1852. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
235 
Influence of Agricultural Pursuits on Health. 
Essays have been written and published in regard to 
the best means for the preservation of the health of do¬ 
mestic animals, and of the various fruit trees and plants 
that the farmer cultivates, and great advantages have re¬ 
sulted therefrom; but articles in regard to the health of 
the farmer himself, and of his family, and those in his 
employ, seldom find place in the columns of our agricul¬ 
tural periodicals. 
It is not to be supposed, that this want of attention to 
the important subject of health, of the human animal, 
is owing in any degree to want of interest, or want of 
thought on the subject, on the part of the conductors of, 
or contributors to the periodicals devoted to the interests 
of those engaged in these pursuits, but rather it is owing 
to the fact that physicians seldom write on such subjects, 
except for journals specially devoted to the interests of 
their profession. 
If a farmer cannot reasonably expect either pleasure 
or profit from unhealthy domestic animals, much less can 
ne expect that disease in his own person, or in members 
of his household, can be conducive to his or their happi¬ 
ness—and it may be well to ask the reader’s attention for 
a few moments to this subject. 
By far the largest number of the inhabitants of the 
rural districts, are, in a greater or less degree, engaged 
in agricultural pursuits, especially the male portion, and 
those who are not thus employed, are liable to become 
affected with the same causes that produce a direct effect 
upon the health or the constitutions of those who are 
farmers by occupation. Especially is this true of the 
females of the farmer’s own family. 
Farm laborers are greatly exposed to the vicissitudes 
of the weather—more so, probably, than any other 
class of people who reside in the country, except physi¬ 
cians. They are under the necessity of taking care of 
their cattle, their fences, and their crops, without regard 
to the state of the weather, and are therefore peculiarly 
liable to suffer from colds, coughs, rheumatism, fever, 
&c. They are likewise liable to exhaust their system by 
over exertion, either from too severe labor for a few 
hours, or from that which is too long continued, as in the 
long days and severe exertion of the haying and harvest¬ 
ing seasons, when many become almost completely ex¬ 
hausted. 
In the matter of food, every intelligent farmer knows 
that on it the animal depends for all his vital powers, and 
is therefore careful to supply the horse or the ox that 
works, food suitable in quality and quantity to meet the 
demands of the system, but in regard to himself and 
“ the rest of mankind,” he betrays a degree of thought¬ 
lessness that is truly wonderful. The food of agricul¬ 
turists, generally, is composed of too great a proportion 
of fat, and salted meats, and that too very improperly 
cooked. 
It is supposed that little culinary skill is required to 
cook a piece of salt beef or pork, or to boil vegetables, 
or bake beans, and as the severe labor of the farmer pro¬ 
duces a vigorous appetite, he is apt to content himself 
with a small variety of food, and that very improperly 
prepared. 
It has been said that 11 bread is the staff of life,” but 
if what often goes by that name, and is a compound of 
sour milk, or putrifying yeast and saleratus mixed with 
second quality flour, and imperfectly baked, is the staff 
referred to, it would be better to walk to the grave with¬ 
out the aid of this staff. But few people ever enjoyed 
the luxury of good bread, and until they know what that 
is, they will continue to partake of too large a portion 
of animal food. As little attention is usually paid to 
supplying the table of the farmer with a proper amount 
of fruits and vegetables, as to the farinaceous articles of 
diet—and either because he is in haste to resume his la¬ 
bor, or because there is no pleasure in retaining such 
food in his mouth, the farmer is accustomed to force it 
into his stomach without the requisite preparation, and 
almost with the speed with which an ostrich would bolt 
a red hot stone. 
In regard to the location of their dwellings and out¬ 
buildings, the majority of farmers display as little cor¬ 
rect knowledge and taste, as in the culinary department . 
If it be more convenient to have the pig-pen, or the 
farm-yard immediately adjoining the parlor or the cook- 
room, so that all may enjoy the perfume that arises 
therefrom—or to allow all the wash and the slops of the 
kitchen to accumulate and ferment near the windows of 
the sleeping rooms, there, while surrounded with a rank 
growth of poisonous and decaying vegetables, to distil 
the very essence of disease and death • this, and the aro¬ 
ma from the compost heap, is allowed to assail the nos¬ 
trils of all, until the Schneiderian membrane is as little 
annoyed by the stench, as are the palatal nerves of the 
tobacco chewer by his regiment of 11 old soldiers.” 
With all these peculiar sources of disease, and many 
others of scarcely less magnitude, that press with greater 
force upon the vital powers of the farmer, than upon 
those who are engaged in other pursuits, it would but be 
natural to suppose those who are engaged in agriculture, 
must be more liable to sickness and death than other 
members of the same community ,* but the very opposite 
fact is now well established. 
During the twenty months preceding the first of Jan¬ 
uary 1850, there were reported, in the state of Massa¬ 
chusetts, the death of 4,974 farmers , and these died at 
the average age of 68.83 years. Of those styled la¬ 
borers , 2,283 were reported to have died in that state 
during the same period of time. These were, in good 
part, men who were engaged on farms, as house servants, 
and in any chance employ where they could earn a day’s 
wages, and doubtlessthey had less healthy habitations and 
food than those for whom they labored. They attained 
to the average age of 45.39 years, or nearly 18^ years 
less than the average for farmers. 
In the report for the year 1850, we find recorded the 
deaths of 886 agriculturists, who had attained to the 
average age of 65.13 years, or about 1| more than 
those reported the previous year. In this report are also 
recorded the deaths of 707 laborers , at an average age 
of 44.14 years, or over a year less than that attained 
by the same class, as recorded in the previous report. As 
each class were equally exposed to all the general causes 
of disease, these reports prove that the comparative re¬ 
lative conditions of these two classes of people, had un- 
