Dripread - Book

shine on desks or on objects in front of the
scholars, and letting the light come from the left hand or left and
rear; hold book at right angles to the line of sight or nearly so; give
eyes frequent rest by looking up. The distance of the book from the eye
should be about fifteen inches. The usual indication of strain is
redness of the rim of the eyelid, betokening a congested state of the
inner surface, which may be accompanied with some pain. When the eye
tires easily rest is not the proper remedy, but the use of glasses of
sufficient power to aid in accommodating the eye to vision.

How and When to Drink Water.

According to Doctor Leuf, when water is taken into the full or partly
full stomach, it does not mingle with the food, as we are taught, but
passes along quickly between the food and lesser curvature toward the
pylorus, through which it passes into the intestines. The secretion of
mucus by the lining membrane is constant, and during the night a
considerable amount accumulates in the stomach; some of its liquid
portion is absorbed, and that which remains is thick and tenacious. If
food is taken into the stomach when in this condition, it becomes coated
with this mucus, and the secretion of the gastric juice and its action
are delayed. These facts show the value of a goblet of water before
breakfast. This washes out the tenacious mucus, and stimulates the
gastric glands to secretion. In old and feeble persons water should not
be taken cold, but it may be with great advantage taken warm or hot.
This removal of the accumulated mucus from the stomach is probably one
of the reasons why taking soup at the beginning of a meal has been found
so beneficial.

What Causes Coughs.

Cold and coughs are prevalent throughout the country, but throat
affections are by far more common among business men. Every unfortunate
one mutters something about the abominable weather and curses the
piercing wind. Much of the trouble, however, is caused by overheated
rooms, and a little more attention to proper ventilation would remove
the cause of suffering. Doctor J. Ewing Mears, who was thus afflicted,
said to an inquirer: "The huskiness and loss of power of articulation so
common among us are largely due to the use of steam for heating. The
steam cannot be properly regulated, and the temperature becomes too
high. A person living in this atmosphere has all the cells of the lungs
open, and when he passes into the open air he is unduly exposed. The
affliction is quite common among the men who occupy offices in the new
buildings which are fitted up with all modern improvements. The
substitution of electric light for gas has wrought a change to which
people have not yet adapted themselves. The heat arising from a number
of gas jets will quickly raise the temperature of a room, and
unconsciously people rely upon that means of heating to some extent.
Very little warmth, however, is produced by the electric light, and when
a man reads by an incandescent light he at times finds himself becoming
chilly, and wonders why it is. Too hot during the day and too cold at
night are conditions which should be avoided."

PHYSICAL EXERCISE.

The principal methods of developing the physique now prescribed by
trainers are exercise with dumbbells, the bar bell and the chest weight.
The rings and horizontal and parallel bars are also used, but not nearly
to the extent that they formerly were. The movement has been all in the
direction of the simplification of apparatus; in fact, one well-known
teacher of the Boston Gymnasium when asked his opinion said: "Four bare
walls and a floor, with a well-posted instructor, is all that is really
required for a gymnasium."

Probably the most important as well as the simplest appliance for
gymnasium work is the wooden dumbbell, which has displaced the ponderous
iron bell of former days. Its weight is from three-quarters of a pound
to a pound and a half, and with one in each hand a variety of motions
can be gone through, which are of immense benefit in building up or
toning down every muscle and all vital parts of the body.

The first object of an instructor in taking a beginner in hand is to
increase the circulation. This is done by exercising the extremities,
the first movement being one of the hands, after which come the wrists,
then the arms, and next the head and feet. As the circulation is
increased the necessity for a larger supply of oxygen, technically
called "oxygen-hunger," is created, which is only satisfied by

The Handy Cyclopedia of Things Worth Knowing / A Manual of Ready Reference