140 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi 



Our Bo€Wrs Simts. 



BY F. L. PEIRO. M. D. 



McVicker's Building, Chicago, III. 



That Twisting- Colic. 



The India rubber man at the circus is 

 scarcely to be compared in his antics with 

 the contortions of the American boy in 

 melon-time! That boy can come nearest 

 tying himself into a bow-knot, after visiting 

 his neighbor's patch, than can a boy of any 

 other nationality I have observed. The 

 jack-knife bend seems more natural to 

 him ; hence my reason for dedicating this 

 particular article for his particular good. 



Boys will eat melons— theirs or somebody 

 else's, and when that succulent globe is not 

 to be obtained, they do not hesitate at a 

 good-sized cucumber. Mothers are not 

 often let into these juvenile secrets, but the 

 facts are just as correctly stated. Fve been 

 a boy— long ago— and my sympathies are 

 in consequence aroused. Melons are good 

 —no mistake. It is only the indiscriminate 

 way of eating them that brings trouble. 



I have seen all kind of boys— young boys, 

 middle-aged, and old boys— eat the juicy 

 " millions " in a way to give even the ob- 

 server a stomach-ache ! When finished, lit- 

 tle was left of that melon but the trans- 

 parent rind. There is the trouble— the 

 nearer the skin, the more colic it contains 

 to the square inch. If boys would not be 

 quite so greedy to eat to the very outside, 

 they would be entirely safe. Melons of all 

 kinds are really good for them, or any one 

 else that likes them; they act well on 

 stomach, bowels and kidneys, if the pre- 

 caution named is observed. 



The rule applies equally well to encumbers. 

 We have seen some housekeepers so very 

 economical that in paring them for the 

 table, they would leave long, thin streaks 

 of the green skin, and the unhappy guest 

 would fairly groan at the bitterness of this 

 vegetable gall, soon to be twinged and tor- 

 tured with colic and diarrhea from the 

 effect of this false economy. 



Always peel your " cukes " so that none, 

 of the rind remains, and you need then 

 have no fear of eating all you wish of them. 

 They are at their best when just big enough 

 to eat— before they begin to turn even a 



little yellow. At this point they are flabby 

 and coarse, the fiber is tough and indigesti- 

 ble, and seeds nearly ripe and woody. In 

 this condition they are unpalatable, and 

 may cause indigestion. 



When suffering from the form of colic 

 these vegetables produce, a pint of hot 

 water with a few drops of Jamaica ginger 

 in it, taken at intervals of an hour or less, 

 is as effective and harmless as any remedy. 

 But to jn-ei'ent as indicated, is better than • 

 all medicines. 



Iiearii to be Self-Dependciit. 



It is surprising how lavish is Nature in 

 her care of mankind. If we could but 

 rightly interpret her language it would, no 

 doubt, be appreciated that she has prepared 

 all things for our use and benefit. The fruits 

 of the orchard, the grains of the fields, the 

 growths in the byways, the flowers in our 

 paths, are all conducive to our health and 

 happiness if we only knew how rightly to 

 use them. 



In Nature's domains we may find the 

 food that nourishes, and the herbs that 

 heal when we, like willful children, have 

 transgressed her righteous edicts. All things 

 needful, but require a knowledge of their 

 being and use. But how little we avail 

 ourselves of her laws and supplies ! How 

 indiflierent we seem to her unstinted 

 bounty! Instead of consulting her and 

 drawing inspiration and health from the 

 great healing fountain, we prefer to grope 

 helplessly, and when in distress to call to 

 our aid the doctor, who is himself making 

 efforts to follow in Nature's footsteps, and 

 supplement her behests. 



Well, we should feel grateful that so 

 faithful students can be found to guide us 

 out of trouble in time of need. But, never- 

 theless, I insist that we should, by observa- 

 tion and intelligent reasoning, place our- 

 selves less under obligation to others by 

 doing more for ourselves. You can have 

 your servant make bread for you, but you 

 ought to have acquired the knowledge to 

 be independent of such service if need be. 

 Just so with many facts in our daily life. 

 We should give sufficient thought to means 

 of health and prevention of disease as to 

 render us more independent of others' 

 ministrations. One need not go into the 

 deeper studies of the medical art to do this, 

 but simply supply one's self with rudimen- 

 tary works on hygiene, and the exercise of 



