Importance of health to domestics. Modes by which they injure health.
My Friends:
Much of the ill health among persons in your employment is entirely1 needless. You have employments, usually, that tend to strengthen the constitution and maintain firm health, and as a class you have far more health and strength than those who do not labour.
Now, good health is the greatest of all blessings2, for without it, no matter how many other blessings we have, we cannot enjoy life. Many and many a woman in this land, who has wealth, and ease, and education, and friends, and every thing that wealth can purchase, goes about gloomy and sick at heart, because disease has spread its dark shroud3 over all the enjoyments4 of life.
But it is a far greater misfortune to persons in your situation to lose health, than to [127]persons who have wealth and a comfortable home.
When you are sick, you have no parents or family friends around you, to nurse and sympathize; you know that the family you live in have not only lost your services, but are obliged to wait upon you, and you feel that you are a burden. You may have no home to go to, or your home may be so comfortless that you had rather stay among strangers; your wages stop, and if you have any little earnings5 laid up, they must go to pay for medicines and a physician.
All these things make it of the utmost consequence, that you take good care of your health. And yet, I am sorry to say, that I know of no class of persons who seem to be so careless and imprudent in regard to health. We see domestics go out from the wash-tub in a profuse6 perspiration7, to stand in the wind and hang out wet clothes, and that too, without any thing on the head, or any shawl or cloak on. We see them go out in leaky shoes and wet their feet, and then sit a whole evening in [128]company, or a meeting, with their feet wet and cold.
We see them sleeping in close chambers8, or sitting hour after hour in crowded rooms for religious worship, breathing an atmosphere that is absolutely poisonous, without knowing that they are thus injuring their health. And there are many other ways in which they are wearing down their constitutions, without being aware of it.
I do not think I can possibly make you feel the importance of the advice I am about to offer, without your understanding more than you do, about the construction of your own bodies. And I wish I could get you to read a few chapters in a book I have written called “Domestic Economy,” in which I have described how the interior of your bodies is formed, and drawn9 pictures to explain what I say, so that I think you could easily understand the matter. And if you ever come across that work, I hope you will read the Chapter on the Care of Health, and the five or six chapters that follow it.
[129] But I will here tell you some things, which I think you can understand without any pictures.
You know that we take food and drink into our stomach to support and continue life. Now this food is changed into a soft mass in the stomach, and then passes through long winding10 intestines11, that are folded up below the stomach. As it passes through these intestines, there are multitudes of little hollow tubes, small as hairs, that pump out the nourishment12 and carry it to a particular blood-vessel, when it is emptied into the heart, and mixes with the blood. This is the way the blood is constantly renewed. Now it is the blood that thus conveys strength and nourishment to every part of the body. There is no part of the body, within or without, that has not a vast many small blood-vessels13, running in every direction, that carry the blood to nourish all parts. But there are more blood-vessels in the skin than anywhere else, so that the quantity of blood in our skin is greater than all that is to be found, in all the rest of the body put together. All the matter received from our food which is nourishing and [130]useful, is taken up by the different parts of the body, and the rest is thrown out by the lungs, the bowels14, the bladder and the skin. When we draw air into our lungs, the noxious16 and useless portions of the blood in the lungs, combine with it, and are then sent out of our lungs. The bowels and bladder also, eject a portion of useless matter from the body. But the chief labour of relieving the body from useless matter in the blood, is done by the skin.
If you could look at the skin through a microscope, you would see the little mouths of the blood-vessels all over the skin, which are constantly pouring out this useless matter from the blood. If, in a warm day, you bring a cool mirror near your skin, yet not so as to touch it, you will see a thin dew, or vapour, settle on the mirror. This is the invisible exhalation, which is constantly coming out from the mouths of the small blood-vessels, all over the skin. Experiments have often been made, to find out how much matter is thus thrown out of the body by the skin, and it is found that in a grown person, it is never less than a pound and a quarter in twenty-four hours, and most men that have [131]experimented say that it is much more. But all agree, that the skin throws out more of the useless and noxious matter from the body, than the lungs, bladder and bowels all together.
You can now understand the evil done by sitting with wet feet, or going into cold and damp air without proper covering. Cold always operates to make the skin shrink up, and the little mouths of the blood-vessels are thus closed, so that the skin cannot perform its office properly. In consequence of this, the blood is not relieved of its noxious matter. The effect of this, is sometimes one thing, and sometimes another. Sometimes, stopping the action of the skin produces a fever, and then the body is tormented17 with restlessness, pain and heat. Sometimes, when the skin stops its labours, the other organs try to do double duty, to relieve the body. In this case, either the bowels or bladder become affected18 and discharge profusely19, or the lungs accumulate a great quantity of this useless matter, which is coughed up in the form of phlegm. Sometimes the head and throat are affected, and water runs from the eyes and nose, while the lungs also cough up phlegm. [132]What is commonly called a cold in the head, or a cold on the lungs, is caused by the shutting up of the blood-vessels of the skin by cold, so that the lungs, eyes, and head are obliged to perform a part of the offices that the skin ordinarily performs.
