Life Without and Life Within; or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and Poems.Fuller, Margaret
History
Life Without and Life Within; or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and Poems.
Fuller, Margaret
Essays; Literature -- History and criticism; Poetry
What wonder is it, if even the well-disposed among the multitude, seeing
such dissension among the counsellors, gathering just enough from their
disputes to infer that they have no true philosophical basis for their
opinions, and seeing those who would set the example in practice of this
art without science of dietetics generally among the most morbid and
ill-developed specimens of humanity, just throw aside all rule upon the
subject, partake of what is set before them, trust to air, exercise, and
good intentions to ward off the worst effects of the promiscuous fare?
Yet, while hopeless at present of selecting the right articles, and
building up, so far as hereditary taint will permit, a pure and
healthful body from feeding on congenial substances, we know at least
this much, that stimulants and over-eating--not food--are injurious, and
may take care enough of ourselves to avoid these.
The other branches we can really act wisely in, Dr. Warren, after giving
the usual directions (rarely followed as yet) for airing beds, and
sleeping-rooms, adds,--
"The manner in which children sleep will readily be acknowledged to be
important; yet very little attention is paid to this matter. Children
are crowded together in small, unventilated rooms, often two or three in
a bed, and on beds composed of half prepared feathers, from which issues
a noxious effluvia, infecting the child at a period when he is least
able to resist its influence; so that in the morning, instead of feeling
the full refreshment and vigor natural to his age, he is pale, languid,
and for some time indisposed to exertion.
"The rooms in which children are brought up should be well aired, by
having a fireplace, which should be kept open the greater part of the
year. There never should be more than one in the same bed; and this
remark may be applied with equal propriety to adults. The substance on
which they lie should be hair, thoroughly prepared, so that it should
have no bad smell. In winter it may be of cotton, or of hair and cotton.
It would be very desirable, however, to place children in separate
apartments, as well as in separate beds.
"It has been justly said that adults as well as children had better
employ single instead of double beds; this remark is intended to apply
universally. The use of double beds has been very generally adopted in
this country, perhaps in part as a matter of economy; but this practice
is objectionable, for more reasons than can be stated here."
On the subject of exercise, he mentions particularly the triangle, and
we copy what he says, because of the perfect ease and convenience with
which one could be put up and used in every bed-chamber.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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