Newspaper Page Text
THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM.
BY JNO. STAINBACK WILSON, M. D.
Hygiene is that department of medical science
which treats of the prevention of disease. But
the same agents, or health conditions, which are
found to be necessary to the enjoyment of health,
have been found more safe and effectual in the
removal of disease than any others ; and hence
the hygienic system of practice is rapidly grow
ing into favor among intelligent, reading people
to the exclusion of all kinds of druggery.
Still, the great mass of people know but little
of this system, and even the few who are better
informed entertain many erroneous ideas as to
its nature and powers.
1. As to its Nature.
Many confound the Hygienic treatment with
what is known as the ‘‘ Water-Cure.” But the
water-cure is only a part of the hygienic system.
This system embraces, besides bathing in vari
ous forms, proper diet, having reference to the
time of eating, the manner of eating, the choice
and preparation of the different kinds of food,
according to the wants of the body in health
and disease.
Its province is also to teach the conditions of
health as to the air we breathe, the sleep and ex
ercise we take, as to the regulation and direction
of all the passions and, indeed, everything which
per tains to the welfare of the human organism,
phy deal and mental.
And yet with many—we might say with most
people—hygiene is nothing more than the use of
water in the form of hip-baths, foot-baths, wet
sheet packs, shower-baths, etc. ; and this, with
them, is all of hygiene or water-cure, which, to
them, is one and the same thing. And with such
people as these, the water-cure or hygiene is all
emb.Aoed in the idea of dabbling in cold water
in the various forms mentioned. But the water
cure is much more than the use of cold water,
and hygiene is much more than the use of water
in any or every form. Indeed, the hygienic
system is very comprehensive, and the most safe
ami effectual of all curative systems. It em
braces the only true curative agents, and is com
petent to meet almost every exigency of health
an J disease.
2. As to its Powers.
But while, as just stated, the hygienic system
is comprehensive, and the most safe and effect
ual of all medical systems, many think that its
powers are confined simply to the prevention of
disease, ami that in actual disease drugs are the
only efficient remedies. These people have yet
to learn that drugs have no curative virtue in
themselves, that Nature cures all our diseases,
and that all the doctor can do is to remove diffi
culties in her way and to give the patient such
surroundings as will enable Nature to do her
work. Yet, how often is it the case that the
doctor hinders, instead of helping Nature, giv
ing her the unequal task of combatting both the
disease and the remedy (T). How often is the
poor diseased, debilitated body still more debili
tated ami poisoned by nauseous drugs, while no
attention is given to the air of the patient's
room and but little to his diet -about which his
doctor knows nothing and cares less, believing
that he can cure by introducing drugs into the
system which would kill a well man with all his
powers in vigorous exercise.
If doctors would rely more on hygiene and
less on drugs, and if people would use less of
the latter, the world would be vastly benefited
in health, and we would have much less of that
almost universal chronic invalidism which is the
result of excessive drugging and disregard of
the laws of health. Drug* may sometimes be
necessary in the present state of things, as a
tcmporixing expedient, or as a means of imme
diate relief from pain or some other urgent
symptom ; but to rely on these for a cure is the
height of folly, and to resort to them on all oc-
■THE R»L SWWEK & PWATM
casions is positively murderous. And we repeat,
that the world would be far better off if drugs
of all kinds were abolished.
A strong exemplification of our position is
found in the fact that all honest and intelligent
physicians, notwithstanding the prepossessions
of a false education, use less and less drugs as
they advance in knowledge and experience, un
til their reliance is placed almost exclusively on
the powers of Nature, aided not by drugs, but
by pure air, proper diet and, in short, by all the
hygienic agents. And this same great teacher,
Experience, testifies to the truth, that the less
drugs and the more hygiene, the greater the suc
cess ; and why not? Can any one who will rea
son for a moment believe that a dose of Dover’s
powder, or camphor, or ipecac, or any other so
called diaphoretic will cause as great a determin
ation to the skin, or as profuse perspiration, as
the wet-sheet pack, the warm bath, or the Turk
ish bath? Why, either one of these is worth a
ship-load of drugs, and one Turkish bath will
do more to cleanse the blood of all impurities
than all the drugs in the whole long catalogue.
And yet people go on drugging themselves from
year to year with nauseous medicines for the
purpose of removing imputities from the system,
putting confidence in agents which are generally
inefficient and often positively injurious by add*
ing to, rather than removing impurities.
