ing some spirits of wine under the canopy of blanket. A con-
venient mode is, after the patient is seated and covered up to
the throat with blankets, to place an ounce of spirits of wine in
a cup, the cup standing in a basin with some water, then light
the spirit and let it burn out.
The Turkish Bath, a combination of these, is useful in
rheuBwitic and other chronic diseases, but requires to be used
for medical purposes only under medical advice.
Hydropathy professes the cure of disease by baths of
various kinds. It can only be properly practiced in establish-
ments especially devoted thereto. It is expensive and, there-
fore, only within the reach of comparatively few.
SLEEP.
No rule can be observed with regard to the proportion of
time that should be given to sleep. Much depends upon indi-
vidual habit and disposition. The active mind and cheerful
disposition that is never more happy than when busily em-
ployed, and finds its recreation in change of work, will gener-
ally sleep soundly and be refreshed, by six or seven hours*
sleep. Less than this cannot be safely devoted to sleep by any
one who does a good day's work, either bodily or mentally.
There have been those who could abridge their hours of sleep
to four, three, or even two, hours out of the twenty-four, but
they paid the penalty of such an infringement of nature's laws
by shortening the number of their days, and embittering them
by the impairment of health.
The daily wear and tear of life needs the restoration of
sleep to ensure healthy balance of nervous power, and that
equanimity of mind so desirable in this world' s strife and tur-
moil.
Infants and children require more sleep than grown-up
persons. In fact the early days of infancy are passed in
sleeping, to the infant's great gain. If otherwise its health
soon suffers, and shows the want of "balmy sleep." Warmth,
sleep, and food are all that are wanted in early infancy. For
the first three or four years the mid-day "nap" contributes to
the vigor and activity of the young child.
Throughout childhood up to puberty from twelve to four-
teen hours' sleep is not an undue allowance. At all events, if
less time be accorded for sleep, "early to bed" is a golden
maxim. The practice of allowing infants and young children
to be awake and up until ten or eleven o'clock at night, amid
the glare of lights, and perhaps the noise and excitement of
festivity, is the most injudicious sort of kindness to which they
can be exposed.
MEDICINAL 409
CLIMATE.
This word embraces the consideration of many topics
which our Hmits forbid our touching upon; but, as the present
work will doubtless be read in all parts of the country (at least
such is our hope), it would be incomplete without a few re-
marks thereon in relation to the causation and treatment of
disease.
"The climate of a country or district," Dr. Copland re-
marks, "depends, ist, upon its position in respect of distance
from the equator, and upon its elevation above the level of
the sea, and its proximity to the shores of the ocean, or the
beds of large rivers, etc.; 2nd, upon the geological and miner-
alogical formations constituting the basis of its soil; 3rd. upon
the nature of the soil itself, its cultivation, and the evgetable
productions by which it is covered; and, 4th, upon the prevail-
ing winds or currents of the air."
Page 302
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
ing some spirits of wine under the canopy of blanket. A convenient mode is, after the patient is seated and covered up to the throat with blankets, to place an ounce of spirits of wine in a cup, the cup standing in a basin with some water, then light the spirit and let it burn out.
The Turkish Bath, a combination of these, is useful in rheumatic and other chronic diseases, but requires to be used for medical purposes only under medical advice.
Hydropathy professes the cure of disease by baths of various kinds. It can only be properly practiced in establishments especially devoted thereto. It is expensive and, therefore, only within the reach of comparatively few.
SLEEP.
No rule can be observed with regard to the proportion of time that should be given to sleep. Much depends upon individual habit and disposition. The active mind and cheerful disposition that is never more happy than when busily employed, and finds its recreation in change of work, will generally sleep soundly and be refreshed, by six or seven hours' sleep. Less than this cannot be safely devoted to sleep by any one who does a good day's work, either bodily or mentally. There have been those who could abridge their hours of sleep to four, three, or even two, hours out of the twenty-four, but they paid the penalty of such an infringement of nature's laws by shortening the number of their days, and embittering them by the impairment of health.
The daily wear and tear of life needs the restoration of sleep to ensure healthy balance of nervous power, and that equanimity of mind so desirable in this world's strife and turmoil.
Infants and children require more sleep than grown-up persons. In fact the early days of infancy are passed in sleeping, to the infant's great gain. If otherwise its health soon suffers, and shows the want of "balmy sleep." Warmth, sleep, and food are all that are wanted in early infancy. For the first three or four years the mid-day "nap" contributes to the vigor and activity of the young child.
Throughout childhood up to puberty from twelve to fourteen hours' sleep is not an undue allowance. At all events, if less time be accorded for sleep, "early to bed" is a golden maxim. The practice of allowing infants and young children to be awake and up until ten or eleven o'clock at night, amid the glare of lights, and perhaps the noise and excitement of festivity, is the most injudicious sort of kindness to which they can be exposed.
CLIMATE.
This word embraces the consideration of many topics which our limits forbid our touching upon; but, as the present work will doubtless be read in all parts of the country (at least such is our hope), it would be incomplete without a few remarks thereon in relation to the causation and treatment of disease.
"The climate of a country or district," Dr. Copland remarks, "depends, ist, upon its position in respect of distance from the equator, and upon its elevation above the level of the sea, and its proximity to the shores of the ocean, or the beds of large rivers, etc.; 2nd, upon the geological and mineralogical formations constituting the basis of its soil; 3rd. upon the nature of the soil itself, its cultivation, and the evgetable productions by which it is covered; and, 4th, upon the prevailing winds or currents of the air."