Now when a person is labouring by a fire, or at washing or ironing, the blood is made to circulate much faster, and the noxious matter is thrown out more abundantly. At such times the matter thrown out by the skin becomes visible in the form of drops of sweat. Of course the more of this matter is to be thrown out by the skin, the more dangerous it is to have the openings of the skin shrunk up by cold. Therefore, it is very important for persons who labour, to take very great care not to allow themselves to be chilled when in a state of perspiration. Wetting the feet often produces the same effect on the body, as chilling the skin in a perspiration. You understand now, why it is that I earnestly entreat20 you, never to go out and stand in the cold, when you are in a perspiration, and always to be careful to dress warm whenever you go out doors for any [133]purpose, and never to sit with damp feet. One single act of carelessness in these respects, may bring on a fever, or a bowel15 complaint, or an affection of the lungs, or liver, or eyes, or head, that may lay you up for months, or even end your life. What I have told you about the construction of the skin, shows the importance of another piece of advice I would give you. Do you know, that we are almost the only well informed nation in the world, that do not frequently wash the body all over? There were some nations in old times, that knew that this was so important to health and comfort, that they always had public baths made, so that rich and poor might bathe every day without expense. And in many countries, the best informed people would not think of going two days without washing the whole of their bodies, any more than you would think of going so long, without washing your face and hands. And the reason of this is, that the skin is interrupted in its duties by any accumulation of matter upon it. The little mouths of the blood-vessels must be kept open and free, or they cannot fully21 perform their offices. Now, as the [134]skin throws out at least a pound and a half a day, of this useless and noxious matter, where the clothing comes tight to the skin, it cannot all pass off freely, and a part is deposited on the skin. This ought to be washed off every day, or else the skin has its pores to some extent filled up, and its duties are impeded22. In consequence of this, humours on the skin, or in the eyes, or some affection of the head, or lungs, or liver, or bowels, or some other part of the body, often ensue. Some people have such strong constitutions, that they can bear to go all their lives, and never wash their bodies properly, and yet never seem to experience any injury, but there is no doubt that many are suffering painful and troublesome affections, that never would have come upon them, if they had taken proper care of their skin. For this reason I advise you to keep a bowl and pitcher23 of water in your room, and to sponge your body all over when you go to bed, either in lukewarm or cold water. It will not take you more than ten minutes, and it may save you from much trouble.
I have told you, that the lungs also are [135]employed to help purify the blood. It is done in this way. The air we breathe is made so, that when it comes into the lungs, it combines with the noxious portions of the blood in the lungs, and then is returned again, when we breathe out the air. If, therefore, a person is shut up in a small, close room for a long time, the air of the room, after a while, is filled with this injurious matter which is sent out of the lungs. In this state it is unfit to breathe. Breathing it sometimes produces drowsiness24, weakness, stupidity of feelings, and sometimes sickness at the stomach, or fainting. Indeed, there is no suffering so horrible as that produced by breathing air, which is entirely made of air breathed from the lungs. To illustrate25 this, I will mention a case of some gentlemen, who were once shut up by a cruel tyrant26 in a very small room, with a very little window in it. There were so many that they had not room to lie down or even sit, and in a few hours, so many breaths had filled the room entirely, with this noxious vapor27. The distress28 thus produced was horrible. They groaned29 and screamed for mercy to the guard of soldiers. They begged them to shoot them and [136]put an end to their torments30. At length they began to fight, to get at the only opening there was for air, and struggled and fought for breath, and tried to strangle each other, till all were dead except the few, who could get their faces near the window; and these in the morning had not strength to stand, and looked more like corpses31 than like living men.