And again, what is equally strange, many are
incredulous as to the powers of such remedies
as bathing, exercise, pure air, proper diet, etc.,
in the removal of disease. The idea seems to be
that it may be well for a person in health or
slightly sick to give some attention to these
things, and then that Nature may be able to do
the balance ; but if one gets really sick there is
no safety, no hope of cure except in drugs : and
this in the fact of the fact that drugs are never
curative and often injurious in their action, while
hygiene offers remedies which are positively cu
rative and far more effectual in accomplishing
any object for which drugs are given than any
or all drugs combined. Some may go so far as
to trust to hygienic agents in simple cases of
sickness ; common sense and experience may
have taught them that it is good practice in a
case of diarrhoea to cutoff the supplies or to eat
less ; they may have learned also that the best
remedy for nervous exhaustion is good, natural
sleep ; that the best thing fora “bad cold” is to
get up a free perspiration by taking a warm
bath ; but then, when these people are attacked
with any serious constitutional disease, such as
rheumatism, fever, scrofula, syphilis, etc., their
first thought is to resort to drugs, never believ
ing for a moment that bathing, dieting, exercise
and the other hygienic agents are far more pow
erful than drugs in such cases, and really the
only true, proper and reliable remedies. But,
happily, this ignorance is passing away with the
diffusion of hygienic knowledge among the peo
ple, many of whom are turning to Homeopathy,
which is only a step to the final and total aban
donment of drugging in all its forms; and not a
few have already taken this last step, and are
much betterotf in health and purse by thechange ;
and we venture the prediction, that in fifty years
from this time the use of drugs will be almost
entirely abandoned among the better informed
class of people. For this “good time coming”
we labor, feeling assured that, in the establish
ment of a Hygienic institute in Atlanta, and in
the diffusion of hygienic knowledge, we are do
ing more for the health and happiness of the
people than we could probably do in any other
way.
Can’t Do ant H arm.—We should like to know
bow many medicines there are that can't do any
harm. “ Castor oil,” says a mother, “ can't do
any harm;” and yet a little girl overworked at
school, coming home one day to her mother tired
out. and needing only rest and sleep and some
thing to eat, was dosed with castor oil because,
fonooth, it wouldn’t do any harm, and some
thing must be done. Next day no belter. Next
day senna and salts—perfectly innocent stuff.
Day after, child no better. Then an emetic—
emetic can't do any harm, that is sure. Next
day child worse, mother frightened. Man of a
little common sense sees her and says: “Stop
these innocent medicines ; give the child a warm
bath and feed it properly ;” and lo ’ it is well in
twenty-fuur hours.— Herald of Health.
1
g | iit 111
wMiM 111111
The vast mineral wealth of our Southern
country is almost beyond human competition.
Our minerals are unequaled in quality, quantity
and variety. We have the finest farming and
timber lands and water-power of which any
country can boast, and our climate is the finest
in the world. The columns of this paper
are every ready to encourage the development
of our enormous natural wealth.
Cotton Factory.
ORGANIZATION PERFECTED,
At last there seems to be good grounds for
believing that we are going to have a Cotton
Factory.
The Subscription Committee reported at its
meeting, on the 27th of February, that over
$140,000 had been subscribed.
A stockholders’ meeting was held the same
evening, at which the following-named gentle
men were elected a Board of Directors :
H. I. Kimball, Jos. E. Brown, J. C. Peck,
Geo. W. Adair, J. W. English, Anthony Mur
phy, E. P. Chamberlin, 8. M. Inman and C.
W. Hunnicutt.
This is emphatically a strong Board, and has
been received with much favor by all classes of
our people.
On Saturday last, the Board met for the pur
pose of electing officers, and perfecting the or
ganization, when the following officers were
elected:
President, H. I. Kimball; Secretary and
Treasurer, E. E. Rawson ; Constructing Engi
neer and Superintendent, Francis Cogin, Su
perintendent of the Augusta Factories.
Mr. Kimball accepted the office in an earnest
little speech, in which he laid down the platform
upon which his administration would be con
ducted. He said, first, that no officer should re
ceive any salary until the Company had earned
the means with which to pay. In other words,
he did not propose that one single dollar of the
money subscribed to build and equip the factory
should be paid out in salaries.
Second. That he should require from the Di
rectors and Officers a strict compliance with
their duties.
Third. That he should enforce the most rigid
economy in every department of the Company’s
business; and in the erection of buildings and
selection of machinery, he would not consent to
the expenditure of a single dime for ornamenta
tion or show.
He urged upon the Directors the importance
of taking hold of the enterprise with a degree
of energy that would ensure its completion in
time to celebrate the Nation’s Centennial, by
starting in motion her 10,000 spindles and looms
on the 4th day of July, 1876, and promised his
very best efforts to secure this desired result.
The meeting throughout was very harmonious,
and much enthusiasm was manifested.
This organization, in our judgment, is every
way qualified to push this great enterprise to
speedy success, and we earnestly hope it will be
thoroughly supported by all classes of our people.
