The author, however, felt that there must be an easier and more effective method of irrigating that important organ—the colon—and one unattended with any risk, and determined, if possible, to devise some better way. After much patient and tireless experimenting he invented and perfected the "J. B. L. Cascade," a mechanical appliance which completely rids the process of all its objectionable features, and enables young and old, weak and strong, to use the treatment without the possibility of danger. It achieves the desired result far more effectively than any other known apparatus, with the least possible inconvenience to the patient, and yet so gently and easily that the operation, so far from being distressing or disagreeable, becomes a positive gratification.

The letters J. B. L. are the initials of the words Joy, Beauty, Life, which aptly indicate its purpose and effects, for we confidently claim that its use will infallibly confer these three great blessings, it being the one safe and sanative method of regaining and preserving health. Without health there is no joy in life, and perfect beauty cannot possibly exist, while with health life becomes indeed worth living.

One of the gravest objections to all the hitherto existing appliances is the construction of the nozzle, or tube, that is inserted in the body, and through which the water is conveyed. These are all (without exception) made with an aperature in the end, or extreme tip, the consequence being that a small jet of water is continuously directed upon one spot in the delicate and sensitive mucous membrane. With water at the necessary temperature this is a source of grave danger, and likely to result in serious injury, by causing a separation of the various layers of which the membrane is composed. When this separation occurs little slits occur in the rectal lining, in which faecal matter lodges, ultimately forming what are known as pockets, causing, first, irritation, then inflammation, and, finally, results in "proctitis"— chronic inflammation of the intestinal canal. The best authorities agree in condemning the direct jet, while rectal specialists regard it as one of their chief aids to income.

With these facts in view, the construction of my "injection point," or entering tube, engaged the special attention, finally, with the result that a most successful means of overcoming this dangerous objection has been provided. Instead of the opening in the end, the tip is made absolutely solid, so that the impact of the entering water is not felt at all, while it is provided with six rows of perforations on the sides, through which the water is evenly diffused over the walls of the rectum, which is a most desirable thing in cases of hemorrhoids or rectal inflammations. It is also so constructed that the natural constriction of the sphincter muscles holds it firmly in position in the rectum, and while affording the water free passage into the colon, it prevents the escape of the fluid externally, thus rendering soiled garments impossible.

But the simplicity of the operation is one of its chief advantages, for the patient sits upon the appliance in ease and comfort while receiving the cleansing stream, and by following the directions the time occupied in the operation need not exceed fifteen minutes, or about one-fourth of the time required by other methods—an unmistakably valuable saving of time and strain to busy or weakly people. The faucet is considered by experts as a most valuable feature, on account of the "dome" portion, which accurately fits the natural arch formed by the limbs when the body is in the seated position.

Many people are accustomed to use the bulb and fountain syringes in a reclining position and some physicians recommend the patient to kneel in the bath tub, with the body bent well forward: an irksome, disagreeable position and quite unnecessary. The theory is, that the water will flow into the body by gravitation, but they overlook the fact that the ascending and descending portions of the colon, being parallel in the body, the water, while flowing readily into the descending portions, would have to flow uphill in the ascending portions and by the time it reached there, the force would be exhausted. The weight of the body furnishes greater force, which is proportioned to the size and bulk of the patient, but is not perceptible to him, on account of the solid construction of the tip of the "injection point," while the steady, uniform pressure exerted serves to distend the walls of the colon and thus liberate adherent matter. By far the great majority of people, however, use these crude appliances while seated over a vessel, which is decidedly injurious. By reference to the diagram of the digestive organs it will be seen that the "descending colon," that portion which terminates in the rectum, is larger than either of the other divisions of that organ. In fact, its capacity (in the average adult) is about three pints, equivalent to three pounds. Now this weight, in a flexible organ like the colon, must cause a sagging down, exerting a serious strain upon its attachments to the abdominal wall, and by its pressure upon the sphincters will induce prolapse of the rectum. That is one reason why so many people find it almost impossible to receive enough water to make the treatment successful. When a physician, or trained nurse, is administering a high enema, it is a common practice to hold a folded towel against the rectum, to guard against this pressure and its possible results. The "dome" portion of the faucet (previously referred to) affords the desired support, automatically and effectually prevents any prolapse; while the handle of the faucet, projecting forward, between the limbs, may be manipulated with the greatest ease in controlling the flow of water; and, being seated on a warm cushion, the patient experiences a pleasant, soothing sensation, which completely allays any nervousness.

Moreover, realizing the immense advantage to be obtained by attacking the germs of disease in their chief breeding place, an antiseptic preparation is introduced into the water used in this remedial process, which completely and speedily destroys the germs of disease; but although so potent in its action upon micro-organic life, it is perfectly harmless, even though a hundred times the necessary quantity should be forced into the intestinal canal. But it is not alone a germ destroyer, for it possesses admirable tonic properties, which act upon the muscular coat of the colon and speedily restores it to its normal condition.

Defecation, or the expulsion of waste substance from the bowel is accompanied by the contraction of the circular fibres of the said muscular coat, but when constipation has existed for any length of time, the accumulated matter adhering to the walls of the colon renders that organ partially, if not wholly rigid, hence the difficulty of evacuation; consequently, through disuse, the muscles become to a certain extent atrophied, and require stimulation to resume their natural function even after the colon has been cleansed. It is largely owing to the use of this antiseptic "tonic" that the "Cascade Treatment" has been so successful in cases of obstinate constipation, as by its use the intestine speedily regains tone and power.

I unhesitatingly assert that if the colon be regularly cleansed and disinfected by this means, any bacilli or bacteria that may have obtained a lodgment in the system will be quickly destroyed and expelled—it cannot be otherwise.

And once the germs of disease are destroyed and their chief breeding place kept clean by this simple process, and the re-absorption of poisonous liquid waste into the system thus prevented, Nature, the great physician, will speedily assert itself and effect a restoration to health.

NOTE.

If the water is not readily expelled do not attempt to force it out by straining. Instead, flatten in the abdomen by forcibly contracting the abdominal muscles.



PART IV.

HOW TO USE IT.

Having endeavored to show the true nature of disease, the rational method of treating it, and the superiority of the "Cascade" over all previously existing methods for carrying the treatment into effect, it may be well to explain the actual manner of using the "Cascade."

In the first place, the reservoir should be thoroughly washed out with slightly warm water, to get. rid of the factory dust. At one time it was the practice to cleanse them all thoroughly before fitting them, but purchasers got the impression that they had been used by other persons, so it was decided to abandon that practice and send them out with the dust of the factory in them, in proof of their newness.

Having cleansed the reservoir, the faucet should be shut off and a level teaspoonful of the antiseptic tonic dissolved in a little warm water in a cup or glass and poured into the reservoir, which should then be completely filled with water as hot as the hand can comfortably bear; not to simply dip the fingers in and withdraw them, but so that you can immerse the hand and allow it to remain without discomfort. If tested with a thermometer the water should be from 100 to 105 degrees Fahr., but the hand is a safer guide, as it prevents any possible danger from a thermometer out of order, or mistaking a figure in a poor light. If tested by the hand you are absolutely safe, since water can he used twenty degrees hotter internally than externally, but in its passage from the body it would he painful to the external parts. Hot water is the best solvent for impacted faecal matter, and, on the other hand, water below the temperature of the body is likely to cause pain. If the hands are impervious to heat, an excellent plan is to test the water with the tip of the elbow, which is a most sensitive part of the body.

It is necessary that the reservoir should be absolutely full to insure the exclusion of air, as that is also likely to cause pain, and, in addition, its presence is likely to prevent the proper reception of the water, as, according to an established law in physics, two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. For this reason it is advisable to solicit the bowels before taking the treatment, as, if even no faecal matter is expelled, pent-up gases are frequently liberated.

The reservoir having been filled as directed and the above directions carefully observed, the "Cascade" should be laid down and the "injection point" screwed in. It is then ready for use. Being all ready, the stick of rectal soap should be dipped in water—to moisten it—inserted in the rectum and withdrawn. This is simply to lubricate the passage and facilitate the admission of the "injection point." Then, standing in front of the seat on which the "Cascade" is lying (as if preparing to sit down), pass the left hand between the lower limbs and grasp the handle of the faucet, to guide the "injection point" into the rectum, and then carefully sit down upon the "Cascade." When the "injection point" has been completely introduced and you are comfortably seated, relax the muscles and allow the whole weight of the body to rest freely on the "Cascade," and turn on the faucet, partially at first, then, after a few seconds, turn it on fully and you will readily receive the water.

