which are gradually absorbed into the blood-stream, carrying disorder and discom- 

 fort all over the body, and reflected in the leaden, spotty complexion, languor, 

 and often foul breath of the sufferer. A mother has few more important duties 

 to perform with her children than the formation, even from birth, of regularity 

 in the discharge of solid waste matters from the body. The earlier a habit is 

 formed, 



THE STRONGER AND MORE PERSISTENT IT IS. 



Throughout infancy, childhood, and youth nothing must be allowed to interfere 

 with attention to this physical requirement, regularly, at a stated hour. 



Probably the regrettable prevalence of constipation among women is due to 

 the indefinite and nondescript character of their duties. A man or lad knows 

 that he must leave the house to start work at a given time and he makes arrange- 

 ments accordingly; whereas a woman has no such stated hours for her occupations. 

 Her intentions are just as good ; but perhaps the children take a little longer than 

 usual to get off to school, or the kitchen fire gives extra trouble, or certain dishes 

 for the midday meal must be prepared early or they w r ill not be ready to time; 

 and so the morning slips away, without attention to her own physical duties. Thus 

 the bad habit creeps ahead, and presently it can only be controlled by the constant 

 resort to drugs, a pernicious and unsatisfactory means of affording relief to the 

 body. 



REMEMBER THE WORDS OF A FRENCH DOCTOR: 



" If you want to cure yourself of chronic constipation, you must cultivate 

 regular habits. Choose a moment which is likely always to be convenient, even 

 though it involves getting up a few minutes earlier to keep to it with punctuality. 

 If the effort to relieve the bowel naturally be unsuccessful one day, put the failure 

 out of the mind for twenty-four hours; then try again at the appointed hour, 

 probably some success will follow." Never allow more than three days to pass, 

 however, without relief. But remember that 



THE MORE POWERFUL THE REMEDY USED, 



the more obstinate will be the succeeding constipation. It is for this reason 

 that when the addition of more fruit or vegetables to the diet or the drinking of 

 more water (especially a tumblerful at bedtime and in the morning) have failed 

 to relieve the trouble, cascara in some form is often recommended. The dose of 

 this drug can and should be gradually reduced until Nature once more undertakes 

 her own work. 



A WORD OF URGENT CAUTION 



is necessary on the subject of relieving chronic constipation by the use of injections, 

 a means never permissible except under a doctor's orders. In addition to the 

 many disadvantages associated with the habitual use of this treatment, it must. 

 be borne in mind that waste material is removed from the lower bowel only, so 

 that serious accumulations take place in the higher portions which are left 

 unaffected. An occasional dose of rhubarb, just 



TO GIVE THE BODY A SPRING CLEAN, 



is advantageous ; but too strong a protest cannot be uttered against habitual resort 

 to aperient medicine as an aid to internal cleanliness. Such a dose at intervals, 

 however, will often relieve certain periodical discomforts which hamper some 

 women's lives, and which are too liable to drive them to stimulants or narcotic 

 drugs for relief. 



It is well worth while to give a periodical dose of rhubarb a good trial ; if 

 it does not diminish subsequent discomfort, always consult a doctor. Small begin- 

 nings, when neglected, sometimes result in serious endings. No one can afford 

 to fritter away health by permitting the continuance of possibly preventable 

 discomforts, for which a cause always exists. 



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