The principles of physiology applied to the preservation of health, and to the improvement of physical and mental education / [Andrew Combe].

  • Andrew Combe
Date:
1844
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles of physiology applied to the preservation of health, and to the improvement of physical and mental education / [Andrew Combe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ways be when we enter upon a right course. It would be easy to multiply to an indefinite extent similar examples of hurtful ignorance among both public will be mentioned incidentally when treating of the special functions of the animal economy, it is unneces- sary to dwell farther upon them at present. We are constantly meeting with anomalies in practi- cal life, in the case of individuals little accustomed, when in health, to observe or to reflect on the influence of ex- ternal circumstances and modes of living in disturbing the actions of the various animal functions, but at the same time easily: and deeply impressed by all ertraordi- nary occurrences afiecting them. Thus, when any one is taken ill, his relatives or friends become extremely anxious to have his room properly ventilated ; his body- clothes frequently changed and carefully aired ; his food properly regulated in quantity and quality; his skin cleaned and refreshed; his mind amused and tranquil- lized; his sleep sound and undisturbed ; and his body duly exercised ;—and they state as the reason for all this care, and most justly, that pure air, cleanliness, atten- tion to diet, cheerfulness, regular exercisé, and sound sleep, are all highly conducive to health. And yet such is the inconsistency attendant on ignorance, that the patient _ is no sooner restored, than koth he and his guardians are often found to become as careless and indifferent in re- gard to all the laws of health, as if these were entirely without influence, and their future breach or observance could in no way affect him! Just as if it were not better, when we have it, than first to lose it, and then pay the penalty in suffering and danger, as an indispensable pre- liminary to its subsequent restoration! * One cause of such anomalous conduct is the danger- ous and prevalent fallacy of supposing that, because glaring mischief does not instantly follow every breach of an organic law, no harm has been done. Thus, what is more common than to hear a dyspeptic invalid, who seeks to gratify his palate, affirm, that vegetables, for example, or pastry, or puddings, do not disagree with him, as he ate them on such a day and felt no inconve- nience from them ? and the same in regard to late hours, heated rooms, insufficient clothing, and all other sources ‘of bad health, every one of which will, in like manner, be defended by some patient or other, on the ground specified occasion ; while all, when the rule is not di- the case of others, such things are, and must be, very , — e Happy would it often be for suffering man could he see beforehand the modicum of punishment which his multiplied aberrations from the laws of physiology are sure to bring upon him. But as, in the great majority of instances, the breach of the law is limited in extent, and becomes serious only by the frequency of its repe- tition; so is the punishment gradual in its infliction, and slow in manifesting its accumulated effect ; and this very gradation, and the distance of time at which the full effect is produced, are the reasons why man in his ignorance so often fails to trace the connection between his conduct in life and his broken health. But the con- nection subsists although he does not regard it, and the expecis them. Thus, pure air is essential to the full enjoyment of delicately constituted female, who is fond of frequenting _ heated rooms, or crowded parties, theatres, or churches, and call her attention to the hurtful consequences which 9) she must inflict on herself by inhaling the vitiated air of sucu assemblies, her answer invariably is, that the close- ness and heat are very disagreeable, but that they rarely injure ker :—-By which she can only mean, that a single exposure to them does not always cause an illness serious enough to send her to bed, or excite acute pain ; although both results are admitted sometimes to have followed. An intelligent observer, however, has no difficulty in perceiving that they do hurt her, and that although the effect of each exposure to their influence is so gradual as not to arrest attention, it is not the less progressive and influential in producing and maintaining that general delicacy of health by which she is characterized and from which no medical treatment can relieve her so long as its causes are left in active operation. The debility so generally complained of in spring by invalids and persons of a delicate constitution, and which renders that season of the year so formidable in pro- spect and in reality so fatal, seems, in numerous in- stances, to result more from the accumulated effects of neglect during the preceding winter months, than from any thing directly inherent in the season itself. At the commencement of winter, such persons feel comparative- ly strong from the beneficial exposure to the open air, light, and exercise, which they enjoyed during the sum- mer and autumnal months. But, in proportion as they are deprived of these advantages by the advance of win- ter, and are subjected to the evil consequences of con- finement, deficient exercise, cold damp air, and depriva- tion of the stimulus of light, the strength of the consti- tution becomes impaired, and debility and relaxation be- gin to be felt, and make progress from day to day, till, on the arrival of spring, they have reached their maxi- mum, and then either give rise to positive disease, or again gradually disappear on the return of the invigo- rating influence of longer and warmer days. Where, however, pulmonary disease or any unusual susceptibi- lity pre-exists, this principle will not apply; for in such cases, the east winds prevalent in spring are di- rectly injurious. If the above view be correct, it is obvious that, in most cases, the hurtful cause is not, as is commonly sup- posed, so much any positive quality of the season, as the accumulated mass of the winter influences then reaching their maximum ; and this is not perceived, only because the effect from day to day, although perfectly real, is too small to attract notice, while the aggregate result of the many days composing winter is striking enough. The fact that those who deny themselves the delight of late parties and crowded rooms, and are sufficiently robust to undergo the necessary exposure in winter, suffer much less in spring, seems to corroborate the above explana- tion. Of the truth and practical value of the above doc- trines, the author may be allowed to quote his own case, as an instructive example. In the autumn of 1831, he went to Italy in consequence of pulmonary disease ; which, in January and February 1832, reduced him to such a state of debility as to leave no hope of his surviv- ing the spring. Aware that his only chance lay in as- sisting nature to the utmost extent by placing every function in the circumstances best fitted for its healthy performance, he acted habitually on the principle of yielding the strictest obedience to the physiological laws and rendering every other object secondary to this. He did so, in the full assurance that, whether recovery fol- lowed or not, this was, at all events, the most certain way to secure the greatest bodily ease and the most per- fect mental tranquillity compatible with his situation. The result was in the highest degree satisfactory. From being obliged to pause twice in getting out of bed, a slow but progressive improvement took place, and by long and steady perseverance continued till, at the end of two or three months, he was able to drive out and walk a little every day. From month to month thereafter, the amendment was so gradual as to be scarcely perceptible ;
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