Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1892 — THE BODY AND ITS HEALTH. [ARTICLE]

THE BODY AND ITS HEALTH.

Nervous Headache. —The simplest remedy known for nervous headache is a pinch of salt taken on the tongue and allowed to dissolve slowly, followed in about ten minutes with a drink of water. Salt,in its pure state, has virtues not to be scorned because it is an article within the humblest means.

Removing Insects from the Ear.— When living insects find their way into the external auditory canal, Dr. Hobarts directs, In Popular Science News, that the ear should atonce be turned to a bright light, an endeavor being thus made to induce the intruder to back out, in virtue of the attraction which the light has for these creatures. This failing, the ear should be filled with sweet oil or glycerine which will kill the insect by occluding its breathing pores, ana generally float it out Sometimes, however, the syringe and warm water are necessary to remove it. In cases where these means are not at hand, as when hunting, blowing tobacco smoke into the ear directly from the stem of a pipe—the moutn being placed over the bowl and protected from it by the hand—will kill or stupefy the “ earwig” and other insects whioh may enter the ear.

Excessive Muscular Development. —When great muscular strength or agility follows in the wake ofphysical exercise these ihould be regarded as identical and entirely subordinate to the health of4>ody which the exercise has secured. To exercise for strength alone and to estimate it as the chief aim is an inexcusable blunder. There is no necessary physiological, casual relation between strength and health. Indeed it is a notorious fact that professional athletes are often defective in some bodily organ, and they generally die early in life from heart or lung trouble. Developing certain sets of muscles to the exclusion of others makes the muscular system unsymmetrlcal and interferes with the equable distribution of the general blood supply. Inordinate development of muscular power calls for unnatural activity from the central vital organs, and thus it frequently occurs that under the strain of some special effort the heart or lungs fail and death results, says The Doctor.

Interesting Facts about Life.—As a matter of fact, the average life of all the babies that come into the world is only about 38 years; very few live to be over 90, and not more than one out of 2,000 sees his 100th birthday. In the year 1889 out of every 1,000 persons,living in the following countries there died: In England, 18; in Norway, 17; in Sweden, 16; in Austria, 27; in Hungary, 32; in Germany, 23; in France, 21, and in Italy, 25. How many died in the United States we do not know, because no account of them was kept in ther greater part of the country, but it was probably 17 or 18 out of each 1,000 living. We do know, however, that they died faster in some cities than in others. For example, out of each 1,000 people living, there died during the year ending May 31, 1890, in New York city, 27; in Brooklyn, 25; in Boston, 24; in Philadelphia, 22; in Chicago, 21; in Detroit, 20; in St. Louis, 19, and in Minneapolis, 15, while in the country districts the loss was only 11 or 12 ou\ of each 1,000. Let us now see where the greatest number of old people, in proportion to the total population, are to be found living in the United States. An examination of the records of the tenth census shows that in 1880 this was in New England. Of each 100,000 white persons there were then living and over 80 years old—in Connecticut 996; in Maine, 1,147; in Massachusetts 809; in New Hampshire, 1,478; in Rhode Island, 827, and in Vermont, 1,222. These are higher figures than are shown for any other State. In New York the corresponding proportion was 563 ; in Pennsylvania, 411; in Maryland. 347, and in Delaware, 409. In Ohio it was 412; in Indiana, 261; in Illinois, 215; in lowa, 218; in Michigan, 319; in Minnesota, 189, in Kentucky, 338, in Tennessee, 347; in Virginia. 501; in North Carolina, 507; in South Carolina, 441; in Florida, 204; in Georgia, 401; in Alabama, 341; in Mississippi, 245; in Louisiana, 161, and in Texas, 111. In Montana it was only 27; in Nevada, 36 ih Wyoming, 35; in Idaho, 40; in; Dakota, 57 ;in Arizona, 53, and in Colorado, 81. Life is shorter in the South than in the North, and in the flat, low-lying grounds than among the hills and mountains.