The Mineral Wealth of Georgia.
Villa Rica, Carroll Co., Ga., Feb. 27, 1875.
Editor Rural Southerner:
Dear Sir—l have noticed in several of your
numbers something said about the mineral
wealth of Georgia, and I desire to let your
thousands of readers know something of the
gold and copper mines of Carroll, which need
only capital to develop them.
First I would call attention to the Hart mine,
next the Jones’ and the Tine Mountain lot,
which has been worked superficially for over
thirty years. This lot alone has enough gold
ore upon it to furnish a dozen or more mills for
twenty years work upon it, and then have plenty
left ; and right adjoining it is the McDonald lot,
which is now in the hands of a company, who
are now erecting a steam mill with twelve
stamps, and will be in operation by the Ist of
May next. As for the copper, the same vein
that the celebrated Wood mine, just over the
edge of Carrroll, in Alabama, is on, runs direct
through old Carroll, and the largest outcrop is
within one and one-half miles of this place, on
the Roberts lot. A Tennessee company have
already struck a fine bed of the yellow sul
phuret, which aasays over 38 per cent, pure
copper, and this at only a depth of about forty
feet. Our place is almost wild with the excite
ment over it; for every lot north, east, south
and west of it has just as good top indications
upon it. We will only have to haul the ore
sixteen miles to Carrollton, some eight or ten
miles less than from the Wood mine, to get it to
the railroad. If we only had the Georgia West
ern Railroad finished from Atlanta to this place,
and is graded to within ten miles of us, and
the survey runs within one-half a mile of the
copper lead, we could furnish hundreds of car
loads of ore. Do urge upon your people to
finish it. Will write you again for your next
number. 8.
Southern States.
The Southern States embrace an area of near
ly 1,000,000 square miles, or more than 600,-
000,000 acres, with a population of about 15,-
000,000. The natural capabilities of this sec
tion surpass those of any other land beneath
the sun, while their productive results are of
vital importance to the commerce of the world,
the annual cotton product reaching 4,000,000
bales and bringing a revenue of nearly $300,-
000,000 ; while the rich agricultural products,
timber and naval stores contribute in no small
measure to the general wealth. To these
sources of revenue may be added the mineral
resources of the country, now being developed.
The success and economy with which this work
is being carried forward will be conceded, when
it is known that pig iron is actually being made
in Tennessee, at less than sls per ton.
But the development of this section is hardly
begun. It is said that the State of Mississippi
alone, if her soil were properly and entirely
tilled, would bring forth an amount of cotton
equal to the present entire annual product.
And surely the aggregate mining interest of
the whole section could find ample scope in
about any one of the rich mineral States we
could name.
If to-day this section, still bearing the scars
of war, is able to contribute so heavy a share to
the prosperity of the nation and of the world, it
is not possible to measure the magnitude of her
products a few years hence, when the hand of
man shall bring her resources to the light. The
Southern States are destined to be the seat of a
great population, of vast industries and of un
told wealth.
A Virginia Mica Mine.
Among the varied minerals with which
Virginia lands are underlaid, perhaps
none is more valuable or less known and
appreciated than mica. Chemically al
most if not quite identical with the kaolin,
always found with it, its geological for
mation is but poorly accounted for.—
Much of our red clay land is mingled
with comminuted particles of mica which,
washing out from the clay, are often an
annoyance in our spring and well water.
Its value increases in proportion or rather
out of all proportion as the size of the
clear cuts grows larger. * * Surface in
dications are valuable aids in finding the
deposit, but frequently mislead the inex
perienced from the fact that the commin
uted mica so abundant in the masses of
pure kaolin naturally induces the miner
to follow that, while the streaked masses
of mixed red clay and kaolin are the real
ground in which to find valuable mica.
ATLANTA’S CUSTOM HOUSE.
The Bill Finally Signed by the Presi
dent.
(Special to the Atlanta Constitution.)
Washington, March 5, 1875.
Atlanta’s custom house is’safe. The President
to-day signed the bill authorizing the Secretary
of the Treasury to use his discretion in the se
lection of material for the building.
Livi City.—The way to make a live city is to
do all that you can to make the business of
your neighbor a success. Advertise your busi
ness men by speaking a good word for them
wherever you go. Always be on the alert to
| induce new branches of industry to locate in
your midst ; judiciously aid every enterprise
that promises to add business facilities ; support
I local newspapers by taking and paying for
them, and feeling an interest in their welfare ;
if you know of any item of news which would
interest the public, take some pains to let the
editor know it ; don’t hold your vacant lots at
a price too high ; don’t hold a penny so near
your eyes as to hide a dollar at arm’s length.
The real estate assessment of Atlanta foots up
$13,255,390. Population, 35,133.
5