California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



PRACTICAL HEALTH TOPICS- 

 NO. 3. 



BI "JEWELL." 

 SLEEP. 



1)0 all the mothers who read the Ag- 

 RicnLTUEisT feel the deep import- 

 ance of sleep for their infants and 

 growing children? This is a ques- 

 tion I have often thought of, and 

 in watching my neighbors and friends, 

 patients and strangers, when opportunity 

 ofieres, I have about arrived at the con- 

 clusion that few even think upon the 

 subject, and a small proportion act upon 

 their convictions. The consequence is, 

 we see sickly, pale, delicate, stunted, 

 nervous girls and boys about us, and 

 frail, dyitig men and women. (I use 

 strong language, because the case is a 

 desperate on and requires prompt action 

 on the part of parents and teachers.) 



We will not stop to question who is to 

 blame. Everj'one who knows and feels 

 the importance of raising strong, robust 

 men and women to take our places in 

 this world of action is to blame who 

 quietly looks on, and sees civilization 

 turn the night into day, and does noth- 

 ing to warn the people of the danger sure 

 to follow. I could begin bj' quoting the 

 sayings of celebrated physicians and em- 

 inent writers upon this subject — which, 

 perhaps, no one would read or follow, 

 simply because society govei'us our hab- 

 its of life to such an extent that even 

 those very doctors and writers seldom 

 follow their own prescriptions, but make 

 willing sacrifices of their lives waiting 

 on others for the good of humaijity. 



Many of our amusements and enter- 

 tainments are at night; our lectures, con- 

 certs, social gatherings, church fairs, are 

 nearly all held in the evening. Even 

 revival meetings are carried on to the 

 greatest extent at night, often lasting till 

 after midnight, when the participants 

 are in too excited a condition to calmly 

 go to bed and sleep that quiet, refreshing 

 sleep which alona enriches blood and 

 brain. And yet this is a Christian land, 

 and they claim to be working for the love 

 of God and our good in these very re- 

 vivals and protracted church meetings, 

 while breaking a law of health. Are not 

 our bodies the true temples of God? and 

 does he not require that we keep them 

 pure and holy, and uncoutaminated by 

 the world? Let us not discard any ele- 

 ment of common sense from our religion. 

 I'erhaps we m.ay learn from the Adveut- 

 ists and Mormons somewhat of good in 

 this connection. For instance, Brigham 

 Yonng has issued a decrea that all enter- 

 tainments are to begin at two in the 

 afternoon and not last after ten o'clock 

 at night; while the Adventists insist on 

 rules of health as truly as any other in 

 their creed. 



I have seen mothers awaken their in- 

 fants to show them to a friend, and 

 others who thought it would make the 

 children stupid to sleep so much; while 

 it is a common practice to awaken the 

 household at a cerlaiu lime in the morn- 

 ing, so as to get the children to perform 

 certain duties before school time. 



Now this is all wrong. Children need, 

 and should hdve, from ten to sixteen 

 hours, o>it of twenty-four, good, sound, 

 ileep, quiet, sleep, with plenty of light, 

 warm covering on, and plenty of fresh 

 air, but no draughts. Eight o'clock 

 Khould find every child under sixteen 

 years old fast asleep, every night. This 

 would give the piireuts one hour of quiet 

 to read or chat before seeking their own 



rest. But how can this bo done when 

 we have so many calls out of an evening? 

 Indeed, if we want to enjoy any social 

 life we must lay aside our principles of 

 right and join in with the masses. Even 

 the children have their evening parties 

 and Christmas entertainments at night, 

 and some are allowed to go with their 

 parents to church socials and the like, 

 while many parents are obliged to take 

 their children with them or stay at home. 

 The old saying, "one hour before mid- 

 night is worth two after," is a true one; 

 and regularity in sleep is very essential 

 to children and grown folks, too. To 

 the sick, sleep is their greatest restorer 

 and best friend, as all know; without it, 

 the physician's skill is useless, and all 

 his knowledge powerless to make well. 



Looking vipon the American people as 

 a "nation of invalids," as we are, the 

 cry seems to come from our cradles and 

 our tombs, "Give us more sleep!" 



THE DOCTOR SPEAKS. 



BY HELENA. 



Listen, girls, for it is not often that he 

 gives advice unasked. He tells us, in 

 the first place, to dress lossely so that 

 we can expand our lungs to the utmost 

 with each breath we draw. Also, that 

 the clothing should hang from the shoul- 

 ders, instead of resting upon the bips. 

