Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1893 — Untitled [ARTICLE]

THE BODY AND ITS REALTH.

Cause of Human Rumination. —ln narrating his observations of several cases of rumination in man—three of which occurred in men and two iu a mother and her child of three and onehalf years—M. Decker states three instances the complaint was congenital, nor is there any reason for believing that rumination is due to any paralysis of the cardia, but that the latter opens at the time of each regurgitation; only in one case was there any evidence of cardiac weakness. Hyperacidity is only an accidental occurrence;, in four of the five cases the gastric juice was normal, and there may or may not be dyspepsia; dilatation of the stomach was only present in one case, but this was the result and not the cause of the complaint ; he thinks that too rapid an 1 excessive eating, with deficient chewing, is the proximite cause, having been present in four of the cases, and, in addition,' there must be a neurotic predisposition. Again, in a comparison between eructation and rumination, it is pointed out that, in the former, there is only a slight contraction of the stomach, whereas, iu the latter the stomach contracts energetically as well as the diaphragm and'abdominal muscles. Death from a Broken Heart. —Do people in trouble ever really die of “a brokes heart The late Sir George Paget, in cne of his lectures, acknowledges that in the vast majority of cases thus popularly described there is nothing like an actual rupture of the heart; yet he admits that mental affections will not infrequently cause real disease of the body, and he mentions an actual case of broken heart cited by Dr. J. K. Mitchell of the Jefferson College, Philadelphia, in lecturing to his pupils. In an early period of his life Dr. Mitchell accompanied, as a surgeon, a packet that sailed from Liverpool to one of the American ports. The captain frequently oonversed with him respecting a lady who had promised to become his bride on his return from that voyage. Upon this subject he evinced great warmth of feeling, and showed some costly jewels and ornaments which he intended to. present as bridal gifts. On reaching his destination he was abruptly intormed that the lady had married some one else. Instantly the captain was observed to clasp his hand to his breast and fall heavily to the ground. He was taken up and conveyed to his cabin on board his vessel. Dr. Mitchell was immediately summoned, but before he reached him the captain was dead. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause. His heart was found literally torn in twain. The tremendous propulsion of blood (adds the narrator>' consequent upon such a violent nervous shock, forced the powerful muscular tissues asunder, and life was at an end.

The Batii in Its Relation to Health and Good Looks. —The majority of people, says a medical authority, bathe with a view to comfort and cleanliness without much thought of the relations of regular ablutions to the preservation of health and good looks. In olden times there existed the idea that too frequent bathing of the face and neck injured the skin. Now the general belief is that the beauty of the skin cannot be preserved unless its pores are V.ept well open. Proof of this is readily seen by observation among people who bathe infrequently and insufficiently. A good complexion is almost unknown among them, and although improper food and impure air do their share in muddying and thickening the skin its unhealthy appearance is largely due to that clogging of the pores which prevents their carrying off as they should the waste matter of the system. The temperature ’of the bath is a mooted question. To some persons there is nothing more bracing and invigorating than a cold plunge, while others do not recover for hours from the cbill such a bath gives. Certain physicians recommend a very hot bath, and' assert that it is as stimulating in its after effects as is the cold plunge and less likely to produce ill effects. Nearly all unite in declaring immersion in the tepid bath relaxing and thus detrimental to health. The question is one that each .bather must settle for herself. What suits one may bo positively harmful to another. Certain it is that the hot or warm bath is more cleansing than cold wafer. The sudden chill of the latter closes the pores and prevents the escape of the • effete matter it is the object of the bath to remove. The woman who takes a cold plunge for its after effects should first sponge herself off in warm water and achieve cleanliness before she indulges herself in her “bracer.”' Whoever feels a chilly sensation after a warm plunge and experiences difficulty in regaining a normal temperature should try the experiment of sponging off with cold water when leaving the hot bath and see if the slight shock will not toneup the skin and prevent any subsequent chill. The beneficial effect of a bath is greatly heightened by a hard rubbing after leaving it. A rathei coarse or rough Turkish towel should be used, and the friction should not be stopped when the moisture has been removed, but continued until the body is in a glow from head to foot. This operation will only require a few moments, and it is well worth the trouble. The best time for taking the bath must,like its temperature, be decided by individual preferences. Some persons find a bath taken late at night most soothing; to others it is provocative of insomnia. The early morning bath is sometimes fatiguing to delicate persons, while to others it serves ns a tonie and is in its stimulating and refreshing qualities as valuable as an extra hour's sleep.