The most convenient place to use the "Cascade" is in the bathroom, placing it on the closet seat; or you will find the ordinary bedroom "commode" a suitable article for the purpose, but if neither of these are available, then any firm seat, such as a wooden-seated chair, will do, but taking care to have a vessel at hand in which to discharge the contents of the bowel.

As soon as the faucet is turned on and the water begins to flow into the body, proceed to practise the following movements: Commencing in the right groin; stroke firmly but gently, right across the pelvis, or lower edge of the abdomen, to the left groin, then directly upward with the hands to a point just above the umbilicus, or navel, then straight across the body and down to the right groin. These movements are directly over and along the course of the colon, and if they are made gently but firmly, the water will be assisted on its course. A study of the diagram of the digestive apparatus at the commencement of the book will be of great assistance in enabling you to understand the reason for and the method of these movements.

It sometimes happens that after a small quantity of water has been injected there is a strong desire to expel it, which is sometimes due to nervousness, induced by the novelty of the operation. If this be so, shut off the faucet at once and resist the inclination, when, in a few minutes, the desire will have passed away, then turn on the faucet again. Be sure to allow the full weight of the body to rest on the "Cascade," and have no fear. It is the weight of the body itself that furnishes the motive power and to ease up the pressure defeats the object.

As soon as all the water has entered that you feel it possible to receive, turn off the faucet, rise from the "Cascade," sit over the closet, or vessel, and allow the contents of the bowel to escape. At the same time repeat the stroking movement previously described, but this time reverse it, commencing in the right groin, up, across and down to the left groin. These movements have a three-fold object: they assist the water in its passage backward and forward, thus shortening the time of the treatment; they force along the accumulated matter in the colon with the current of water, and help to dislodge adherent matter from the walls of the colon.

As we proceed on the assumption that the colon is more or less impacted (which experience shows), we do not anticipate that more than two quarts will be received at the first treatment, but as the accumulations are removed by successive treatments, the capacity of the colon is increased, so that at the end of the second week enough should be received to completely fill the colon. The amount of water varies, of course, with the bulk of the individual, but the capacity of the colon, in the average well-grown adult, is about four quarts, but even in the case of a person below the average size, it may safely be assumed that three quarts of water are absolutely necessary for a successful treatment.

The presence of from three to four quarts of water in the body will naturally distend the abdomen and produce a little discomfort, but no apprehension of any harmful result need be entertained. Rest assured of this: it is absolutely impossible to rupture the colon, unless you were to use a force pump, and even then, before the point of rupture could be reached, the pain would be so intense that you would be compelled to desist. Again, as we have pointed out, the colon is a wonderfully elastic organ, and it would be an impossibility to distend it with water to the same extent that it is frequently distended by faecal accumulations.

Whenever pain is present during the treatment it is usually due to one of two things: either the water has not been sufficiently hot, or the reservoir has not been completely filled, but, if in spite of these precautions, pain should be present, it will be found advisable, after a small quantity of water has been injected (say from a pint to a quart) to shut off the faucet, rise from the "Cascade" and expel it; then, upon returning to the "Cascade," it will usually be found that the cleansing of the lower portions of the bowel has removed the trouble. The same method of procedure holds good when there is any difficulty in injecting the water. In cases where pain is persistent, even although all precautions are taken (although such are extremely rare), a decoction of anise seed made by steeping a tablespoonful of the seed in a pint of boiling water, added to the water used for flushing (omitting the antiseptic tonic), will act as an anodyne on the intestine, and completely subdue the pain.

The frequency with which the treatment is used will depend upon the nature of the trouble and the length of time it has existed. In the great majority of cases it is recommended to be used as follows when commencing the treatment: The first week use it every night; the second week every alternate night; after that use it twice a week, or as occasion seems to demand it. For the simple preservation of health, twice a week will be found amply sufficient. After using the "Cascade" it will be found extremely beneficial to inject from a half pint to a pint of cool water and retain it. This will be found not only a valuable rectal tonic, but an excellent diuretic as well, as it will pass off by way of the kidneys, cleansing and purifying those organs.

The "Cascade" should not be used within three hours after eating a full meal, as, if both the stomach and transverse colon are distended at the same time they press upon each other, and the stomach, being the more sensitive of the two, nausea is likely to be produced; but although (with the above proviso) the treatment can be used with benefit at any period during the twenty-four hours, yet, just before retiring at night is by far the best time to take it, for several reasons. Firstly, it is usually the most convenient time for the majority of people. Secondly, it invariably induces a good night's rest; for no sleeping potion can equal its effects in that direction. Thirdly, night is Nature's repairing season, when she is busy making good the ravages of the day—replacing the waste by building fresh tissue and by putting the system into a cleanly condition and purifying the blood current; at that season you are co-operating with Nature and may confidently expect, and will undoubtedly secure, the best results.

After using the "Cascade" it is quite possible that there may not be a movement of the bowels until late the following day. This must not be considered as evidence of constipation, but simply a lack of matter to discharge. In a perfectly natural condition of existence there should be at least two movements of the bowels during the day, but it must be remembered that the human system has acquired bad habits, and it will require some time before perfect conditions are re-established. If, however, from a half pint to a pint of hot water is sipped in the morning, certainly not less than half an hour before breakfast, it will stimulate the bowels to action, even though the "Cascade" had been used the night before, while its cleansing effect upon the stomach will assist the digestive functions in a marked degree.

It may be accepted as a truism that success invariably excites envy, therefore, it is but reasonable that the astounding results that have attended this method of treatment should have aroused a certain amount of antagonism. The hardy individual who dares to propose a new departure in the method of treating disease must be prepared to hear his theories ridiculed, his system denounced, and, possibly, his motives impugned. Consequently, it is not surprising that the "Cascade Treatment" has some objections urged against it.

The first objection I am confronted with is, "it is not natural." I willingly concede that point, and will add that neither is an obstructed and engorged colon natural.

We are living (in a large measure) an artificial life. In his barbaric state man obeyed the calls of nature without regard to time or place, and it is safe to assert that under those conditions an obstructed colon was an unknown quantity. But in deference to the demands of civilized life we disregard Nature's calls and defer the response until a convenient opportunity presents itself, and for this violation of natural law, a penalty is inflicted.

An obstructed colon, therefore, being itself unnatural, man is obviously justified in using the brains that Nature has endowed him with to cleanse it. An artificial limb is unnatural, but would the same objection hold good that because a man has had the misfortune to suffer amputation, he must, therefore, limp through life on crutches, rather than use the mechanical substitute that man's ingenuity has devised?

Common sense teaches us, and experience has amply confirmed the teaching, that flushing is not only the easiest, but the most effectual means of accomplishing this purpose; and it is unmistakably the most harmless, inasmuch as we use Nature's most simple and effective cleansing agency in the process—pure water. Sickness is in itself unnatural, and until the system can be restored to its natural condition reason plainly shows us that we must co-operate with Nature and assist in removing these impurities from the system, a task which our disregard of her warnings has prevented her from accomplishing. Cathartics simply excite the excretory processes, and stimulate Nature to a violent effort to expel them, the unnatural exertion being followed by a feeling of languor, for all purgative action is debilitating. Flushing, on the contrary, acts directly on the accumulated matter in the colon (which cathartics never do), and, instead of causing an unnatural excitation of any of the natural processes, it induces a calm, restful feeling and a sense of profound relief.

"It is a debilitating practice," the objectors urge. Here, again, I join issue. I am in a position to prove a decided negative.

I have the evidence of thousands of people to the contrary—people who have tested the treatment, and, setting aside the weight of testimony, even the most prejudiced mind must admit, that actual, personal experience is more to be relied on than unsupported theory.

Dr. Contrary—people said that his patients who had used the treatment for months, and even years, had steadily gained in strength and flesh all the time.

Another favorite objection is that "it causes the intestines to become weakened and dependent upon this unnatural method." To this I reply that it is a well known fact that at least fifty per cent, of people in civilized (?) communities are slaves to the purgative habit, the system refusing to fulfil its functions without this unnatural excitation; therefore, if dependence must be placed in something, we should unhesitatingly give the preference to water, as against cathartics, but the whole weight of evidence shows that the objection has no foundation in fact.

On this subject Dr. Forrest said: "Flushing the colon does not cause a weakening of the intestines. When this procedure is no longer necessary, owing to restored health, the intestines have also been restored and improved in tone and will carry on their functions unaided."

