Advice on the care of the health ; with remarks on the present state of hygiology ; showing the necessity for the adoption of public sanatory measures ; on the causes and prevention of disease ; and on air, exercise, diet, bathing, etc / [John Harrison Curtis].

  • Curtis, John Harrison, 1778-approximately 1860
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Advice on the care of the health ; with remarks on the present state of hygiology ; showing the necessity for the adoption of public sanatory measures ; on the causes and prevention of disease ; and on air, exercise, diet, bathing, etc / [John Harrison Curtis]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    64/72 (page 54)
    The principal object of the society will be to diffuse knowledge upon these vital subjects throughout the country, and to recom- mend to the legislature and the public the adoption of measures for purifying the atmosphere of our towns; for providing an abundant supply of pure water ; for preventing the adulteration of food, &c. ; for improved sewerage and cleanliness in our streets, meat-markets, and slaughter-houses ; for preventing in- terments in cities and large towns ; for the establishment ol public baths ; for providing more numerous and attractive places of resort and amusement in the open air ; for diminishing the hours of in door employment, for both males and females; and, generally, for whatever is advocated in my various works as tend- ing to increase the health and comfort of our densely populated cities and towns. It is only by such measures as these, that we can secure freedom from wide-spread epidemics; at present it is impossible to be certain that we may not at any time become the victims of some scourge as devastating as the plague or the cholera. In the event of any such calamity, it would be the duty of the Sanatory Society to diffuse, as quickly as possible, information on the best means for arresting its progress, and for combatting its ravages ; and those who recollect, as well as I do, the indecision and uncertainty which prevailed during the time of the cholera as to the proper steps to be pursued,*' will acknowledge the vast be- nefit that would thus be conferred upon the community, as it must be remembered that decisive measures at once, and sys- tematically acted upon, would often destroy an epidemic in its germ, as it were ; but being suffered to proceed without resist- ance for a few days, it becomes too strong to be successfully opposed. We have now reached the last division of our subject—the care of the health in old age—a branch of it which may be briefly dismissed with a few general directions on the leading points. In many respects the aged resemble the young—both are feeble —in both the principle of life is easily extinguished ; and hence many of the precautions necessary at the one period of life are needful in the other also. The food of the aged should be of the most digestible kind— * At this period I attended a meeting of the vestrjr of my parish, held for the purpose of deliberating on what was to be done, and can well remember the difference of opinion which prevailed. I recommended the plan employed at Haslar, the copious administration of diluting drinks, such as barley water, or the tisane used in France, which is made of barley and liquorice: or until this could be prepared, plenty of warm water. This plan is adopted at the Hotel Dieu at Paris in cases of lever —the patients being allowed to drink tisane ad libitum.