Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-09-11
copyright. 1914. by A. S. Gray)
ANE MIA.

Life and health are among our most
familiar words and in their ordinary
meaning probably no words are more
widely understood, and yet in specific
application no terms are more difficult
to express and comprehend. 1t Is
generally understood that life consists
in an ability to change and to adapt
to environment, and probably it will
be generally agreed that health Is an
individual condition of sound mind,
normal body, absence of disease and
normal blood supply.
Few of US ever get very far along
iife's highway without departing in
some degree from this ideal condi-
ton, and few ever fully recover 1t
once 1t is lost, largely because we do
where we lost 1t, why we lost it, how
we lost it or how 1t may be regained
The chief characteristic of disease
is loss Of physical strength and Of
color, and few convalescents from
even comparatively slight illness fail
to show these two symptoms in
marked degree We cover the condi-
ton, quite satisfactorily to most Of
us, by saying, I'VE are little ane-
mic" and then we take some iron
because 1t is known that iron has a
strong affinity for oxygen and we
know that our body cells must have
oxygen to breathe in order to restore
the rudy glow of health to the cheek,
the rhythmic and vigorous swing to
the walk, the sparkle Of vim and en-
ergy to the eye.
Anemia as generally understood is a
condition marked by pallor of the skin
and mucous membranes, and by palpi-
tation and debility, due to a deficiency
In the blood or it's constituents.
To be able to sense the character Of
any physical body we must be able to
see and to comprehend its three d.
mansions of length, breadth and thick
ness and personally to test its density
and hardness; and in like manner to
win and maintain health we must see
and comprehend its limits.
The blood contains iron and the
iron in the blood corpuscle Is mostly
in a combination known as "hemoglo-
bin," which has a peculiarly loose af-
f1nity for oxygen and carries that ele-
ment to the individual cells through
out the body, enabling them to
breathe"
We have already noted in previous
articles that we can live only about
three minutes without air, and we
shall see as we pursue this inquiry
how quickly and intelligently nature
adjusts and compensates for material
changes in environment, if only we
have sufficient intelligence not to in.
terfere with her system.
1t is on this complicated cycle OF
changes that our health, happiness
and sanity depends, and the slightest
visible evidence of anemia may be
taken to mean a grave disturbance OF
the balance between these changes and
consequently of every vital function
of the body. Hence the word anemia
has come to be used as a generic term
for various forms Of disease charac
terized by defective constitution Of
the blood, occurring as a symptom OF
as result of many disorders or as 6
| disease of obscure origin. 1t is tern
carelessly used and grossly abused.
For sound health normal digestion
is necessity; for sound thought, nor
NAL digestion Is likewise necessity
The nervous system, controlling phys
biological processes. is dependent fol
its health and liability to function OF
the nutrition derived from the blood
and it is owing to deficient nutrition
derived from the blood in anemia tina
the tissues Of the secreting glands ant
the glands themselves, the secretint
cells, the secretions and the muscula
and all other tissues of the digeStiy,