Dr. Stevens, who has used the treatment upon himself and patients for over twenty years, says that it in no wise interferes in his case with the normal movement of the bowels. To test it in this respect he has frequently discontinued its use for a week, with the result of a regular movement, as soon as enough faecal matter had accumulated to demand it.

He recommends flushing every two or three days as a preventive of disease. For over twenty years he has practiced flushing upon himself as a precaution, and, although now between seventy and eighty years old, since beginning its use he has never known a day of sickness.

It is contended by some people, including a percentage of physicians (who should know better), that the frequent use of this treatment will so stretch the colon that it will remain permanently distended. This argument is so totally opposed to physiological law, to say nothing of experience and common sense, that it is almost laughable. The veriest tyro in the matter of exercise knows that exercise develops a muscle; that repeated flexion and extension of the arm, for instance, will strengthen the muscles of that limb, not cause them to lose their contractibility. All muscle fibres are alike in structure, except that some are voluntary, others involuntary, but that difference is simply due to the difference in the source of nerve supply. There is no reason that can be shown why the muscles of the colon should lose their elasticity through exercise in contra-distinction to all the other muscles of the body, since they are not subjected to any extraordinary strain, the extreme tension only lasting for a few seconds, while as soon as the water commences to escape, relaxation follows, and, in addition, heat acts as a stimulant. The objection does not even merit serious consideration.

"It operates against peristalsis," we are told. I deny it, for the energy evinced by the intestine in expelling the water is proof of increased peristaltic vigor, if it is proof of anything. And even if it did suspend peristalsis for a few minutes, is it not a fact that other natural functions can be suspended for a much longer period, only to be resumed with unabated vigor?

Equally absurd, and destitute of foundation, in fact, is the objection frequently advanced that the washing of the interior surface of the colon is injurious; as it washes away the fluid that Nature secretes for the purpose of lubrication.

Where, in the name of common sense, do they get their authority for such a statement? Do they not know that such a contention is in direct opposition to physiological law? Does bathing the external surface of the body prevent the further excretion of perspiration; or bathing the eyes destroy the functions of the Meibomian glands? Does the drinking of water prevent any further discharge of saliva into the mouth, or of gastric juice into the stomach? If the washing away of a secretion destroyed the power of the secreting gland, human existence would be brief indeed.

The truth is that not one in ten thousand has any practical knowledge of the subject. They may possess a smattering, and in the endeavor to make it show to advantage, they draw upon their imagination to supply the deficiency. On the other hand, I have been making this subject a constant study for the past twenty years, having had experience in thousands of cases, and, therefore, contend that my opinion is of more value than that of the average man—whether physician or layman—and is at least entitled to respectful consideration.

Whether the practice of the treatment is to be persisted in will, of course, depend upon the nature and habits of the patient. If the pernicious habits that caused the trouble are not abandoned, a constant resort to the treatment will be necessary. If the patient is naturally of a costive habit, and has thoroughly weakened his intestines by a reckless and indiscriminate use of cathartics, it will require a long persistence in reformed habits before the weakened bowels will have gained sufficient strength to fulfil their functions normally.

It is advisable for elderly people to use it more or less continuously throughout life, for with advancing years the bowels naturally become less active, and this simple process offers a valuable means of assistance to flagging nature at the cost of little, if any, exertion; in fact, after a, little experience no more will be thought of using the "Cascade" than of taking a meal.

I would strictly impress on the minds of those who propose to give this treatment a trial that, like every other undertaking in life, thoroughness and persistence are absolutely indispensable to success. No great end was ever yet achieved except by hard work, conscientiousness and perseverance, and these three factors are in the highest degree necessary to restore health to a system from which it has long been estranged:

If a chronic, deep-seated disease can be cured in a year, by a home process, so simple that a child can understand and practise it, the individual so benefited should consider himself or herself most fortunate; and few will deny that the end in view—restoration to health—is a full and ample recompense for the thorough and persistent effort necessary to attain it. If it were a question of large pecuniary profit to the patient, it is scarcely necessary to say that every nerve would be strained to its utmost tension to bring the coveted prize within his grasp; yet here the reward is of infinitely greater value, a prize compared with which riches are as dross in comparison with gold. It is Health, without which the acquisition of Wealth, is well-nigh impossible, and its possession as profitless to the possessor as Dead Sea fruit.

I write thus strongly on this point because there is a large class of people who dabble in every new system of treatment projected, and toy with every medicinal device that is placed upon the market. They are the class from whom the patent medicine vendor draws his enormous annual profits. Like a bee in a garden of roses, they flit from one remedy to another, but, unlike that energetic and acquisitive insect, they do not gather the golden reward they are in search of—health. It is the purveyor of the nostrum that secures whatever there is of gold.

They seem to be utterly incapable of continuity of effort, and, unless they can discern a marked improvement within a week after commencing a fresh method of treatment, get discouraged and abandon it. To this class of people I say, in the most emphatic manner, that if they propose to give this great remedial process a trial and expect to derive benefit from it, that the cure rests entirely in their own hands.

They must persevere. They must be thorough. They must not expect miraculous results in a few days. Their diseased condition is the growth of months, perhaps years, and it is the height of unreasoning folly to expect to be cured in a few weeks. A merchant whose business has been crippled and who starts in to rebuild it, will consider himself an extremely fortunate man if, by watchful and untiring endeavor, he can restore it to a sound and healthy condition in a few years. Growth is necessarily slow—and this is especially the case with the human system. Nature will not be hurried. But of one thing they may rest assured, and that is that if they conscientiously and persistently practise this simple hygienic treatment they will find Nature a responsive and willing coadjutor.

"Heaven fights on the side of the strongest battalions," is a military aphorism, and Nature ranges herself on the side of the individual who co-operates with her most faithfully, who, in the struggle for the regaining of health, brings the greatest amount of determination and perseverence to the encounter.

What these irresolute dabblers in "medical fads" need most of all is to be inoculated with good, sound common sense, but until some method is discovered for the accomplishment of that psychological feat, they will continue to run hither and thither after every new remedy, dallying with all, and deriving benefit from none.

Here is the testimony of an intelligent man who realizes that the cure of a chronic disease must necessarily be a gradual process:

"I was a great sufferer from kidney disease of long standing. The doctors and the various remedies recommended for this complaint afforded me no relief. I have now used your treatment for nearly six months. It is working wonders. While I am not yet entirely cured, I am a great deal better than I was, and am sure, with the rate of progress made, in six months more I shall be entirely cured."

Perseverence in the treatment will achieve results that seem little short of miraculous to those accustomed to the "hit or miss" methods that have so long been in use. And best of all, the benefit attained will be permanent, for the system being thoroughly cleansed, and kept so, nothing but fresh, firm, healthy tissue is formed, so that after a year's conscientious treatment the person practising it will be practically a new being.



PART V.

PRACTICAL HYGIENE.

Of all the dangers by which we are menaced, none is so greatly to be apprehended as ignorance. This is especially true with reference to health. The majority of people fall easy victims to disease, simply through ignorance of the fundamental principles that govern health. It is because they do not rise superior to this ignorance concerning the health of their bodies that they become the prey of the unscrupulous charlatans who thrive upon the maladies of humanity, and the patent medicine vendors whose specious advertisements beguile them of their money. The humiliating part of it is that these same imposters (in a large majority of cases) possess but little more knowledge of these subjects than their dupes, but are absolutely devoid of conscientious scruples. It behooves every intelligent individual to see that this reproach is lifted from him. Knowledge is held to be a valuable possession in every department of life; but in no instance will it yield greater returns for the investment than in the field of hygiene—in learning how to keep well.

It must not be imagined that because the treatment previously described is such a wonderful curative and preventive of disease that nothing more is necessary that all other hygienic measures can be ignored. These bodies of ours were given us for a nobler purpose than to be the sport of our caprice or neglect. It is our duty to treat them as a divine trust.

