APRIL 15, 1914 



319 



HEALTH NOTE 



overeating; rheumatism, sore throat, 



ETC. 



We clip the following from Terry's 

 Health Hints in The Practical Farmer of 

 March 14: 



From Victor, N. Y. : "I have rheumatism, swelled 

 and painful finger joints. They are getting worse. 

 Doctors say they can not cure me. Please advise 

 diet." No drugs or medicines will cure your fin- 

 gers. But there is every probability that nature can 

 relieve you, so you can get along nicely, if you will 

 live rightly in every way. Life will be a burden 

 soon if you don't. Nothing else is so important as to 

 cure yourself right now. Best foods are fruits, un- 

 bolted grains, butter, vegetables, and a small amount 

 of properly baked beans or nuts when craved. Don't 

 forget baked potatoes, and to di-ink two or three 

 quarts of pure rain water per day. 



HIGH CO.ST OF LIVING CUT DOWN TWO-THIRDS. 



How would you like to live where it gets 50 de- 

 grees or more below zero? How would you like to 

 iive where the first freight in the spring gets in 

 about July 4th, by boat, and the last one in the fall 

 early in October — nine months without the possibil- 

 ity of getting any thing by freight, and perhaps only 

 letters to be had by mail. This is the condition re- 

 ported by one of our readers, Isaac Dutton, Fair- 

 banks, Alaska. He says: " When 1 was in town last 

 4th of July I got 21 copies of The Practical Farmer 

 at once, which had come in by boat the night be- 

 fore." Tliink of what it must be during the long, 

 cold winters not to be sure of having any papers or 

 magazines from the outside world to read, unless 

 they are laid in during July, August, and Septem- 

 ber. It requires close figuring to order things ahead 

 for the year so as not to run out during the nine 

 months when they are shut in by themselves. Per- 

 haps friend Dutton will be getting this paper to read 

 next July. We have a valuable report about cost of 

 his living from this reader. He says : " I have 

 bought seven of your health books for myself and 

 neighbors. I am gradually getting around to your 

 simple way of living. In the past I used to lay in 

 nearly $400 worth of food supplies for the winter. 

 Two years ago I laid in $350 worth. One year ago 

 I reduced the amount to $250 worth. This last fall 

 I put up a little less than $100 worth of food sup- 

 plies, and I have an abundance; am feeling finely. 

 I am 55, but actually feel better than I did when 

 I was 35. Am growing young 1 have made up my 

 mind that it is foolish to grow old. I am eating 

 only the simplest foods which bring the most perfect 

 health." Think of such a progressive letter froui 

 far-off cold Alaska. Verily, Americans lead the 

 world. 



There you have it, friends, with a ven- 

 geance. "The high cost of living" is not 

 only a great waste of money (in fact, that 

 is only a trilling part of it, comparatively), 

 but our pains ancl aches, sickness, and death 

 are the mrect result of indulging in food 

 needlessly mgh-priced, and too much of it. 

 This good man away off in the frigid North 

 tinds out by actual experiment that $100 

 worth of food actually gives better health 

 than the $400 he had been spending. 



For some time I have been working (and 

 praying) to find out how much an excess of 

 food has to do with health, colds, grip, 

 neuralgia, etc., for instance. Well, I have 



not had a bit of "cold" all winter (although 

 Florida has had th':' nicst cold days on 

 record), and I have been boasting I have not 

 had " sore throat and earache " for several 

 years. Along in March some friends from 

 the North came ; and, naturally, we had 

 more of a variety to let our friends see the 

 nice things to be had here; and, sure enough, 

 the old sore throat came back. My health 

 was so good, however, I soon rallied, and in 

 about ten days was mostly over it. One day 

 I was ravenously hungry. It seemed as if I 

 could not " get satisfied," and, somewhat as 

 an experiment, I ate " all I wanted." I felt 

 a little uneasy after dinner, and decided T 

 must get right at some hard work, and soon 

 forgot all about the matter. In the evening 

 I said, " Sue, my throat is stinging and 

 swelling awfully. It really seems as if I 

 must have this thing all over again. I have 

 been careful to wear my overshoes when on 

 damp ground, and I do not see what I could 

 have done to bring it back." I went to bed 

 with a hot soapstone at my feet and well 

 bundled up, and this morning I am pretty 

 near over it ; but I am satisfied the " big 

 dinner " caused it all. Suppose I had also 

 eaten a " big supi^er," as the most of you 

 do, and I almost always (after eating my 

 two apples and half of a grapefi'uit) feel 

 hungry enough for a " good supper;" where 

 would my sore throat and earache have 

 been ? It takes self-control, / know, as well 

 as you do ; but elderly people who have 

 given up hard toil mostly must learn self- 

 control or take the consequences. Just try 

 not eating any thing at all after 4:30 or 5 

 p. M., and see if Terry is not exactly right. 



THE MODERN SKIRTS) WOMEN'S DRESS, ETC. 



We have had no end of criticism through 

 the press about the way women, and espe- 

 cially young women, see fit to clothe them- 

 selves in these latter days. I have once or 

 twice suggested that the new fashion favors 

 health, because it admits air and light, and 

 is less burdensome on the wearer than the 

 fashion heretofore has been. Of course I 

 would not for a moment favor any thing 

 that restricts rapid walking or young girls 

 from running. At the same time, I would 

 not for a moment encourage any thing 

 tending toward indecent exposure. It seems 

 so good an authority as the Youth's Com- 

 panion has seen fit to enumerate some of its 

 advantages. See the following: 



Is there not perhaps something to be said in de- 

 fense of the light, close-fitting modern skirt? Why 

 view it with hostile eyes merely because it is " some- 



