be learned about the city
government. The street making and
maintenance departments of the bor-
ough presidents office. the street
cleaning department. the department OF
police and it's traffic regulation and
the department OF health are always
evident in their work or in the effects
of their labor
Civics is taught in the schools as a
subject subordinate to history and
geography, and consistent endeavor is
made to apply it's teachings to daily
life, for the child viii become the citi-
zen. There is no letter way. to make
facts concrete than by the Laboratory
method, and the going a-field provides
this opportunity.