There is no reason why any human being should die before eighty at least. With proper care the century mark should be reached in the majority of cases. This may sound like an extravagant assertion, but it is absolutely true. It all depends upon taking care of the human machine. Ask an engineer how long a locomotive would last if drawn at express speed every day, or if left standing idly on a siding! He will tell you that over work or disuse are fatal to mechanism, so far as its capacity for lasting is concerned. Well, the most finished product of man's handiwork in machinery cannot begin to compare with that wonderful, complex piece of mechanism—the human body; and if care will prolong the life of the lifeless machine, the veriest dullard cannot fail to perceive that the same rule applies with ten-fold force to the human organism, which possesses within itself the power of recuperation—a living machine, every atom of which is being daily replaced as fast as the friction of life disintegrates it. If the locomotive were capable of being reproduced in like manner—of having the daily waste of substance replaced during rest by proper attention to its needs—do you think its owners would ever allow it to wear or rust out? Would they not bend every energy to prolong its existence indefinitely? Most assuredly they would. And is the body, the earthly habitation of the real man, of less importance to himself than the creations of his own hands? Common sense says, "No!" But daily experience shows us that the bulk of humanity are far less careful of the earthly husk that shelters the divine ego than of the machinery that ministers to their wants. We repeat, there is no reason why man should not live to be a hundred, or even more, if only proper care be exercised. The hurry of modern life is fatal to the expectation of longevity, so also is over-indulgence in the pleasures of the table, which is one of the besetting sins of the present generation. If from childhood the care of the human body was made the subject of constant instruction, the second generation from now would see such a marked change in the personnel of the race as would astound even the most sanguine. What if a few less dollars were piled on each other? "Which is the more to be desired, a perfect, healthful physique, or a full purse?"

To preserve the body in health is an easy matter, if the individual will only bring the same thoughtful intelligence to bear on the subject that he does on the ordinary affairs of life. The natural agencies for the preservation of health are, as previously stated, Pure Water, Sunlight, Fresh Air, Diet and Exercise. he first three are furnished "without money and without price" by the all-wise mother, while the two last simply require a slight exertion of will power, tempered with intelligence.

Of the quintette of agencies mentioned above, water is one of the most important. Water is the original source of all animal life. From it the earliest species were evolved, and by the natural law of correlation, it continues to be one of the most important factors in sustaining existence. Water enters more largely into the composition of all organic substance than the majority of people dream of, and this is notably true of the human body. Few people realize that seventy per cent. of their earthly tenement consists of the fluid in which they perform their ablutions, yet such is the fact.

This important physiological truth should be carefully laid to heart, for it accentuates the vital necessity of imbibing a sufficient quantity of fluid daily to preserve the proportion in the system requisite for health! Water is the only known substance that possesses the power of permeating every cell and fibre of the living organism, without creating disturbance or irritation. Water is, in fact, an indispensable necessity for physical existence its excess or deficit creating abnormal conditions; but the latter is the more common condition. Being universally present in all the tissues of the body, water is the principal agent in the elimination of waste material from the body, according to Nature's plan—hence, for the preservation of health, every adult should drink from two to three quarts of water per day, certainly not less than two quarts. One of the remedial factors in the copious use of water in "flushing the colon" is that a liberal percentage of it is absorbed through the walls of the colon, directly into the circulation, thus increasing the amount in the tissues, and causing more fluid to pass through the kidneys—cleansing them.

Hot water is, in reality, a "natural scavenger," but its virtues are only imperfectly known. As a therapeutic agent it is almost without a peer, and yet it is so little used that it is practically a dead letter. Chemists are burning the midnight oil in their laboratories searching for new weapons with which to fight sepsis, while hot, boiled water, which is one of the best antiseptics in existence, is almost ignored. It may be asked why (if it is such an invaluable remedial agent) it is not more extensively used and advocated? In the first place, its merits are not generally known. In the second place, physicians who know of its value hesitate to prescribe it, for the reason that the majority of patients expect the doctor to prescribe drugs, and are disappointed if he does not. There is a tendency on the part of the majority of people to slight that which is near at hand and easily obtained, in favor of those things which are designated by mysterious titles, or are difficult of attainment. Man has been so long accustomed to regard with a species of awe the hieroglyphics on orthodox prescriptions, that he finds it difficult to dissociate from it the idea of talismanic power.

But to return to its uses. Hot water used as a stomach bath (see description in the appendix at end of book) is a valuable auxiliary in the preservation and restoration of health.

By its means the stomach is cleansed of mucous accumulations and particles of undigested food, thus enabling it to perform its functions satisfactorily. If, as is often the case (more especially with dyspeptics) undigested food remains in the stomach, it ferments, causing what is known as sour stomach, and is productive of many evils. If we keep the ferment out of the stomach by occasionally washing it, and prevent the generation of foul gases in the colon, by regularly flushing it, the bile will effectually prevent any fermentation in the intestines; and with the body in this cleanly condition, sickness is well-nigh impossible. But there are external applications of water, which are equally important for the preservation of health, and first and foremost is the bath.

It is a matter of authentic history that the most highly enlightened and prosperous people of the world have been celebrated for their devotion to the bath as a means of securing health and vigor as a means of curing disease, and preventing it, by promoting the activity of the skin. The excavations at Pompeii show the devotion of the people to luxurious bathing. The Romans are famous to this day for the magnificence of their lavatories and the universal use of them by the rich and poor alike. In Russia the bath is general, from the Czar to the poorest serf, and through all Finland, Lapland, Sweden and Norway, no hut is so destitute as not to have its family bath. Equally general is the custom in Turkey, Egypt and Persia, among all classes from the Pasha down to the poorest camel driver. Pity it is that we cannot say as much for the people of our own country.

Most people are familiar with the aphorism, "cleanliness is next to godliness," a statement that by implication relegates cleanliness to the second place, but we would transpose this stated sequence of conditions, and assign the premier position to cleanliness; for we contend that purity of soul presupposes purity of body. It is true that we sometimes find a "jewel in an Ethiop's ear," but it is the exception that proves the rule.

But it is not from the moral standpoint that we wish to consider the subject of physical cleanliness, but from the hygienic. How few people there are who are really physically clean! The outward semblance of cleanliness too frequently poses as the real article. Even people who pride themselves on their cleanliness are frequently guilty of the unclean practice of sleeping in the underwear they have worn during the day, and would feel aggrieved if their unclean habit was called by its right name. Yet, what can be more repulsive to the truly cleanly individual than the retention, next the body, of garments saturated with the constant exhalations from the system? Those who think this a trifling matter, should turn their underwear wrong side outward (after removing it) when retiring for the night, and in the morning shake it thoroughly, when they will receive an object lesson in the form of a cloud of dried effete matter, consisting largely of particles of the epidermis, removed by abrasion, through the friction of the clothing. This, being visible, appeals to the sense of sight; but gives no evidence of the gaseous and liquid refuse matter which was deposited in the material, and has been allowed to evaporate by the removal of the clothing. Thus we may see how many so-called cleanly people fall hopelessly short of true cleanliness. If the individual keeps the surface of the body clean, by frequent ablutions, the evil is lessened; but how many people bathe the body daily? As Hamlet says: "It is a custom more honored in the breach than the observance." Among the white races of the earth, the English are the greatest devotees of the daily tub, to which custom their ruddy complexions are largely due; but Japan is preeminently in the lead in the matter of daily bathing, for it is doubtful if there could be found in the land of the "little brown people" a single individual who does not bathe the whole body daily, unless physically incapacitated.

The skin is such an important excretory organ that the importance of keeping its innumerable infinitesimal outlets free from obstruction cannot be overestimated. As the structure of the skin may not be understood by the average reader, we will briefly describe this wonderful depurating organ, that the paramount importance of its functions may be properly appreciated.

The skin consists of two layers, the derma, or true skin, and the epidermis, or cuticle. It is the principal seat of the sense of touch, and on the surface of the upper layer are the sensitive papillae, which receive and respond to impressions; and within, or imbedded beneath it, are organs with special functions, viz., the sweat glands, hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Its value as a means of depuration is incalculable, as by it, vast quantities of the aqueous and gaseous refuse matter is conveyed from the body. By the aid of a four diameter magnifying glass applied to the skin of the palm of the hand, the curiously inclined will observe that it is divided into fine ridges, which are punctured regularly with minute holes. These are the mouths of the sweat glands, and generally known as the pores of the skin. Their function is to bring moisture to the surface of the skin; which is secreted from the blood, and chemical analysis reveals the fact that this moisture is always more or less loaded with worn-out and effete matter. It is estimated that there are 3,800 of these glands in each square inch of skin, and that their total length, in an ordinary person, if placed end to end, would be ten miles. Then there are the sebaceous, or oil glands, which oil the skin and keep it flexible. Now, as the processes of destruction and upbuilding are perpetually going on in the body, and the skin being one of the principal avenues by which the refuse is removed, the vital necessity of keeping this organ perfectly clean becomes apparent at once; for this refuse matter, if retained in the system, acts as a poison, and furnishes food for disease germs to feed upon.

