GOOD HEALTH | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 21, 1878

GOOD HEALTH.

Dyspepsia.

HOW TO PREVENT—DRESS.

THE influence of dress upon the health, especially of women and children, has now come to be universally acknowledged as a matter of serious importance. To such an extent have extravagant and murderous fashions prevailed during the past few years that even the most reckless are beginning to view with alarm the devastating work of such fashionable follies as tight lacing, thinly-clad feet and limbs, and like violations of nature's laws.

The dress should always be adapted to the season and the occupation. It should also be suited to the body of the wearer, so as to give perfect comfort and unrestrained freedom for the action of every muscle. Especial attention must be given to the extremities, as they are the most liable to suffer from insufficient clothing on account of being so far removed from the vital centers of the body. The bare necks and arms of children, especially small girls, are among the most frequent causes which lay the foundation for early derangement of the digestive organs.

Tight-lacing is not to be tolerated for a moment as a custom worthy of perpetuation by civilized nations. It would appear less censurable among those nations which make a virtue of distorting the body to the greatest extent endurable by outraged nature. Incalculable injury is every year suffered by the race as the result of corset-wearing. Not only the wearers themselves suffer the most appalling ills, but the children of these wasp-waisted mothers inherit feeble vital powers and constitutional disease, which is manifested in impaired digestion more frequently than in any other manner.

The clothing should never be suspended from the waist, as is the usual custom with ladies. The hips are not adapted to the purpose of sustaining any weight; and when the whole weight of several heavy skirts rests upon them, great injury must result. Especially injurious is this custom when coupled with tight-lacing, as the heavy weight upon the tightened corset displaces the internal organs of the abdomen, and gives rise to that large class of painful and obstinate diseases peculiar to females. The whole weight of the clothing should be sustained by the shoulders by means of suspenders or skirt supporters, of which there are several excellent styles now offered for sale.

For sometime in the past the subject of female dress has received a considerable amount of attention in Boston, Mass. Several public meetings have been held, which were attended by the first ladies of the city and addressed by a number of able speakers. At a recent meeting, a wealthy lady, who has for many years been well known as one of the most fashionable milliners of the city, exhibited a number of large dolls dressed in neat and elegant costumes which were devised in accordance with the demands of health. All of the clothing was suspended from the shoulders, and the circumference of the dress waist exceeded that of the body by several inches. The lady stated that she herself had worn this style of dress exclusively for several years.

EXERCISE AND RECREATION.

Sedentary persons, and those employed indoors, are much the most frequent subjects of dyspepsia. Sufficient physical exercise to maintain vigorous and uniform circulation is most essential to the maintenance of healthy digestion. But this alone is not sufficient. For mental workers, especially, mental recreation is of still greater importance. A half hour's cheerful conversation upon some pleasing topic will do more to establish an equilibrium of the forces which have become unbalanced by excessive mental labor than an hour or two of physical exertion without the mental relaxation. The best of all is agreeable physical exercise accompanied by pleasant mental recreation.

Recreation is equally necessary to both the mental and physical laborer, but it must be sought in opposite directions. The person who is engaged in manual labor requires to turn his attention to some literary pursuit or mental labor as really as does the habitual brain worker require to recreate in a contrary manner.

VENTILATION.

Too much importance cannot be attached to this subject, and too much care to secure it cannot well be exercised. From the lungs of every living animal is constantly poured a stream of poisoned air. It enters the lungs pure; it leaves them laden with carbon dioxide, a fatally poisonous gas either when retained in the body or when inhaled. Besides this, the exhaled air contains a large quantity of organic impurities of still more poisonous character. This is one source of the atmospheric impurities which make ventilation an imperative necessity. Our stoves, candles, lamps, and gaslights, are other sources of the same poisonous gas, carbon dioxide, which is the chief product of combustion.

How to get rid of these health-destroying agents is one of the great problems of the age. One eminent man recommends ceiling ventilation, which is strongly condemned by another of equal eminence who advocates basement ventilation. The great secret seems to consist in securing agitation and frequent change, no matter by what method. Never sleep in a room which does not afford communication with the outside air by at least two apertures, one near the ceiling, and the other near the floor. Never remain in a close room which contains a fire burning in an air-tight stove with closed draft. When the draft is open, very passable ventilation is secured; but when it is closed, the air quickly becomes impregnated with carbon dioxide, the ordinary product of burning, and carbonous oxide, an exceedingly poisonous gas which results from imperfect combustion.

Do not be afraid of ventilation in the winter season. Let the cold, invigorating air come in, but dress warmly enough so that no chilling effects will be felt. Thoroughly ventilate sleeping rooms, and use abundance of bed-clothes. None but the very poor need be deprived of pure air in the midst of winter.

SLEEP.

Abundance of sound sleep is one of the most imperative demands of nature. Brain workers, especially, require a sufficiency of this great restorer. As a general rule, physical laborers obtain more sleep than mental workers; but they require less, as is equally true with reference to food. Early rising is an excellent thing in most climates if preceded by early retirement; otherwise, it is a very pernicious habit, notwithstanding the old adage to the contrary.

It is also generally true that the more rest obtained before midnight, the better. For those whose occupation is exclusively physical, or nearly so, early retirement is advantageous. Such sink immediately into sound, refreshing sleep. But this is not the case with the mental worker who leaves his labor at the same hour with the manual laborer. He needs preparation for sleep by pleasant social intercourse or other equally efficient means for quieting and soothing his excited nervous system. His sleep will be much more beneficial if delayed an hour or two after the farmer or bricklayer has sunk into the arms of Morpheus. In such a case it would be cruelty to require both to rise at the same hour in the morning. From seven to nine hours' sleep must be obtained. If this cannot be secured before five o'clock in the morning, defer rising until a later hour.

Cleanliness, correct habits of labor, proper social relations, healthful and cheerful surroundings, and a general compliance with all the laws of health, and attention to all sanitary measures, will prevent not only dyspepsia, but every other preventable disease.