HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2164, 15 August 1895, Page 49

HEALTH COLUMN.

SOME USEFUL INFORMATION.

Physical culture has its beginning in the cradle — fortunate is the babe that smiles into

the eyes of a mother who knows this to be

true. Oar aim is to give some practioal hints on the subject of health culture — and we begin at the cradle side. ITBESH AIB AND CLOTHING.

As a rule infants ate overclothed. This is particularly the case among "well-to-do people." Too much warmth causes a drain upon the system and renders the child more sensitive to changes of weather — colds follow. The skin Is a ventilating organ, and it ought to have a chance to thoroughly exercise its functions. Keep the babies out of doors as much as possible— dry weather or damp ; don't house them up ; nothing is so important as plenty of pure air. The days are few, even in winter, when injury can come from it. In the summer, send them out in the morning or at evening time, before the dew begins to fall — though it won't be amiss to give them a sun bath at almost any hour. . In the winter, bundle them up well and try to have them out between 1 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Wonderful how much better they will sleep when nap time comes round again.

LET THE BABY OBEEP.

-Don't be in a hurry to get baby on his feet. It't a pretty sight, and ambitious mothers delight in assisting their little ones to an upright position beside crib or chair— but don't do it too early. Let them roll and twist and kick, lying on back or stomach. Tbis is their exercise — this is the first unconfoiouß lesson in physical culture— it may mean disaster for all time if the walking process is forced.

FEEDING THE BABY.

Frequent and irregular feeding is as hurtful to infants as to grown folks — perhaps more hurtful. The little stomach needs a rest. The child should have good, wholesome food and plenty of it, but at intervals. It cannot form too early the habit of regular feeding.

Our best physicians denounce the practice of nourishing infants by means of the metal feeding tube, and say it ought to be prohibited by law. Millions of mothers do not know this. It appears to produce two evil effects ; irregularity of feeding and secretion of Bour milk. A plain rubber tip, easy to cleanse with hot water, is safest. If baby is too weak to profit by ordinary nourishment, then outside and helpful aids must be promptly brought into use, WHBN SCHOOL AGE IS BEACHED. When the boy or the girl is big enough to

attend Bchool, then it is time to look about

for proper forms of exercise. Long before " this sge it is to be hoped the child has been permitted to brave all ordinary sunshine and storm in the pursuit of air nourishment — all sorts of romping games, hoop-rolling, and kindred forms of exercise, natural exercise, have been freely indulged in. And the tasks of school days must never interfere with them altogether — the more study the more need of active play. LEABNING TO BBEATHE.

Strasge, but we mußt turn to the sleeping babe to gain the beet idea of natural and correct breathing.

Carelessness and restrictions of dress operate against perfect respiration as we grow older. Children should be trained to habits of deep breathing. Teach them to devote a few moments each morning to practising both chest and abdominal breathing. If not convenient to take this exercise out

©f doors, go into a room that has not been

Slept in. Pure, sweet air is necessary, and morning time is best, because there is more sxjgen to draw from— especially is this true In cities. Again, having breathed all night long at low ebb, it is natural to crave hearty draughts of pure air in the early morning.

Thoughtf ulness on the part of parents at this critical age will lay solid foundations of habit that must result in lengthening life and widening capacity for usefulness and happiness.

DANGEHS IN SCHOOLROOM.

In most localities the methods of Beating children in the schoolroom ate not good — lasting harm comes from it. Even in great cities where muoh is attempted in sanitary regulation a woful Ignorance Is often displayed on this head.

Better far the old-fashioned district school desk where little faces barely show above the forms of heavy wood— there is at least support to back and rest for little limbs. In every schoolroom care Bhould be taken to fit the desk to the child — parents who desire strong children will see to it that there is a fit — don't leave it to ohance— go personally and insist upon tfc.

Modern sohool desks are usually a little (09 far forward from the wat* Then many

teach erß in&truct in wriling by compelling the pupil to Bit sideways, thus throwing the shoulder into an unnatural position and unsbaping the body. Frequently curvature of the spine, so difficult to overcome, has been traced to this awkward and entirely unnecessary rule : face forward — desk within reach — that iB the sensible plan.

BOUND OR STOOP SHOULDERS.

Tbis grave trouble, which, in some instances, growa to an ectual deformity, can invariably be traced to negligence — the carelessness of parents or others whose duty it is to guard the ohild against error. It very commonly develops between the ages of six and nine years. A simple and occasional caution to walk and sit erect, with shoulders drawn well upward, is easy to give. It is not long until the little one sees and feels the advantage of suoh restriction— not long until he takes pride in it too — not long until the habit of correct poise becomes so fixed that another position is absolutely tiresome.

Once this habit is seourely fixed, a wonderful stride has been taken in physical culture. Where the trouble is already developed much benefit may be had through a rotation of the shoulders— teach the child to raise and work the shoulder in a natural manner, turning and twisting the joint in its socket, and gradually forcing the chest outward.

