The Washington times., 1920-02-28
The Saving
OfMOther
By DR.: VIM. A. McKeeyer,
Professor In the University OF Kan
sas saa Noted Educator.

sas aAa . Noted Educator.
THHE ordinary mother Of two or
more children begins to de-
i cline at forty and Is q semiz
invalid at forty-six, IL she Is stiIl
aiive-unless something positive
and thoughtful is done to conserve
her energies and to build up her
waning strength.
The forty-year-o woman's re-
action time has normally slowed
up from 20 to 50 per cent below
what it was at twenty-three. That
Is. her movements should proceed
with. a slower stroke IL she Is to
gather energy as fast as she uses IT.
But unless some outside influence Is
brought to bear upon her you Will
find such a mother moving under
the whip and trying to keep up the
old gait-and fading away.
At a fine hog sale / got the an
swer to this countrywide problem
OF conservation of middle-aged
mothers. Hundreds of men were
crowding in with eager attention
while several OF their group were
bidding for a SOW. What a beauti-
full creature-groomed. fed up,
medicated, pink-ribboned! Ten
thousand dollars was the final oner
and the owner became the object OF
many congratulations.
II wonder how many or those
men are as thoughtful Of theirwives
as they are of these swine?" 1
asked a sixty-five-year-old farmer
at my side. And his surprising re-
ply is worth offering to the nation.
/ will give it in substance. as toi-
lows:
"There is more science required
to save a middle-aged man or wom-
an than is necessary to care for
these animals. We reared four
children. Twenty years ago MIS-
$, then forty-one, began to
weaken, and l determined to save
her II possible. had studied medi-
cine at college and know that drugs
would do practically nothing for
her. SO we began a course OF heroic
home treatment consistent with our
busy life and our comparative pow
erty.
"One hour extra Of sleep. one hour
or more out OF doors daily, 25 per
cent slow up on the work, and a
tightening Of the diet--that was the
program diligently adhered to for
ten years. There were barely
noticeable results at first, but in
the course Of q few years the sys-
tenn began to win. Now, at sixty
one and for about ten years. my
companion has been as strong ana
handsome as a girl. We are enjoy
ing the best of our forty years or
married life.
eyes. everybody helped. I ex-
planned to the children how we
could all cooperate and save their
mother, or how we could neglect
her and probably lose her. Our
three boys and one girl caught the
idea and did their part. Our motto
was mothers care and health first
We let society and the pressure OF
work come last. Many men let their
wives die and their children become
scattered through Ignorance OF the
science OF health and the conse-
auent neglect, but ! determined to
do otherwise. Now, Is not this sys-
tenn of mother conservation worth
far more than the science OF hog
raising?"
Think 1t over. husbands, fathers,
OF the growing babies. The time
will come when you alone can best
determine whether the mother OF
your children is to be saved for
their sake and yours. and for the
good of society, or whether she Is
to become the slow victim of her
own unselfish devotion to the bur-
dens of the household. Look ahead
and save her. She cannot save her
self.
One hour more OF sleep.
One hour out OF doors daily.
Twenty-Five per cent slower.
A diet balanced to suit her age.
What a simple program for mother