Farmers' Food

In tho last report of the Massachusetts Board of Health, Dr. J. F. A. Adama, of l'ittsfield, one of the ïnost accomplished physiciaus in the Ntato, has preseutod a long and valuable roport upon the health of farmers, in which he combines lm own experience with that of the leading physicians in the State, to whom he sent ciroulars containing twenty questions, to which they responded. I3r. Adauis concluded that the following are the diseases to which farmers are most liable, and the liability is in the order named : First, rheuinatism ; second, dyspepsia ; third, fever ; fourth, acute lung affections ; lifth, consumption. In answur to the question : " What causes tend to injure the health of farmers and their families 'i" overwork ismentioned as the flrst, iinproper diet the second, exposure tho third, sanitary detecta in barn-yarda, hogpens, privies, dniius, oeliars, etc, rank as the tourth cause ; want of ventilation the tifth ; want of recreation, cleanliness, and other causes are mentioned, but the first four are the principal. Upon the subject of farmers' diet, Dr. Adams comes to several conclusions, the full force of which our Western farmers will appreciate fully. It is not insinuated that wives of Western farmers are inforior to their sisters at the Kast in the practice of the culinary arts, but they have been so long in the habit of prepariug the meals in just such a way that it is diüicult to make a cbange. As to farmers' diet, Dr. Adatns arrivés at these eight conclusions : 1. Good bread is scarce, and is too of ten raade with souie unwholesome substituto foi yeast. 2. There is too little variety in food. 3. Meat is too apt to be fried. 4. Baked beana and salt-pork, although a highly nutritious dish, are too generally used, being indigestible for inany persons, 5. Pastry and cakes are used to a highly injudicious extent. 6 Too little time is allotted for uiealg. 7. Ooffeo and tea, ospecially the lntter, are too freely used as beveragea. 8. Water is used in excess. Dr. Paddock's reraarks on this point are these : " The food of farmers is usually soaked in fat. Beefsteak is fried to a crisp in fat; nearly all otbor nieata are fried, and I think a larger proportion of farmers are dyspeptio than of any other class. They need better bread, rare-cooked meats, less fat and grease." To the frying of meats so fashionable among farmers, the testimony of the physicians is unaniuiously opposed. Beef and mutton are reconiinended as the best meats, and voal and perk are condemned as unfit for staplo articles of diet. Dr. Adams thus sums uj the testimony on the matter of diet : " More fresh and less salt meat ; less fryiug and more boiling, broiling and roasting ; a greater variety of vegetable and fruits; less pies and cakes ; more wholesome well-kneaded bread raised with yeast ; less tea." We have space only to refer to one more point, and thut is the badly ventilated rooms in which many farmers sleep, and the feather beda on which thejr lie. On this point Dr. Lawrence tells the story in a few words : " As a general thing, farmers sleep in the poorest rooms in their houses which are very amall and poorly ventilated. Feathers are an aboinination." - ■