It has been demonstrated by experiment upon dogs from which the hair had been shorn, that a coat of varnish applied to the body (thus effectually closing the pores), will cause death in a very short while. No better object lesson could be given of the imperative necessity of keeping the skin perfectly clean, if you wish to enjoy good health.

It is an easy matter to keep all these miles of tubing in a perfectly natural and active condition, by a strict observance of the fundamental principle—cleanliness. Bathe the body daily, complete immersion, if practicable; if this is not possible, then sponge the body thoroughly, all over; but if both methods are rendered out of the question by circumstances, then adopt the best substitute, namely, vigorous friction with a coarse towel.

We know it will be urged that the majority of people have not the time or convenience for this daily process; but when sickness overtakes them, they have to find time to submit to medical treatment, and in this, as in other matters of everyday life, the cleanly individual who is thoroughly in earnest, will "find a way, or make it."

As to the temperature of the bath, that must, to a great extent, depend upon the conditions of life, and the predisposition and susceptibility of the individual; but the cold bath should always be employed in preference to the warm bath, when conditions permit. The cold bath is a powerful stimulant to the sympathetic nervous system. and as that is the great regulator of nutrition, the value of cold bathing to those afflicted with digestive disturbances will be readily understood, since all the digestive and assimilative processes are quickened by it. The glands of the stomach secrete more hydrochloric acid on account of this stimulus, and a better quality of gastric juice being thus formed, not only is the digestion improved, but the system is better enabled to resist microbic invasion. The cold bath also stimulates the vaso-motor system, which regulates the circulation, by contracting and dilating the vessels, and increases the activity of the capillaries or small blood vessels. It thus increases the resisting power of the skin, by enabling it to reheat the surface after a chill, and this is the reason why people who habitually use the cold bath are practically proof against "colds."

People employed in sedentary occupations are especially benefited by the cold bath, but should employ a hot bath for three or four minutes beforehand. It is also especially beneficial to women, as, being an excellent nerve tonic, it successfully combats all forms of nervous weakness, and is an admirable preventive of hysteria.

Children under seven years of age do not bear the application of cold water very well, and it is advisable not to use the water at a lower temperature than 700 Fahr., and to employ friction constantly while administering it; but after that age the temperature may be gradually lowered. In old age the neutral bath, from 75 to 850 Fahr. will be found the best for general use, accompanied by friction.

The bath, to be thoroughly beneficial, should be taken at one of the three following portions of the day, immediately upon rising, about ten o'clock, or just before going to bed. The early morning bath is, however, immeasurably the best, and if cold, will be found a wonderful aid in promoting health and vigor, and being such a necessity, especially in the preservation of health, and the constant practice of it, strongly urged, we append the following useful suggestions for guidance:

A full meal should not be taken in less than half an hour after bathing. Nor should a bath be taken in less than an hour and a half after eating a full meal.

You can bathe with impunity in cold water when the body is perspiring freely, as long as the breathing is not disturbed, nor the body exhausted by over-exertion.

Never bathe in cool or cold water when the body is cold. First restore warmth by exercise.

Always wet the head before taking a plunge bath, and the chest also, if the lungs are weak.

In cases of sickness, where it becomes necessary to assist Nature in ridding the system of impurities through the medium of the sweat glands, the "wet sheet pack" will be found invaluable. It is usually regarded by those imperfectly acquainted, with its action as simply the chief factor in a sweating process, but it is more than that. Not only does it open up the pores and soften the scales of the skin, but it "draws" the morbid matter from the interior of the body, through the surface to the pores. It is of immense value in all cases of fever, especially bilious fever.

It should be borne in mind that "flushing the colon" should always precede the use of the "pack."

If any one doubts the purifying efficacy of this process he can have a "demonstration strong" by the following experiment: Take any man in apparently fair health, who is not accustomed to daily bathing, who lives at a first-class hotel, takes a bottle of wine at dinner, a glass of brandy and water occasionally, and smokes from three to six cigars per day. Put him in a pack and let him soak one or two hours. On taking him out the intolerable stench will convince all persons present that his blood and secretions were exceedingly befouled and that a process of depuration is going on rapidly.

Full directions for the use of the pack will be found at the end of this work.

It will be necessary to take into consideration the vitality of the patient and regulate the temperature of the sheet accordingly. The best time to use it is about ten in the morning, or nine in the evening.

The Turkish bath (see last page) is another important factor in treating disease, also the hot foot bath, for all disturbances of the circulation, cramps, spasms and affections of the head and throat. Hot fomentations, which draw the blood to the seat of pain, thereby raising the local temperature and affording relief, and wet bandages for warming and cooling purposes will likewise be found valuable aids.

Humanity at large has never estimated water at its true value, yet all the gifts in Pandora's fabled box could never equal that one inestimable boon of the Creator to the human race. Apart from its practical value, there is nothing in all the wide domain of Nature more beautiful, for in all its myriad forms and conditions it appeals equally to the artistic sense. In the restless ocean, now sleeping tranquilly in opaline beauty beneath the summer sun, now rising in foam-crested mountainous waves beneath the winter's biting blast, its sublimity awes us, In the mighty river, rolling majestically on its tortuous course, impatient to unite itself with mother ocean, its resistless energy fascinates us. In the gigantic iceberg, with its translucent sides of shimmering green, its weird grandeur enthralls us. In the pearly dew drop, glittering on the trembling leaf, or the hoar frost, sparkling like a wreath of diamonds in the moon's silvery rays: in the brawling mountain torrent, or the gentle brook—meandering peacefully through verdant meadows, in the mighty cataract or the feathery cascade, in the downy snowflake, or the iridescent icicle—in each and all of its many witching forms it is beautiful beyond compare. But its claims to our admiration rest not alone upon its ever varying beauty. When consumed with thirst, what beverage can equal a draught of pure, cold water? In sickness its value is simply incalculable especially in fevers; in fact, the famous lines of Sir Walter Scott, in praise of woman, might be justly transposed in favor of water to read thus:

"When pain and sickness wring the brow, A health-restoring medium thou."

And, if we admire it for its beauty and esteem it as a beverage, how inconceivably should these feelings be intensified by the knowledge that its remedial virtues are in nowise inferior to its other qualities!

The next in importance of the great health agencies is Fresh Air. Perhaps we ought to class it as the most important, for although people have been known to live for days without water, yet without air their hours would be quickly numbered. Air is a vital necessity to the human organism, and the fresher the better—it cannot be too fresh. The oxygen gas in the air is the vitalizing element. The blood corpuscles when they enter the lungs through the capillaries are charged with carbonic acid gas (which is a deadly poison), but when brought into contact with the oxygen, for which they have a wonderful affinity, they immediately absorb it, after ejecting the carbonic acid gas. The oxygen is at once carried to the heart, and by that marvelous pumping machine sent bounding through the arteries to contribute to the animal heat of the body.

When it is taken into account that the lungs of an average sized man contain upwards of six hundred millions of minute air cells, the surface area of which represents many thousands of square feet, the danger of exposing such a vast area of delicate tissue to the action of vitiated air can be readily estimated. No matter how nutritious the food may be that is taken into the stomach, no matter how perfect the processes of digestion and assimilation are, the blood cannot be vitalized without fresh air.

It is estimated that the blood is pumped through the lungs at the rate of eight hundred quarts per hour, and that during that period it rids itself of about thirty quarts of carbonic acid gas, and absorbs about the same amount of oxygen. Think for a moment of the madness of obstructing this interchange of elements which is perpetually going on and on which life depends!

It is more especially during the hours of sleep that fresh, pure air is needed, for that is when Nature is busiest, repairing and building up, and calls for larger supplies of oxygen to keep up the internal fires, but her efforts at repairing waste are rendered futile if you diminish the supply of the vitalizing element and compel her to use over again the refuse material she has already cast off.

The late Prof. Willard Parker, in a lecture delivered before a class of medical students, made a very forcible illustration of how the air of a room was vitiated, in the following impressive words: "If, gentlemen, instead of air you suppose this room filled with pure, clean water, and that instead of air you were exhaling twenty times a minute a pint of milk, you can see how soon the water, at first clear and sparkling, would become hazy and finally opaque; the milk diffusing itself rapidly through the water, you will thus be able, also, to appreciate how, at each fresh inspiration you would be taking in a liquid that grew momentarily more impure. Were we able to see the air as we see the water, we would at once appreciate how thoroughly we are contaminating it, and that unless there be some vent for the air thus vitiated, and some opening large enough to admit a pure supply of this very valuable material, we will be momentarily poisoning ourselves, as surely as if we were taking sewage matter into our stomachs." Don't leave the matter of a good supply of air to servants. See to it yourself and see that you are not robbed of it. It would be better to trust your eating to an attendant than your breathing. Do that yourself.