 Corsets, he says, are a species of straight 

 jacket, only worn in these enlightened 

 days by those who are slightly demented. 

 A back bone is preferable to a front one 

 any time to keep the person erect, and 

 the corset board is no more needed for 

 the one one sex than for the other. 



He tells us, girls, to avoid stimulating 

 drinks of every kind, while we are yet 

 young, so that as old age creeps on we 

 may not find ourselves the victims of an 

 uncontrollable appetite. Food alone 

 nourishes the body, and by it every func- 

 tion in the living organif m derives neces- 

 sary support. Regular daily exercise in 

 the open air is indispensable to good 

 health. As our happiness and useful- 

 ness depend upon the physical condition 

 of our bodies, we need use every means 

 in our power to become as healthy as 

 possible. 



Then hear what he says about late 

 hours; Sleep is the natural invigorator 

 of the system. One-third of each twen- 

 ty-four hours should be allowed for rest. 

 Retire early, for one hour before mid- 

 night is worth two after. Then rise with 

 the sun, for the morning hours are the 

 cream of the day. 



He has a word fcr the mothers, too, 

 who teach their daughters a variety of 

 indoor industries instead of encouraging 

 them in open air tasks. Horticulture is 

 one of the finest employments for 

 women. Hire a cook, and set the girls 

 to work in the garden. Plant vegeta- 

 bles, weed the garden beds, breathe fresh 

 air and sunshine, instead of paying a 

 gardener, and you will surely save the 

 doctor's bill, besides having the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing a merry group of hungry 

 ones asssemble around the table at meal 

 time. 



Rightly clothed and properly fed, with 

 daily exercise in the fresh air and sun- 

 shine, serve to prepare the mind for ac- 

 tivity to grasp whatever conies within 

 reach. See to it, then, parents and 

 guardians of the young, that the proper 

 sort of reading matter is placed before 

 them. Let their hours for study be dur- 

 ing the sunny part of the day, and not 

 prolonged beyond the strength, or until 

 fatigue is felt. 



lie says that the thousand and one 

 contrivances for killing time, so common 

 among women of the present day, such 



as fine embroidery, fancy work, etc., are 

 sapping the health of the nation. Who 

 but the wives and mothers of coming 

 ing generations should demand health as 

 their inheritance? And thoughtful peo- 

 ple every where would do well to listen 

 and profit by what they hear when the 

 doctor speaks. 



FRIENDLY letters-No 3. 



BY MES. M. E. T. 

 MEDITATIONS. 



In bed, propped up with pillows, and 

 in my arms six pounds of frail humanity, 

 so frail that a breath might almost blow 

 him away — thus I am resting and think- 

 ing. Outside the sun is shining, the 

 birds singing, and all nature seems re- 

 joicing. I look at the dear baby-face 

 and wonder if I shall keep it. I think 

 of my own aching body, and the every- 

 day sameness of life to which I am 

 bound by a chain of circumstances, and 

 I wish that I, too, like my invalid friend, 

 could enjoy the fresh mountain air. 



Since my letter must necessarily be 

 brief, permit me, in conclusion, a few re- 

 marks to your correspondent "R. A. E., 

 to whose "kind inquiry I would say. No; 

 no ! not satisfied after the manner of 

 your supposition, for I think we agree 

 with regard to the consequences of vio- 

 lating nature's laws. Tliat is just where 

 the trouble originates. The manner and 

 customs of life of the majority of Ameri- 

 can women are sufficient causes for all 

 the ills that flesh is heir to. But these 

 evils have come so gradually upon us, 

 and in such a variety of ways, that m 

 many cases we are powerless to help our- 

 selves individually. Nothing short of an 

 united eft'ort; and God speed the day 

 when intelligent women shall, together, 

 resolve to throw oli' the yoke of bondage 

 that binds them now to such cruel bur- 

 dens—the burdens of folly and fasion. 



Something Which Concerns 

 Everybody. 



There lies a book before us written by 

 Br. William Hargreaves, entitled "Our 

 Wasted Resources." We wish that the 

 politicians and political economists of 

 this country could read this book, and 

 ponder well its shocking revelations. 