If parents cannot readily overcome the difficulty, they should lose no time in placing the child into the hands of a physician or good drill master.

CUBVATUBES : HOW AVOIDED.

Few persons out of the medical profession have any idea to what extant curvature of the spine exists — we hear of or obBerve an extreme case, and we cay it is uncommon. Fact is, it is the reverse of uncommon — some who are afflicted have discovered .it only when middle life was reached. Not a serious case, of course, bnt a condition that produced bad effects to some degree. Proper attention to simple forms of physical culture would have prevented it. Curvature is usually discovered by noting an irregularity of the shoulder blades, one being higher than its mate. When this is detected a physician Bhould at once be consulted.

Outdoor exercise prevents its development — college statistics show that few deformities ever result from curvature among boys ; among girls the percentage of permanent deformity is large. *

This proves that plenty of ex<Jrcise and loose dressing effect a cure— in fact, thousands of oases axe successfully treated annually by physicians who make a feature of physical culture.

BATHING AND BEST.

Equally important with air and nourishment is the bath — yet many children are bathed too muoh, particularly the infant.

The baby nhould be refreshed, not 11 freshened." Too much water is weakening. A warm bath for children three times a week, or even once a week, serves the purpose of cleanliness. A sponge bath once a day ought to be the limit. In the winter cool water, just as in summer, and have it quite cool for the cheat. Let the heat come from towel friction.

Plenty of sleep for the sohool children always. Observe at least the first part of the maxim, " Early to bed and early to rise." And before taking leave of them, we wish to emphasise the dangers from competitive games among children. There are at school and elsewhere severe trials of skill and strength, tests that ought only to be indulged in by adults, and trained adults at that.

In childhood there can be gained only the rudiments of physical oulture — a foundation of strength is laid by process of simplo, healthful living. Nothing should be done to impair this structure.

HEALTH, FOEM, AND BEAUTY.

All three are within the reach of the miss who will devote but a few minutes dally to their cultivation. Health and form may be acquired — beauty is nothing else than the two combined. The idea is not that budding womanhood shall be set* to the task of excessive exercise — that would be but to undo the good results of a carefully-lived childhood. Yet it is proper at this age to form habits of grace and ease of carriage that will assist in rounding out the perfected woman evolved from the lithe girl of to-day.

Persist in the habit of correct breathing. Supplement it with a study of -correct poise. Authorities tell as that to avoid a faulty poise one should disregard the old-time caution to "stand straight, " — the weight should not rest upon tho heels. A standing position that will bring the crown of the bead in a direct perpendicular line with the front part of the arch of the foot Is a natural poise. Rising slowly on the toes to full height and settling gradually back upon the heels will, if occasionally practiced, bring the body into ©t»»y and natural pois*

To walk well is another charm, and a health blessing as well. Briefly told, the science of it is to give more work to the ball of the foot and less to the heel; to progress in short steps and aim at ease— ease in this oase is productive of grace.

No one is too old to profit by rational rules for health culture — this applies to woman as well as to mankind.

ATHLETIC TRAINING FOE YOUKG MEN.

There is no question of the good to be had from regular gymnasium training. If we live in the oity and have the means, we can get that good, otherwise the ways and means are still open in large degree to those who will make the most of their surroundings. Because a man lives in a small town or the country need be no serious drawback to the enjoyment and rich health returns that come from intelligent athletic work.

The intelligent forces of our cities are constantly recruited from the bone, muscle, and brain of the country, and where there is the most muscle and bone there is generally found the most brain. Time has gono by when the " bookworm " or the youth of dyspeptic tendencies expect to capture all first prizes in our colleges-^the man who comes equipped with plenty of the right sort of brawn and who keeps his physical strength at its best more surely wins his way to the front.

BEGINNING EIGHT.

There are grave errors to shun by those who essay to develop their physical strength without proper medioal tutorship. "The strength of a chain is the strength of its weakest link," and there is hardly a person, no matter how perfectly developed, but that has some weak spot in his organism. Hence the need of very light exercise at the start.

If dumbbells are used, they ought to be of the lib or 21b variety. Indian club or dumb bell exercise 10 minutes in the morning and at night is plenty vigorous enough for a start — especially for men of middle age.

Unless a man is much under proper weight and very easily wearied he can safely proceed with any form of exercise thai stimulates the heart and lungs and opens freely the pores of the skin. When possible have a pulley weight in your house — parents and children all may gain benefit from it. Sedentary men should cultivate habits of walking morning or evening, or both.

Young men ought to engage freely in all kinds of outdoor "games that do not cause violent straining — yet they must proceed with caution, avoiding the expenditure of too much energy on the start. — Pamphlet issued by the proprietors of Scott's Emulsion.