"'Beware of the night-wind; be sure and close your windows after dark ! ' In other words, beware of God's free air; be sure and fill your lungs with the stagnant, azotized and offensive atmosphere of your bed-room. In other words, beware of the rock spring; stick to sewerage. Is night-air injurious? Is there a single tenable pretext for such an idea? Since the day of creation that air has been breathed with impunity by millions of different animals — tender, deli- cate creatures, some of them — fawns, lambs, and young birds. " The moist air of the tropical forest is breathed with impunity by our next relatives, the Anthropoid apes — the same apes that soon perish with consumption in the close though generally well-warmed atmosphere of our Northern menageries. Thousands of soldiers, hunters, and lumbermen sleep every night in tents and open sheds without the least injurious consequences; men in the last stage of consumption have recovered by adopting a semi-savage mode of life, and camping out-doors in all but the stormiest nights. Is it the draught you fear, or the contrast of temperature? Blacksmiths and railroad conductors seem to thrive under such influences. Draught! THE PHYSICIAN IN THE HOME. 1 97 Have you never seen boys skating in the teeth of a snow storm at the rate of fifteen miles an hour ? ' They counteract the effect of the cold air by vigorous exercise.' Is there no other way of keeping warm ? Does the north wind damage the fine lady sitting motion- less in her sleigh, or the pilot and helmsman of a storm-tossed vessel? It cannot be the inclemency of the open air, for even in sweltering summer nights the sweet south wind, blessed by all creatures that draw the breath of human life, brings no relief to the victim of acro- phobia. " There is no doubt that families who have freed themselves from the curse of that superstition can live out-and-out healthier in the heart of a great city than its slaves on the airiest highlands of the Southern Apennines." Advice to Dyspeptics. — Avoid pork, fat meats, grease, gravies, pastries, spices, confectioneries, tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks, beer, malt liquors of all kinds. Let your food be plain, simple, wholesome — chiefly fruits and vegetables. Let your bread be made of un- bolted wheat-meal. Take your meals regularly ; if three, let the supper be very sparing. Eat slowly, lightly, masticate thoroughly. Beware of hot food and drinks. Avoid luncheons by all means. Exercise freely in the open air; never sit moping, but turn your mind entirely from your disease and troubles. Keep regular hours; rise early, exercise half an hour gently before breakfast. Bathe fre- quently; keep the skin clean and the pores open. Keep the feet dry ; let the soles of your shoes be thick, that no dampness may penetrate them. Wear loose fitting garments, especially about the region of the lungs. Banish the pipe, quid, and snuff-box, as the plague, forever. Of all the dyspepsia breeders and promoters nothing exceeds the use of the " Indian weed." Finally, keep a conscience void of offence; pray God to forgive your past sins of gluttony and intemperance, for no one who lives temperately as he should will ever be troubled with dyspepsia. Alcohol and Dyspepsia. — Many persons are under the impres- sion that alcoholic drinks are beneficial in dyspepsia, but the truth is 198 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

"'Beware of the night-wind; be sure and close your windows after dark ! ' In other words, beware of God's free air; be sure and fill your lungs with the stagnant, azotized and offensive atmosphere of your bed-room. In other words, beware of the rock spring; stick to sewerage. Is night-air injurious? Is there a single tenable pretext for such an idea? Since the day of creation that air has been breathed with impunity by millions of different animals — tender, delicate creatures, some of them — fawns, lambs, and young birds. " The moist air of the tropical forest is breathed with impunity by our next relatives, the Anthropoid apes — the same apes that soon perish with consumption in the close though generally well-warmed atmosphere of our Northern menageries. Thousands of soldiers, hunters, and lumbermen sleep every night in tents and open sheds without the least injurious consequences; men in the last stage of consumption have recovered by adopting a semi-savage mode of life, and camping out-doors in all but the stormiest nights. Is it the draught you fear, or the contrast of temperature? Blacksmiths and railroad conductors seem to thrive under such influences. Draught! Have you never seen boys skating in the teeth of a snow storm at the rate of fifteen miles an hour ? ' They counteract the effect of the cold air by vigorous exercise.' Is there no other way of keeping warm ? Does the north wind damage the fine lady sitting motionless in her sleigh, or the pilot and helmsman of a storm-tossed vessel? It cannot be the inclemency of the open air, for even in sweltering summer nights the sweet south wind, blessed by all creatures that draw the breath of human life, brings no relief to the victim of acrophobia. " There is no doubt that families who have freed themselves from the curse of that superstition can live out-and-out healthier in the heart of a great city than its slaves on the airiest highlands of the Southern Apennines." Advice to Dyspeptics. — Avoid pork, fat meats, grease, gravies, pastries, spices, confectioneries, tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks, beer, malt liquors of all kinds. Let your food be plain, simple, wholesome — chiefly fruits and vegetables. Let your bread be made of unbolted wheat-meal. Take your meals regularly ; if three, let the supper be very sparing. Eat slowly, lightly, masticate thoroughly. Beware of hot food and drinks. Avoid luncheons by all means. Exercise freely in the open air; never sit moping, but turn your mind entirely from your disease and troubles. Keep regular hours; rise early, exercise half an hour gently before breakfast. Bathe frequently; keep the skin clean and the pores open. Keep the feet dry ; let the soles of your shoes be thick, that no dampness may penetrate them. Wear loose fitting garments, especially about the region of the lungs. Banish the pipe, quid, and snuff-box, as the plague, forever. Of all the dyspepsia breeders and promoters nothing exceeds the use of the " Indian weed." Finally, keep a conscience void of offence; pray God to forgive your past sins of gluttony and intemperance, for no one who lives temperately as he should will ever be troubled with dyspepsia. Alcohol and Dyspepsia. — Many persons are under the impression that alcoholic drinks are beneficial in dyspepsia, but the truth is 198 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.

The hearthstone; or, Life at home