Suggestions for Health-Preservation.
THE season is now upon us when, owing to the summer heats and atmospheric influences, fevers prostrate, and diarrheas, exhaust multitudes who, during less debilitating seasons of the year, are comparatively exempt from disease. Yet this class of complaints may generally be avoided. The readers of the Agriculturist should be well enough acquainted with the subject of Health-Preservation to know that it does not depend upon medicines. These would rarely be necessary, if we were as anxious to take care of our own health as a thrifty farmer is to take care of that of his sheep and hogs. Men are apt to employ less common sense in their behalf, in this regard, than in behalf of their swine! They will carefully study and profit by information relative to the ailments of their herd, and how to avoid them, while the preservation of their own health, and that of their children, is a subject rarely thought of. Worse still, sparing neither pains nor expense to procure the most wholesome food for their animals, they debilitate their own stomachs with that which they know to be unwholesome. The general rules and requirements of health are simple and easily learned. In fact, one has but to watch the sensations of his olfactories, skin, and stomach, and heed them, to keep clear of all danger from ordinary diseases. The sense of smell warns him against inhaling impure air; the skin, by dryness, feverishness, or irritation, indicates a want of that frequent bathing, which is so essential to health; and the stomach calls for food when needed repels it when enough has been eaten, and in a natural state, betokens generally that which is unwholesome. A little extra pains to notice these indications will greatly sharpen the perceptions. It may be set down as a general rule that ordinary diseases can not obtain a foothold where only pure air is inhaled, the skin is clean and healthy, and the stomach kept in good condition. The latter involves the most difficulty, owing to the depraved habits of diet in "civilized" society. But a few rules, well lived up to, will rarely fail. viz.: Be regular as to time of eating; do not exercise violently either immediately before or immediately after meals; and let the last meal of the day be light and easy of digestion, so that sleep may be undisturbed and refreshing. In the morning, any bilious disturbance of the stomach is known by the bitter taste in the mouth. Heed this warning by restricting diet to plain bread, vegetables, and ripe fruits; and if it increases, go without supper, and take a thorough warm water bath—rinsing off in cool water—just before retiring to bed. As a general dietetic rule for summer, persons in any degree delicate should use plenty of ripe, raw, and cooked fruits at meals, and but little, if any, fat meats. Let all dietetic changes be gradual; and for the most part use food that requires chewing, and chew it well, in order to give the stomach the full benefit of the assistance of the saliva in digestion. Avoid sudden changes in quantity of clothing, cooling off suddenly when heated and perspiring, and all sudden changes. In keeping the skin clean, do not neglect that most important part, the scalp.—Sel.