There is nothing, then, more pernicious to health, than sitting, or sleeping in rooms where the air is loaded with the air breathed out of the lungs. For this reason, I advise you never to go to bed, till you have secured a good supply of pure air. Open your door into an entry, or make a crack in your window, or contrive32 some other way to keep pure air in your room. If you have an open fire-place, this is sufficient, as then, the fresh air falls down the chimney from out doors. But if you have a close stove in your room, or have a room with no fire-place, be sure always to have your door open, or a small opening in your window. If you do not take this precaution, though you may not feel the evil, because it is so slow and gradual, you may be sure that your constitution is [137]gradually growing weaker, so that diseases will more easily be induced, and thus that your life will be shortened. One other thing about the lungs. Any person who wears clothing so tight, that they cannot expand the chest as easily as they can when undressed, is doing the same sort of mischief33. When the waist is constrained34 by tight clothing, some parts of the lungs are so impeded and compressed, that the air cannot enter the air vessels. The consequence is, the blood is not properly purified, and often, from this cause, ulcers35 form in the lungs. Tight dressing36 is one of the most frequent causes of consumption and dyspepsia, for dyspepsia is often brought on by such tightness of dress, that the stomach and the other organs around it, are impeded in their duties.
It is very important for health, that persons who labour should have enough sleep, and it is also important that they do not sleep too much. If they do not sleep enough, the strength and health slowly decay, and if they sleep too much, the same effect is produced. Seven or eight hours, is the amount of sleep that is needed [138]by persons who labour, and none ought to sleep more than eight hours, unless they are sick.
If you will take care of your teeth, by washing them with fair water and a brush, when you go to bed and get up, you probably will save yourselves from teeth-ache, and from the early loss of teeth. Not that this care will always prevent these evils. A disordered stomach, or a weakness of the nerves, will often induce pain and decay, for which there is no prevention, or remedy. But your chances of keeping your teeth, and of escaping tooth-ache, are much increased by removing with a brush, every night and morning, the tartar which the spittle deposits on the teeth and gums, during the night and through the day. This tartar injures the gums, and tends to make the teeth decay.
There are some other causes of ill health that I will point out. One is, drinking strong tea or coffee. These drinks always stimulate37 the nervous system, in a way similar to the effects of intoxicating38 drinks, and though they are not so injurious or dangerous, yet, in many [139]cases, they produce weak nerves, indigestion, teeth-ache, head-ache, and various nervous complaints. If, then, you use these drinks, I advise you to use them very weak. In my youth I did not love them, but after I was twenty, I learned to love them quite strong, and did not love them weak. When I was convinced that they were injurious, I began to drink them very weak; and though at first they seemed very flat, I persevered39, until I learned to love them weak, and now I do not love them strong. I mention this to show that our taste can be changed. I advise you therefore to try the experiment, and after you have drank them a month or two very weak, I think you will love them as well as you now love them strong. At any rate, you will escape the dangers that always attend the use of tea and coffee, as most persons drink them. And I believe that it is sinful to run any risk of injuring one’s health, for the sake of drinking what we love best, when another drink is just as good for us, and is far more safe.
In regard to eating, I believe a person in health, who labours all day, may eat almost any [140]thing with safety. But a person in delicate health, or with a disordered stomach, ought to be careful to notice what food produces uncomfortable feelings, and avoid it. For nothing wears down health faster, than to eat food that the stomach cannot digest, and when this occurs a warning is often given by unpleasant feelings after eating.
Eating too often, is a frequent cause of disease. This is done, because people do not know how hard the stomach has to work, after food is put into it. But if we could look within us at all that is going on, we should see, that as soon as any food is put into the stomach, its muscles are all set to work to move the food about and mix it with the gastric40 juice which is to dissolve it, so that the stomach actually is working as hard as the arms would work, in sweeping41 or in hammering at the anvil42. Now the stomach needs to rest awhile, after its work, and therefore, four or five hours ought to elapse after eating, before any more food is put into the stomach. This gives time for the stomach to do up its work, and have a little time to rest. But a person, who is frequently putting food [141]into the stomach, keeps it at work all the time, and thus it becomes weak and disordered from over-working. For this reason, I advise you not to eat except at your regular meals.
If you have weak eyes, always shade them from the glare of the fire or candles in the evening, and never use them before breakfast either to read or sew. The eyes are weaker before breakfast than at any other time. The reason is, that they have been long shut up, so as to be unused to the light, and sleep always weakens the body to a certain extent, until a new supply of food gives the blood the nourishment it has lost, by the exhalations of the body during the night.
Taking food or drink very warm, is injurious to the teeth and stomach. If you should hold one of your fingers in hot water, half an hour, three times a day, you would find that it was very much weakened. The same effect is produced on the nerves of the mouth, teeth, and stomach, by the use of hot food and drinks. Pepper, mustard, and spices also tend to injure the health of the stomach, by stimulating43 it too much.
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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bowel
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| n.肠(尤指人肠)；内部，深处 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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24
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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ulcers
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| n.溃疡( ulcer的名词复数 )；腐烂物；道德败坏；腐败 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gastric
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| adj.胃的 | |
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41
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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anvil
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| n.铁钻 | |
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43
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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