In spite of the amount of literature devoted to sanitary matters, it is astonishing how little is understood of the principles of ventilation, and its supreme importance to the general welfare. We do not, of course, refer to ventilation in its broadest scientific sense, such as the securing of an adequate air supply in large auditoriums, for it is a melancholy fact that even our prominent architects not only display a pitiably deficient grasp of that phase of the subject, but of the simple, yet fundamental principles of the science, which every intelligent adult should be familiar with. How many heads of families, for instance, can intelligently ventilate a sleeping room? They will open a window for a few minutes in the morning, without opening the door also, to create a current, and think that is amply sufficient to displace the accumulated carbon dioxide and other substances inimical to health. No wonder so many people are tormented by bad dreams! In sleeping apartments the bed should be in the center of the room—never near a wall. A current of air should be maintained, but without a draught upon the bed. It is better to open the window two inches at the bottom, and the same distance at the top, than to have it open for a foot either at the top or bottom only. If, through inclemency of the weather, or other causes, the window can only be opened for a few minutes, then by waving the door back and forth rapidly ten or a dozen times, the displacement of the vitiated air will be infinitely more rapid and thorough. Considering the length of time that is spent in the sleeping apartment, the paramount importance of a constant supply of fresh air is readily perceived. No matter how perfect digestion and assimilation may be, if the blood is not thoroughly oxygenated, the best of foods fail of their intended effect. Even the least fastidious would object to drinking water that had been used for washing purposes by others; yet it is quite as objectionable to breathe air that is charged with the waste products of bodies that may even be diseased. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of ventilation.

Better let in cold air and put on more bedclothes, as long as you do not sleep in a draught.

Oxygen keeps up the animal heat of the body, and you can really keep warmer in a room with plenty of fresh air than in a close room where the air is vitiated.

But in the sick room fresh air is of paramount importance, not only for the patient, but for the attendants, who are otherwise compelled to inhale the poisonous exhalations from the diseased body.

Let no consideration blind you, either in sickness or in health, to the imperative necessity of plenty of fresh air.

The next great natural agency, and one to which scant attention is paid, compared with its hygienic importance, is Light, but more especially Sunlight.

Light is essential to life. If by some monstrous cataclysm the sun was suddenly extinguished, it is impossible to conceive the misery that would follow. In the event of such a fearful calamity it would require but a very short time to depopulate the earth. We repeat, light is a necessity of existence, and it behooves us all to allow it free access to our dwellings. What if it does bleach carpets and draperies! Its beneficent effects are not to be measured by yards of wool and silk. Love of light is as instinctive as the aversion to darkness. Plants growing in a dark cellar, where but one struggling ray of light enters, will instinctively grow in the direction of that ray. It is questionable whether defective lighting is not productive of as much physical deterioration in the crowded tenement districts as defective ventilation—certainly it is only secondary in degree. Light is necessary. Light is free to all, and why human beings endowed with reason should attempt to exclude it from their dwellings is a thing that passes comprehension. Give the light free access to your dwelling. "Let there be light," is as imperative now as when the fiat went forth at the dawn of creation.

But Sunlight is the great health-giving agent. The sun is the great source of life. Its rays stimulate the growth of every living organism, and there is no doubt but they exert a chemical action upon living tissue with which we are as yet but imperfectly acquainted. This fact has been recognized of late years, hence our winter resorts are liberally supplied with sun parlors, in which those in quest of health may enjoy the rejuvenating effect of solar heat without exposing themselves to the inclemency of wintry weather. This is a revival of an old Roman custom, for the more opulent of that nation had sun baths on the roofs of their dwellings. Sunshine is as necessary to robust, vigorous health as either air or water. Then seize the full enjoyment of it whenever opportunity offers! It is a stimulant and tonic that has no superior. Go forth into the sunlight on every possible occasion! It is one of Nature's greatest therapeutic agents, and she bestows it ungrudgingly, without money and without price. If you are wise you will avail yourself of her bounty.

Do not be afraid to let the sunlight penetrate your dwellings, especially the morning sun. Thrifty housewives are prone to regard the actions of the sun's rays on their carpets and draperies as disastrous in the extreme, but its exclusion from their dwelling is far more disastrous to the health of the inmates. There is, of course, a happy medium in all things, and, therefore, it is not necessary to have the sun's rays streaming in through every door and window during the whole day; but the entire dwelling should be (as far as possible) thrown open to the vivifying beams of old Sol for a couple of hours in the morning, which at the same time will thoroughly ventilate the building. There is more virtue in sunlight than most people are aware of. Its bactericidal effects are only just beginning to be understood; but if you desire a healthful dwelling, let God's bright sunshine freely and frequently penetrate every corner of it.

It is astonishing how few people there are who properly estimate the hygienic value of the sun's rays. A valuable lesson on this point may be learned by observing the lower animals, none of which ever neglect an opportunity to bask in the sun And the nearer man approaches to his primitive condition the more he is inclined to follow the example of the animals. It is a natural instinct which civilization has partially destroyed in the human race.

The effect of sunshine is not merely thermal, to warm. and raise the heat of the body; its rays have chemical and electric functions. As a clever physician lately explained, it is more than possible that sunshine produces vibrations and changes of particles in the deeper tissues of the body, as effective as those of electricity. Many know by experience that the relief it affords to wearing pain, neuralgic and inflammatory, is more effective and lasting than that of any application whatever.

Those who have faceache should prove it for themselves, sitting in a sunny window where the warmth falls full on the cheek.

For nervous debility and insomnia the treatment of all others is rest in sunshine. Draw the bed to the window and let the patient lie in the sun for hours. There is no tonic like it—provided the good effects are not neutralized by ill-feeling. To restore a withered arm, a palsied or rheumatic limb, or to bring a case of nervous prostration up speedily, a most efficient part of the treatment would be to expose the limb or the person as many hours to direct sunlight as the day would afford. With weak lungs let the sun fall on the chest for hours. If internal tumor or ulceration is suspected, let the sun burn through the bear skin directly on the point of disease for hours daily. There will be no doubt left in the mind that there is a curative power in the chemical rays of the sun.

For the chilliness which causes blue hands and bad color, resort to the sun; let it almost blister the skin, and the circulation will answer the attraction. It is a finer stimulous than wine, electricity or massage, and we are on the verge of great therapeutic discoveries concerning it.

Some years ago a London surgeon, by using the sun's rays (presumably with a lens), removed a wine mark from a lady's face, and destroyed a malignant growth in the same way.

Says Dr. Thayer, of San Francisco:

"During a practice of more than a quarter of a century I have found no caustic or cautery to compare with solar heat in its beneficial results. Unlike other caustics, it can be applied with safety on the most delicate tissues and the system receives this treatment kindly. The irritation and inflammation following are surprisingly slight and of short duration, the pain subsiding immediately on removal of the lens. There is a curative power in the chemical rays of the sun yet unexplained."

Women especially need to make systematic trial of the sun's healing and rejuvenating rays. The woman who wants a cheek like a rose should pull her sofa pillows into the window and let the sun blaze first on one cheek and then on the other, and she will gain color warranted not to wash off.

Thus it will be seen that the curative properties of sunlight are in nowise overestimated, but in cases of sickness its beneficial action is purely supplementary. The system must first be thoroughly cleansed by "flushing the colon," then, the ground work of improvement being laid, Fresh Air and Sunlight will prove themselves worthy and efficient colleagues in the task of restoring health.

Singly, each is of intrinsic value, but inadequate to cope with disease single-handed (although they may mitigate it), but combined they form a Trinity so powerful that disease can never successfully oppose them.

The other two factors in Nature's great Health curriculum, namely, Exercise and Diet, will be considered under separate headings.



PART VI.

EXERCISE.

Motion is life. The health of both body and mind depend upon it. Inaction means stagnation, a condition fatal to health. Hence the necessity of exercise. As before stated, disuse is as fatal to a piece of machinery as excessive use; in fact, it is far more likely to rust out than to wear out. Activity is essential to life and health and can never be prejudicial, provided that moderation is observed and the muscular system not strained or overworked.

