Our bones, nerves, and muscles receive life and nourishment from the blood; then how necessary it should be pure and clean. As the blood is made from our food, we should be careful as to the quality and quantity, eating only what is conducive to health, which surely will promote happiness. Strong spices, hot bread, rich pies and cakes, salt pork and beef, are injurious eating at all hours of the day, especially at bed time, and is contrary to the laws of nature. Some may laugh, and say, “Why, I eat half a mince pie, and half a dozen pickles, every night, and yet I am well.” You may tantalize your digestive organs for a while, but remember, your gratifying your unnatural appetite, will be repaid by years of pain and distress. Be rational beings; eat to live, and not live to eat.
Mothers, as a general thing, feed their children too often; even if you nourish your child with the breast, it should be regular—not twenty times a day, and all night. This is very wrong; you bring your little ones up gluttons, and, as soon as they are weaned, they will be continually crying for something to eat—never satisfied. Always be regular in eating your own meals, and giving the same to your children, if you wish them to be healthy; as a general rule, give them food according to your own judgment—not too much. I think many a poor child has been murdered, by an over fond mother giving it all it wanted, and not using that judgment which was required, because the child cried. O! mothers, be firm, wise, and prudent, in raising those tender plants; remember, if the digestive organs are too weak, the child will fall into fits. Let a child eat mashed potatoes; all vegetables are better, and give more nourishment, than cakes and pies; a little lean meat, is healthy for a child. In our food, we all want a change; but let all be well cooked, well baked, and plainly seasoned.
Now let me go back, and say a little in regard to the nerves and bones. The nerves derive their support from the blood, but not entirely, for the nerves may be weakened by other causes; still they depend on the blood, in a measure, for support. For instance, a lady may fall and break her back bone, or spine; now this is the seat of the nerves; they all branch out from the spine, and, of course, all the nerves are affected; perhaps the pain would be most severe at the extremity of the nerves. Many able and eminent physicians have been baffled, in procuring ease to their patients, as there was no pain where the parts were injured, but at the extremity of the nerves.
The digestive organs depend entirely upon the nerves for support; therefore, never irritate the spine by blistering, as it injures every nerve. Everything that is applied to the spine—plasters, bathing, or drops, should be of a cooling nature, and at the same time strengthening, and never irritating, as it only makes you worse; I never saw any good effect derived from it. If you want to irritate, draw from the spine, by putting blisters on the thighs or legs, not to the spine or head; let your motive be, in all cases, to draw downward.
How do the joints derive support from the blood? It is the secretion we call in physiology, synovia. It serves the same purpose as the grease which men use for wheels, to prevent their making a noise; so, when this secretion is obstructed, or the circulation irregular, the ligaments and muscles find no support, and consequently they become stiff and inactive; call it rheumatism, if you like, or weak joints. Sometimes the bones become crooked and deformed, which is often caused by mercury, or by scrofula, which creates heat, and absorbs all the nourishment from them. Sometimes the muscles become stiff; in all such cases, cleanse the blood, and rub in hemlock tincture; you will find, in this book, very good bathing drops.
THE DIAPHRAGM.
Now that I have explained the circulation of the blood, and showed you the contents of the chest, I will proceed to the midriff. The contents of the chest are separated from the abdomen, by a floating curtain, called the midriff, or diaphragm. The midriff is the floor of the lungs; the right and left portions are loose, and float upward into the chest every time we breathe out the air in the chest; on breathing, or drawing in the air, the midriff of a person in health, forms a floor to the lungs and heart, and it descends until it is drawn tight, flat and stiff, across the body. The arrangement of the midriff is such, as always to form a strong support to the heart and lungs, as it floats below the lungs, every time we empty the air out from the chest.
The midriff is united, or fastened to the back bone, breast bone, and the middle of the ribs; therefore, we say the right and left portions float upward into the chest. How often is this part strained, and then called consumption! I allow there may be a cough, and tightness across the chest; but the real cause is, the lungs have lost their support, and consequently they wither and decay, unless you can strengthen the floor or support, that is, the ligaments; the symptoms are, you are unable to draw a long breath; if you go up stairs, your breath becomes short.
How many of you have had relations or some female friend, whom you considered near dying of consumption, but fortunately became pregnant; and she, to your astonishment, enjoyed better health than for years previous. But how could it be so? Why, this is the cause: as soon as the fœtus rose from the vagina, it supported the midriff, and pushed up the floor of the lungs, and the poor patient found instant relief; she could breathe freely, could walk easily, her cough ceased, and her sleep was calm. But alas! as soon as parturition takes place, her symptoms all return, and, as no one understands her case, she must die, through ignorance.
Young men very often sprain their midriff, by lifting, or in wrestling, and frequently die of consumption, when, by a little care and judicious treatment, they might be saved. In the first place, your lungs hang on your wind-pipe, air vessels, and blood vessels; now, if so, they want a support, and the midriff is this support; but if it is gone, do not be surprised if you decap a blood vessel, and thereby spit blood from that cause; but be not frightened to death by this, as it will, in many cases, relieve you and be beneficial in the end.