ORDERS AND ARROWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5485, 10 February 1896, Page 1

ORDERS AND ARROWS.

When the captain of a ship orders some hands aloft to furl the main royal the men jump to obey, as a matter of course. A sailor can climb up on a yard without having a shilling ashore or a penny in his pocket. In fact, Jack seldom signs articles until he has used up both cash and credit. But when a doctor— who is a sort of captain when one is laid up in the dry dock of illness — orders a patient to go abroad for the benefit of his health, it is quite another thing. A trip and sojourn away from home is an expensive prescription, and most of us can't afford it. If the doctor says it is a choice between that and the graveyard, we shall have to settle on the graveyard ; it is handy by, and easy to get to. But are we really so hard pushed ? That is, as often as the doctors say we are. Lefs turn the matter over in our minds for a minute.

jiere 13 a case that is pat to the purpose. It concerns Mr Arthur Whidddii Melluish, of 3, Regent's Terrace, Polsloe Eoad, Exeter; and for the details we are indebted to a letter -written by -Mm, dated March 7, 1893. He. mentions that, in obedience to the orders of his doctors, he went to Cannes, in the south of Prance, : in November, 1890, and spent the winter there. He also spent the following winter at the same place. He felt the . better for the change; we will tell you. why presently. But he obtained no radical benefit, which also, we, will explain later on. .'. It appears that this gentleman had been weak and ailing"-nearly all his life ; not exactly ill, not wholly well— a condition that calls for constant caution. In March, 1890, he had a severe attack of inflnmm^ • tion of the lungs. ■ Now I want the reader, to honour me ; with his best attention, as I must say in a few words what ought properly to take many. Shoot an arrow into the air— as straight up as. you can. You can't tell where it will fall. It may fall on a neighbour's head, or on your own, or .on a child's, or on the pavement Everybody's blood contains more or less poisonous elements. These are arrows, but, unlike your wooden arrow, they always strike on the weakest spot, or spots in the body. If they hit the muscles and joints we call it rheumatism and gout; if they hit the liver we call it liver complaint or biliousness ;. if they hit the kidneys we call it Bright's disease; if they hit the nerves we call it nervous prostration, epilepsy, or any pf fifty other names; if they hit the bronchial tubes we call it bronchitis, &c. ; if they hit the air cells we call it inflammation of the lungs, or by-and-by, consumption. And inasmuch as these poisoned arrows pass through the delicate, meshes of the lungs a thousand times every- day if; would be odd if they didn't hit them— wouldn't it ? ' ' Now, wait a bit. It follows that all the various so-called diseases above named are. not diseases at all in and of themselves^ but merely symptoms of one only disease — namely, that . disease which produces the poison ! Good. We will get on to the end of the story. After the attack of lung inflammation Mr Melluish suffered from loss of appetite, pain in' the chest, sides and stomach, and dangerous constipation. He could eat onlyliquid food and had to take to his bed. For weeks he was so feeble that he could not rise in bed. He consulted one physician after another, obtaining no more than temporary relief from medicine. Then he was ordered abroad as we have. related. His letter concludes in these words: ff Whilst at Cannes I consulted a doctor, who said my ailment was weak digestion, and that I need not trouble about my lungs. But I never gained any real ground until November, 1891, when I began to take Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup. This helped me in one week, and by continuing with it I got stronger and stronger, and am now in fair good health. This, after my relatives thought I should never recover. (Signed) Arthur Whiddon Melluish." To sum up: This gentleman's 'real ailment was indigestion and dyspepsia, from wMck the blood-poison comes that causes nearly all disorders and pains. The air of Southern France helped him temporarily, because it is milder than ours; it did not remove the poison. By care and the use of Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup he would have done better at home, as the result shows. So we see that it isn't the climate that kills or saves 5 it is the condition of the digestion. If, therefore, your doctor orders you abroad for your, health, tell him you will first try Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup. •

There are some remarkable figures to be obtained from the published statistics of Now- Zealand Factories "under the Act/ and anyone who can spare the time will nnd it as funny as Punch, this Government record of our industries. Not on account of the inaccuracies contained therein, but in the astounding dimensions of some of tho protected industries. Feathers are "protected" to the tune of about 25 per cent, and as this is to be considered as protection and not as mere revenue-raising, it behoves us to know what we are protecting. In the leading city of JNew Zealand there is " under the Act " an ostrich feather factory. So far, so good; but the book goes further and tells us how much the factory hands earn in their, various occupations. That is where we 1 ' look tor revelations, for we have it on the best authority that the total wages paid in the above-mentioned industry is .£0 Oa Uclper week, and we may venture to add a similar amount per annum. In another branch of the local industries, not altogether unconnected with the press, we fend figures after this style— we will not quote exactly, as it might infringe copyright : At 15 years of age boys earn 7s, girls os per week. But at 16 boys earn 6s, whno girls receive 9s, while at 17 years tmost erratic boys and girls) the young men receive 10s, while the girls get Bs. It is nice reading, and calculated to turn one s bram if taken in too large quantities. However, nothing is more soothing to a r n n^ by Government statistics Si? 1 Jud Be Ci S«^ettos. They certainly obt " Ot b washcloth es, but they are the best