716 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



light supper of easily digested food; or, better, eat no 

 supper at all. Do not engage in exciting conversation 

 or amusements during the evening. At an early hour, 

 13repare to retire determined to sleep. Just before 

 going to bed, soak the feet ten minutes in a pail of 

 hot water, cooling it a little at the close. 



Clothing should be adjusted to the weather of 

 each day independently. In the wintertime, an un- 

 usually cold day demands an additional supply of 

 clothing; in the summertime, an unusually hot day 

 may require an opposite change of garments. In the 

 spring and autumn, when the weather is very change- 

 able, it may be necessary to change the clothing two 

 or three times during the day in order to meet the 

 exigencies of the weather. 



Noxious gases and disease germs are usually asso- 

 ciated together,— a fortunate fact, as it enables us to 

 detect the dangerous character of an infected atmos- 

 phere without the trouble of a chemical analysis. It 

 is possible for the air to be swarming with disease 

 germs without an offensive odor's being present; but 

 the reverse is seldom true, and it is perfectly safe to 

 say that a foul-smelling atmosphere is a dangerous 

 one. 



Never allow cold water to enter the ears, and do not 

 let the cold wind blow in them. If they must be ex- 

 posed to cold air or water, i^rotect them by a little wad 

 of cotton placed in the ear. Care should be taken to 

 remove the cotton as soon as it is no longer needed, as 

 much mischief sometimes results from leaving portions 

 of cotton or paper in the ear. 



Carefully prepared statistics show that mental 

 labor is conducive to longevity. The active mental 

 worker who takes reasonable care of his health, has 

 greater chance of long life than the man who devotes 

 himself to muscular pursuits. Mental labor is stimu- 

 lating to all the vital powers, and conducive to the 

 best health. 



li 