There are thousands of miles of minute tubing in the human body—the arterioles, veins, capillaries and lymphatic vessels. They ramify through every portion of the body tissues, the first carrying the vitalized blood for nourishment of the parts, the second returning the impure blood, charged with the waste of the structures, the third being the intermediate stage between the first and second, while the fourth and last, the lymphatic vessels, collect the surplus nutrition and return it to the circulation. In addition the lymphatics assist in the conveyance of effete matter. Whenever disease germs are present in the system, they first manifest themselves in the lymph, but this fluid being densely populated with phagocyctes (white blood corpuscles), the micro-organisms are speedily destroyed, if the body is in a healthy, vigorous condition.

In view of the vital character of the fluids, activity of motion is indispensable for the best performance of their separate functions and exercise supplies the desired stimulus. Whenever a muscle is contracted the blood is wholly or partially expelled from it proportionately to the force of the contraction, and in its escape it carries with it the waste material; but as soon as the muscle is relaxed fresh blood from the arterial supply re-enters the structure, bearing fresh nutrition.

By a wise provision of Nature, the amount of nutrition supplied is always in excess of the waste products removed; that is, all things being equal, so that the more exercise a part is subjected to the more nutrition it receives. This explains the unusual development of certain parts of the body which are called into excessive use in certain occupations. But this unsymmetrical development is a thing to be avoided, as it is usually productive of certain deformities, such as stoop shoulders and certain peculiarities of gait, which are plainly noticeable in men employed in certain avocations.

The reason for this is perfectly simple, and may be expressed in two words—unequal nutrition—for the muscles that are unduly exercised appropriate the nutriment that should be equally distributed, so that the neglected muscles become weakened and stiff. Hence, any system of exercises designated to develop the body should be so arranged as to call into play every muscle in the individual, thus insuring harmonious development in every direction.

Muscular activity stimulates all the functions of the body. It has a most beneficial effect upon all the vital processes, digestion, assimilation and nutrition. The digestive powers work more briskly to prepare the needed nourishment, and the blood circulates more rapidly to carry the material for repair to the parts that need it, so that by moderate physical exercise, judiciously distributed, the whole body is built up and strengthened, and the result is a suppleness of frame and a clearness of head that makes life indeed worth living.

To the invalid it is, of course, idle to talk of active exercise, but there are certain forms of passive exercise accessible to such people. Massage, for instance, which, judiciously administered, will do for the sick, in a modified degree, what active exercise does for the comparatively well. It will stimulate the circulation in the deeper tissues, and set the various fluids of the body moving in a beneficial manner. There is also a mild form of active exercise which may be practised by those who have the misfortune to be confined to bed, and that is by tensing the muscles; such as clenching the hands and contracting the toes, also by gentle contraction of the arms and legs alternately.

But one of the most important factors in quickening and stimulating the movement of the fluids is exercising the lungs, and that can be accomplished with a fair measure of success even by the bed-ridden. Every time the chest cavity is emptied by the expiration of the breath a partial vacuum is created which exerts a tremendous suction power. It is one of the principal forces concerned in the return of the venous blood to the heart, but it also exerts a like effect upon the lymphatic current, hence deep breathing is a valuable exercise for those unable to take any other.

In commencing the development of the body by any system of physical culture, the first and most important thing to do is to develop the lungs. Good lungs and good digestion go together. Before food can be assimilated it must undergo oxygenation, which is neither more nor less than chemical combustion. For this oxygen is necessary, which, uniting with the carbon of the food, results in oxidation, and as the amount of oxygen inhaled depends upon the capacity of the lungs, it will readily be seen how much depends upon those organs. We cannot inhale too much oxygen, while we can take too much food; therefore, the greater the lung capacity the better the digestion.

We referred to the suction power of the empty chest cavity and its stimulating effect upon the fluids of the body. Now, the greater the lung capacity the greater the chest expansion and the vacuum produced by expiration; consequently the stimulating effect upon the fluids is correspondingly augmented.

Test your lungs by inhaling a full breath—inflate them to their full capacity—if it makes you dizzy you are in danger and should proceed at once to strengthen them. The following simple exercises will speedily result in improvement and are easy to practice:

HOW TO EXERCISE THE LUNGS.

1. When in the open air, walk erect, head up, chin drawn in, shoulders thrown back, thoroughly inflate the lungs and retain the air for a second or two, then expel it gently. Practice this several times a day, and if your employment keeps you in, make time and go out.

2. The first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, when you have nothing on but your underclothing, stand with your back against the wall and fill the lungs to their utmost capacity, then, retaining the breath gently tap the chest all over with the open hands. Do this regularly every morning and night, gently at first, but gradually increasing the length of time for holding the breath and the force of the blows as the lungs grow stronger.

3. Stand upright, heels touching, toes turned out. Place the hands on the hips, the fingers resting on the diaphragm, the thumbs in the soft part of the back. Now, inflate the lungs and force the air down into the lower back part of the lungs, forcing out the thumbs. Do this half a dozen times at first, gradually increasing the number. Women seldom use this part of the lungs—tight dresses and corsets prevent them.

4. While in the same position, fill the upper part of the lungs full, then force the air down into the lower part of the lungs and back again by alternately contracting the upper and lower muscles of the chest. Do this repeatedly, for, besides being a good lung developer, it is an excellent exercise for the liver.

5. Stand erect, the arms hanging close by the sides, then slowly raise the arms until they are in the same position, at the same time gradually taking in a full breath until the lungs are completely filled, then, after holding the breath for a few seconds, gradually lower the arms, at the same time gradually expelling the breath. After doing this a few times while the lungs are full raise and lower the arms several times quickly.

6. Hold the arms straight out, then slowly throw them back behind you as far as possible, at the same time taking a full breath, then bring them slowly back to the front, as at first, expelling the breath while doing so. Do this several times, then fully inflate the lungs, and while holding the breath move the arms backward and forward, in the same way, but quickly. It is important to inflate and empty the lungs fully and completely during this exercise.

COMBINATION LUNG AND MUSCLE EXERCISES.

7. First rotate the right arm in a circle, downward in front of you a few times, then reverse the movement. Next, thrust the shoulder back as far as it will go and rotate the arm in the same manner. Follow with the left arm in the same manner, then both alternately, but at the same time relax the arms completely, allowing them to become perfectly limp, at the same time filling and emptying the lungs completely.

8. Lie flat on the floor, face downward, with the elbows bent and the palms of the hands flat on the floor by the sides, body fully extended. Then, keeping the body perfectly rigid, raise it up by the muscles of the arms alone, until it only rests on the arms and toes, then lower the body gradually until the chest touches the floor, at the same time exercising the lungs to their fullest extent. This may be practiced on a bed or couch to commence with, and should be taken slowly at first, until it can be done half a dozen times without discomfort.

9. Stand with the lungs completely and force the air down into the lower part of the lungs. Then, keeping the lower limbs perfectly stiff, with muscles tensed, bend the body forward from the middle of the trunk and while doing this empty the lungs quickly. Then straighten up again, at the same time filling the lungs. This should be repeated from 6 to 12 times. Then repeat the operation, but bending backward instead of forward, paying careful attention to the emptying and filling of the lungs. Then, with the lungs full and breath retained, move the body backward and forward quickly several times.

10. Retaining the same position as in last exercise, move the upper part of the body to the right a few times, then a few times to the left, after each movement returning to the upright position. Then move in the same manner from right to left, alternately. Study and you will readily understand the nature of these movements, which not only benefit the lungs, but impart grace and suppleness to the body.

11. Still retaining the attitude press the arms and elbows forward as far as possible, at the same time expelling the breath; then press them backward as far as possible to force them, at the same time inflating the lungs to their fullest extent.

ARM AND FINGER EXERCISES.

Completely relax the muscles of the fingers and hands, letting the hands hang limply from the wrists, then shake them up and down and from side to side, as if cracking a whip. Then rotate them from the wrists. These movements should all be made with great rapidity, the hands being rendered as near lifeless as possible.

12. Next, with the upper part of the arm held out at a right angle from the body, and the forearm hanging downward, completely relax the muscles of the elbow. Then shake and rotate the whole of the forearm in the same manner as described for the hands.

13. Allow the arms to hang by the side, now press the shoulder as far back as it will go, then as high as it will go, then forward as far as it will go, and drop it again, then rotate it several times. Do the same with the left, then both together. Strike out with the right hand, tightly clenched, then the left, then both together. Repeat horizontally, right and left, then straight up overhead, then down by the sides.

