33 



A repulsive pool of foul-smelling sewage near the back door of the 

 farm-house or under the windows of sleeping-rooms is not a pleasing 

 or a heathful ornament to the homestead. If a cess-pool is used to 

 receive the sewage it should be so constructed tluit no foul odors from 



it can escape into tlie Imuse, and this can best be done by a perfect trap 

 between the cess-pool and the house. The ordinary bell trap at the 

 sink is not a sufficient safeguard. Another plan is to dispose of the 

 drainage into small subsoil pipes loosely laid, so that the contents may 

 pass outward into the soil, to be used by the growing crops. 



Food. — Another important element which influences the health of 

 the farmer is bis food. Several years ago the State Board of Health 

 made an investigation in regard to the food of the people of Massachu- 

 setts, very much of which related to the food of farmers I will quote 

 the most important of the conclusions which they published at that 

 time. 



1. Good bread is scarce, and is too often made with some unwhole- 

 some substitute for yeast. 



2. There is too little variety in food. 



3. Meat is too often fried. 



4. Pastry and cakes are used to an injurious extent. 



5. Too little time is allotted for meals. 



The quality of the beverages taken with meals is a matter of no little 

 importance. Coffee, tea and cocoa form a useful addition to meals when 

 they are not taken in excess. Intoxicating drinks should be banished 

 forever from every farmer's table, since no man can tell when he has 

 passed the danger line in their use, so far as the effect upon his health 

 is concerned. 



There are certain curious fallacies in regard to the use of food, bev- 

 erages and drugs which are worthy of a moment's consideration. One 

 of these is the popular belief, which has prevailed for many years, which 

 attributes to phosphorus and its compounds in food an unusual impor- 

 tance in promoting the growth of the brain and of the intellectual 

 powers. Hence much stress is given to the eating of fish, and the use 

 of acid phosphates as beverages. That this curious theory has little 

 foundation, however, is pretty well proven by the following facts : 



1. There is no evidence to show that the brain requires phosphorus 

 more than the bones or other organs of the body. 



2. Fish contain no more phosphorus than other kinds of animal food, 

 and the unbolted cereals, wheat, oatmeal, rye and Indian corn. 



■ >. People who are most accustomed to a fish diet, i.e., fishermen (the 

 native- of (ape Cod and of fishing ports generally), do not give evi- 

 dence of possessing unusual intellectual powers. 



A young writer once sent a communication to Mark Twain asking his 

 opinion as to the use of tish as a food for developing the brain, at the 

 same time ^mrirestino' that Professor Agassiz had recommended the eat- 

 ingof fish forthat purpose. He replied," Yes, Agassiz does recommend 

 authors to eat fish, because the phosphorus in fish makes brains. So 

 far, you are correct. Put 1 cannot help you to a decision about the 

 amount you need to eat. If the specimen composition you send is about 