 They are revelations of criminal waste — 

 the expenditure of almost incalculable 

 resources for that which brings nothing, 

 worse than nothing, in return. There 

 are mxiltitudes of people who regard the 

 temperance question as one of morals 

 alone. The men who drink say simply, 

 "We will drink what we please, and its 

 nobody's business. You temperance 

 men are pestilent fellows, meddlesome 

 fellows, who obtrude your tuppeny stand- 

 ard of morality upon us, and we do not 

 want it, and will not accept it. Because 

 you are virtuous, shall there he no more 

 cakes and ale?" Very well, let us drop 

 ii as a question of morality. You will 

 surely look at it with us as a question of 

 national economy and prosperity; else, 

 you can hardly regard yourselves as 

 patriots. We have a common interest in 

 the national prosperity, and wo can dis- 

 cuss amicably any subject on this com- 

 mon ground. 



During the year 1H7(), in our own State 

 of New York," there were expi'iuled by 

 consumers for liquor more than one 

 hundred and six millions of dollars, a 

 sum which amounted to nearly two- 

 thirds of all the wages paid to laborers in 

 Agriculture and manufactures, and to 

 ni'arly twice as much as the receipts of 

 all th'o railroads in the State, the sum of 

 the hitter being between sixty-eight and 



sixty nine millions. The money of our 

 people goes across the bar all the time 

 faster than it is crowded into the wick- 

 ets of all the railroad stations in the 

 State, and where does it go? What is 

 the return for it? Diseased stomachs, 

 aching heads, discouraged and slatterny 

 homes, idleness, gout, crime, degrada- 

 tion, death. These in various measures, 

 are exactly what we get for it. We gain 

 of that which is good, nothing— no up- 

 lift in morality, no increase of industry, 

 no accession to health, no growth of 

 prosperity. Our State is full of tramps, 

 and every one is a drunkard. There is 

 a demoralization everywhere, in conse- 

 quence of this wasteful stream of fiery 

 fluid that constantly fiows down the 

 open gullet of the State. 



But our State is not alone. The liquor 

 bill of Pennsylvania, during 1870, was 

 more than sixty-five millions of dollars, 

 a sum equal to one-third of the entire 

 Agricultural product of the State. Illi- 

 nois paid more than forty-two millions, 

 and Ohio more than fifty-eight millions. 

 Massachusetts paid more than twent}-- 

 five millions, a sum equal to five-sixths 

 of her agricultural products, while the 

 liquor bill in Maine was only about four 

 millions and a quarter. Mr. Hargreaves 

 takes the figures of Massachusetts and 

 Maine to show how a prohibitoi-y law 

 does, after all, reduce the drinking; but 

 it is not our purpose to argue this. 



What we desire to show is, that with 

 an annual expenditure of $600,000,000 

 for liquors in the United States— and all 

 the figures w-e give are based upon official 

 statistics— it is not to be wondered at 

 that the times are hard and the people 

 poor. Not only this vast sum is wasted; 

 not only the rapital invested is diverted 

 from good uses, and all the industry in- 

 volved in production is taken from 

 beneficent pursuits, but health, morality, 

 respectability, industry, and life are de- 

 stroyed. Sixty thousand Americans an- 

 nually lie down in a drunkard's grave! 

 It were better to bring into the field and 

 shoot down sixty tnonsand of our young 

 men every year than to have tnem go 

 through all the processes of disease, deg- 

 radation, crime and despair through 

 which they inevitably pass. 



With $(ioO,OOO,O06 saved to the coun- 

 try annually, how long would it take to 

 m"ake these'United States not only rich, 

 but able to meet, without disturbance and 

 distress, the revulsions in business to 

 which all nations are liable? Here is a 

 question for the statesman and the poli- 

 tician. Twenty-five years of absolute 

 abstinence from the consumption of use- 

 less, and worse than useless liquors, 

 would save to the country fifteen billions 

 of dollars, and make us the richest na- 

 tion on the face of the globe. Not only 

 this sum— beyond the imagination to 

 comprehend— would be saved, but all the 

 abominable consequences of misery, dis- 

 ease, disgrace, crime and death, that 

 would flow from the consumption of 

 such an eiKU-mous amount of poisonous 

 lluids would also be saved. And yet 

 temperance men are looked upon as dis- 

 turbers and fanatics! And are adjured 

 uot to bring temperance into politics! 

 And this great transcendent question of 

 economy gets the go-by, while we hug 

 our little issues for the sake of jiarty and 

 of office! Do we not deserve adversity? 

 —Dr. J. ti. Holland, in Scribner's Monihly. 



The diflereuce in the amount of labor 

 performed by a well fed man or animal 

 and an ill fed one is considerable. There 

 is no real economy in placing the laborer 

 upon a starvation diet. Abundant and 

 good food give bodily strength and cmi- 

 tentmeut uf mind which is an important 

 item. 



