April 18, 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



249 



pounds; annual exponditnri', 20 pounds-six; result, mis- 

 ery." So, too, every one of us should study the health ledsin. 

 Is the outgo of energy in excess of the income of strength 

 and vigor? Do the scales show that there is a daily or 

 weekly loss? Do the lapsing energies as the morning clock 

 stroke calls to duty show that our balance in the ledger is on 

 the wrong side 1 Are there little, insidious ailments, like 

 cough, headache, indigestion, that show that we should study 

 more intently our physical status ere we find that health is 

 gone to return no more ? I think it is a safe rule to observe, 

 never to tolerate the presence of ache, pain, or any bodily ill. 

 If we find that such are with us, let us rest, change our hab- 

 its, try anything to reach again the full equilibrium of our 

 physical poise. 



I fear too many of us are under the strain of excessive 

 work. We are in it. It seems valuable to the community. 

 We dislike to drop it off, any bit of it. How much better to 

 drop a little than to have to give it all up, especially as the 

 giving it all up will give us also a heart full of regret. I 

 doubt if there is any phase of gospel truth which our people 

 need more than this. We are caught in the whirl of national 

 push and progress, and rush on without thought of the sure 

 consequences. Paul knew. " Let your moderation be 

 known."' 



Another evil which lays its heavy hand upon our Ameri- 

 can homes is that of irregularities. I doubt if any of us fully 

 realize the importance to health of i-egularity in our daily 

 habits. How many of us always breakfast, dine and sup at 

 the same hour every day ? How large the number of those 

 who have no settled time to betake themselves to bed or to 

 rise as the morning hour calls to duty and service. We can 

 well learu a lesson from the dairyman in this respect. He 

 finds that unless he feeds his cattle at the very same time 

 each day, a greatly lessened milk-supply informs him of his 

 mistake. Indeed, if the cow is not milkt at exactly the same 

 time, the foam of the pail comes not so near the top. Even a 

 change of milkers makes itself felt in the pail and pocket- 

 book. We can hardly believe that the cow is as sensitive as 

 " the human form, divine." If the cow is so materially dis- 

 turbed by the lack of regularity, what may we conclude as to 

 the effects of the glaring irregularities which enter so boldly 

 into most of our American homes? 



Who of us has not felt saddened as we have past thru the 

 streets of great cities late at night, to see little children, 

 whom Sleep should long since have claimed as her own, still 

 thronging the walks? The very dash of our business-life 

 makes it hard to preserve regularity in our home living. Soci- 

 ety and business habits both offer a great premium on the 

 habit of irregularity. Many of us have neglected our first 

 caution, and so with Saturday night comes a threatening and 

 overpowering weariness. This of necessity carries the sleep- 

 ing hours of Sunday morning away into the day. lireakfast 

 comes an hour or two later than on week-day mornings. Din- 

 ner instead of at twelve or one, reaches on to two or three, while 

 supper very likely is omitted entirely. All the time the god 

 of disease is dancing with very joy. 



I know of two children that came into a home to bless 

 and cheer it. I think neither would have been called very 

 robust. The parents of neither were very strong. One of 

 those children never had a doctor until maturity called her 

 from the home circle. The other was hardly less fortunate 

 for only once was a physician summoned, and that during the 

 first trying summer, just at the critical time when the first 

 year had made its span. Until well in their teens, these chil- 

 dren were always in bed at just the hour which for all the 

 first years was the good early hour of seven. The meal-time 

 in that household rarely varied ten minutes, and this not 

 simply on week days, but also on Sunday. I wish I could 

 say something to impress upon our American people the 

 importance, physiologically, of the observance of absolute 

 regularity in the home life. 



A third factor in maintaining good health in the house- 

 hold—perhaps in importance it should rank first — is the mat- 

 ter of good air. This is a free gift from God, and yet how 

 many refuse even to take it. Southern California has a well- 

 earned reputation for its salubrity of climate. Many come 

 here that are held down by the fell grip of consumption, and 

 soon find full recovery of liealth and strength. In most cases 

 such receive permanent cuie in case they remain in this 

 goodly climate. I believe the great reason why so many find 

 Southern California so helpful in regaining health and vigor. 

 comes from the fact that here they breathe good, pure air. 

 Our climate here, even in midwinter, is like the .June uf 

 Michigan and Xew York. Warmth and sunshine come with 

 each day and lure even the invalid out of doors where he nuiy 

 take full draughts of the blessed, life-giving oxygen. Many 

 here in Southern California live the winter thru in tents, aud 



thus, while they avoid all draughts, they are constantly bathed 

 in an atmosphere almost or quite as pure as that outside. 