EXERCISES FOR THE NECK.

14. The principal thing to be observed is to keep the body rigid and use the muscles of the neck only. It is a most valuable exercise and should be carefully and faithfully practiced.

15. Now, without bending the knees, bend the body forward as far as you can several times, then backward several times, then to each side successively. Make bending movements several times in each direction, and be careful not to relax the muscles other than those of the hips; and to conclude the exercise rotate the hips round and round.

16. Relax the muscles of the right leg, keeping all the other muscles firmly tensed. Then swing the leg from the hip joint, like a pendulum, backward and forward. Try to do this without support, balanced on the one leg, as it materially assists in developing the muscles. Then repeat with the left leg. Next, relax the muscles of the leg from the knee downward, keeping the muscles of the thigh rigid, and swing the leg backward and forward from the knee only, and increase the number of movements each day, as the muscles gain strength and you gain experience.

ANKLE AND FOOT EXERCISE.

17. Stand upright, holding yourself firmly and stiffly, then raise yourself up and down on your toes.

WHOLE BODY EXERCISE.

1. Raise the arms above the head, alongside the ears, then bring them down with a steady sweep, without bending the knees, until the fingers touch the floor. Be sure to relax the muscles of the neck and allow the head to hang.

2. Place the hands upon the breast and drop the head backward, a little to one side, then bend the body backward as far as possible.

3. Curve the right arm above the head, toward the left shoulder, and allow the weight of the body to rest on the left leg, the right foot being carried slightly outward. Allow the body to bang down as far as possible on the left side, without straining too much. Then verse the movement.

STRETCHING.

Is quite a luxury, but few people know how to do it.

Stand upright in position, then raise raise yourself on the tips of your toes and try your best to touch the ceiling. You will appreciate this exercise as a relaxation.

THE ART OF STANDING PROPERLY.

Is only imperfectly understood by the majority of people, and yet it is the key to a graceful carriage, an accomplishment that most people desire to possess, especially ladies. Observe the difference between the correct and the incorrect methods.

THE ART OF GRACEFUL WALKING.

Is the natural sequence of correct attitude in standing and may be readily acquired by attention. Stand against the wall, with the heels, limbs, hips, shoulders and head all touching and draw the chin inward to the chest. When in this position you will find it uncomfortable, mainly because it is incorrect. Gently free yourself from the wall by swaying the body forward, from the ankles only, keeping the heels touching. You will then be in the correct position, and should walk off, carefully maintaining it. This exercise, if constantly practiced, will give you an easy and graceful carriage that will be the envy of your less fortunate acquaintances.

In the foregoing list of exercises we have carefully omitted all those requiring apparatus of any kind, selecting only such as can be practiced in the privacy of your own room, without assistance from an instructor or paraphernalia of any kind. Dumb bells, Indian clubs, etc., are valuable after a certain degree of muscular improvement has been attained, but when that point is reached we should advise the individual to join a gymnasium and practice further development under a competent instructor.

All the exercises given have been proved of great value in building up the system, and are designed as aids to the preservation of health and the upbuilding of weakly people—not to develop trained athletes. These exercises bring into play a number of muscles that are not called into general use, and thus promote harmonious development of the whole body.



PART VII.

THE DIET QUESTION.

As we have already stated, the human system is in a state of constant change. Disintegration of tissue is taking place during every moment of existence, and the preservation of health depends upon the prompt elimination of the waste material. But the destruction of tissue, due to the daily friction of life, must be made good, and this replacement of substance is effected by the food we eat. It becomes a matter of vital importance, therefore, to every individual to consider the question of eating from the rational standpoint. Owing to the increased prosperity of recent years and the luxurious mode of living rendered possible by it, people have been betrayed into many reprehensible gastronomic practices. In the olden days, when man toiled hard for existence, food was produced within his own immediate radius and luxuries were unknown; but now, with rapid ocean transportation, the ends of the earth are ransacked and laid under tribute to furnish delicacies to tempt the palate. The ease with which food may now be procured and the almost illimitable variety offered to man for his selection has tempted him into indulgences that have been productive of much evil. Although over indulgence in eating is a very ancient offense, yet, as before stated, the multiplicity of foods has given an impetus to this injurious habit, in combination with the cunningly devised methods of preparation which the modern cook has evolved.

It is a grave mistake to suppose that it is necessary to eat a large quantity of food to become healthy and strong. The system only needs sufficient nourishment to repair the waste that has taken place. Besides, the digestive fluids are not secreted in an indefinite quantity, but in proportion to the immediate need. Hence, food taken in excess of requirements, being only partially digested, acts as a foreign substance; i. e., a poison, and in addition unduly taxes the system to dispose of the unnecessary waste.

Hunger is the natural expression of the needs of the system for nutrition. Appetite is the index as to the quantity of food that should be taken to replace the loss by waste. It should never be overruled. Appetite is a wise provision of Nature. Gluttony is a degrading habit. Yet numbers of people attempt to justify the gratification of their gluttonous proclivities by the statement that they are "blessed with a good appetite," while the truth of the matter is, they are cursed with an inordinate lust for food. If people were more temperate in the pleasures of the table, the purveyors of remedies for dyspepsia would find their incomes considerably lessened. Satisfy your hunger, by all means, but do not pander to the vice of gluttony.

Instead of "eating to live," a large proportion of people simply "live to eat." But sooner or later Nature exacts the penalty for violation of one of her cardinal laws, which is "temperance." An outraged stomach will not always remain quiescent, and when the reaction comes, the offender realizes that "they who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind."

But people may, and do, continually do violence to that long suffering organ, the stomach, without being gluttons—we refer to the habit, so universally practiced in this country, of bolting the food without properly masticating it. So long as this iniquitous practice is persisted in, and the equally hurtful one of swallowing large quantities of liquids with the meals, and so long as sufficient time is not given the food to digest, just so long will you suffer from a disordered stomach. Speaking generally, Americans are a nation of dyspeptics, because they are perpetually in a hurry. The acquisition of wealth, in moderation, is a commendable pursuit, but it is the height of folly to sacrifice the priceless jewel of health to acquire it. But it is a fact, nevertheless, that the average American considers eating an unprofitable interference with business, without stopping to weigh the advantages of sound health against the almighty dollar.

This habit must be abandoned by those who are addicted to it, before they can expect to regain health or preserve it. Strange, is it not, that a race, proverbial for having an eye to the main chance, should fail to recognize the financial wisdom of husbanding their health, a factor so important in successful business enterprises! They might, with advantage, copy the example of John Bull in the matter of eating.

The average Englishman regards his meals as a solemn responsibility, and tarries long at the table. The consequence is that with them dyspepsia is the exception and not, as with Americans, the rule.

What to eat, when to eat and how to eat are questions more nearly involving the health and happiness of humanity than is generally recognized.

WHAT TO EAT.

From the days of Pythagoras down to the present time it has been a moot question whether a vegetable or meat diet was best for man. Each side can present equally strong arguments; each can point to exceptional instances of physical development under the different methods; each can point to ill results that follow rigid adherence to one method or the other, so that the natural inference would be that a happy mean between the two extremes presents the only rational solution of the question.

Even the most rabid partisan of the meat diet will readily admit that the flesh of animals is not indispensable to existence; while, on the other hand, the fact that the Indians in this country would subsist for months (without apparent discomfort) solely upon a diet of "pemmican" (dried buffalo flesh) affords ample proof that a meat diet is not without its advantages.

Diet is largely a matter of latitude. The whale blubber diet of the Esquimaux would be impossible at the equator, while the fruit and pulse diet of the tropics would prove totally inadequate to support life at the North Pole. Nature always prompts the individual to select the articles of food best adapted to his bodily needs, according to the climatic conditions; hence, when a man endeavors to live on the same dietary in the tropics that he has been accustomed to in the temperate zone, digestive disturbances are sure to follow.

It is one thing to sit at home theorizing about dietetics and settling all the food problems (on paper) to one's entire satisfaction; but it is quite a different matter to practically test the effects of different dietary tables under varying climatic conditions. The writer does not claim to be an expert dietetician, but there are few spots on the habitable globe that he has not visited; scarcely an edible article that he has not partaken of; scarcely a known species of human being that he has not eaten with, except the Patagonians and the Esquimaux; so that he is not entirely without experience, and it may be just possible that practical experience thus gained may be as valuable as statistics compiled in an from data collected from different sources.