I believe one of the greatest of health reforms would 

 come it we could only convince our people that it is impossible 

 to sleep in too pure an atmosphere. I would have all the win- 

 dows open in the sleeping room, winter as well as summer, 

 and the doors open into adjoining rooms also well ventilated. 

 The sleeping rooms should be largo, and it were better if only 

 one person occupied the room. Indeed, we can not take too 

 much pains in our sleeping rooms, that we may secure, even 

 in the cold days of the Eastern winters, as good air as tho we 

 slept under the open skies. In my own case. I have never 

 been overparticular to keep the draughts from myself or 

 children, and to-day they do not disturb us. However, I would 

 not advise those who feel disturbed if they are in the current 

 of air, to subject themselves to draughts. The very fact of 

 the unrest will work mischief and very likely the draught 

 per se do harm. 



Another thing that will tend to lessen the disquiet of 

 such ample ventilation in the cold winter nights is a full 

 supply of covering. Let us court the breezes and the full 

 vigor which the pure air will give us, but let us rest under 

 such warm coverings that we will never wake in the night 

 with a feeling of chill. 



Consumption is, perhaps, the most-to-be-dreaded disease 

 which steals in upon us to rob us of our loved ones. We 

 know now, of a certainty, that it is not inherited. We do 

 know that it is contagious, tho not so readily contagious as 

 many other microbe diseases. If we will only fling open our 

 windows and let in the pure, blessed atmosphere, sweet and 

 clean as God has given it to us, we shall do very much to keep 

 this grim presence from our home circles. We shall at the 

 same time brace up the general vigor of the body so that 

 other diseases which may be lurking hard by shall not find 

 ingress into our beloved homes. 



The last point which I shall urge in this article toward 

 maintaining health is that of diet. I think without any 

 question, the most of us eat too much. Our hard work, and 

 very likely the fact that we have gone beyond the usual meal- 

 time, has made us ravenous, and we can hardly wait the time 

 of meal coming. The overthirsty horse left to itself at the 

 watering trough will often in its greed for drink take so much 

 water that death or lasting disease results. When we are so 

 hungry, we are apt to eat rapidly, and before the appetite is 

 satisfied we have overtaxt our digestive powers, possibly to 

 our lasting injury. One of the wisest things to prevent this 

 mistake is to cultivate assiduously the habit of conversation, 

 and the best of social times at the table. This takes the 

 attention, causes us to eat more slowly, and thus we feel satis- 

 fied before the stomach is unduly distended or the digestive 

 powers too greatly overtaxt. Anything that tends to slow eat- 

 ing at the table is worthy fullest consideration in this relation 

 of maintaining good health. 



In a coming article, I shall aim to show how a happy> 

 sunny disposition aids to keep disease from the home circle- 

 Thus glad social intercourse at the table, does double duty, 

 for it not only retards the food-taking, but it also ministers to 

 the cheer and gladness of the circle about the table. We shall 

 continue this subject in our next article when we shall not 

 only discuss the sunny habit, but also give some hints regard- 

 ing nursing. 



CITY CHILDREN. 



A problem of our time and country is what to do with the 

 city children. A friend remarks that obedience among chil- 

 dren is a lost art. He says no children now obey. Another 

 friend says. The great danger of our time is irreverence. I 

 believe both magnify the evils. If these sins are on the 

 increase, is it not the result of such herding of our children as 

 city and town life necessitates ? I hope all our readers will 

 think over this problem. In my next article, I shall tell how 

 a friend has attempted to solve the difficulty in part. I have 

 ever felt to thank God that my childhood was spent in the 

 country. I am equally glad that idleness was a stranger to 

 my childhood days. How can we occupy the city children and 

 preserve them from evil companionship? 



"The Hum of the Bees in the Apple-Tree Bloom " is 

 the name of the finest bee-keeper's song — words by Hon. 

 Eugene Secor and music by Dr. C. C. Miller. This is 

 thought by some to be the best bee-song yet written by Mr. 

 Secor and Dr. Miller. It is, indeed, a " hummer." We can 

 furnish a single copy of it postpaid, for 10 cents, or 3 copies 

 for 25 cents. Or, we will mail a half-dozen copies of it for 

 sending^ us one new yearly subscription to the American 

 Bee Journal at $1.00. 



