Our work is a small, but we feel that it is an important one. We know that had we possessed at an early age the knowledge of the laws of health which we now have, it would have saved us many a painful hour, and, probably, have added many days to our life. What is past, is gone beyond reprieve; but others are now young, and may be benefited by the dear-bought experience of those who have gone before them. We are not so vain as to think of accomplishing every thing that ought to be done in this great cause. But, if we fail of accomplishing anything, we shall have the satisfaction of having tried.

We feel very grateful to those gentlemen of the press who have so kindly noticed us, as many of them have. They have expressed their approbation of the plan and commencement of our effort, and wished us a prosperous course. We most cordially reciprocate their kind wishes. We believe there is a "niche" for us, and we mean to fill it as well as we can.

Our number of patrons for the past month has greatly exceeded our expectations. This seems to assure us that we have not mistaken as to what the community need.

We have been variously impressed since the publication of our first number. Some have kindly given us their advice gratis, for which, we suppose, the least return we can make will be our thanks. But we have more than once been reminded of that old pattern of industry, Ben. Franklin. We will give a certain story of his, as he has left it, for the benefit of all who may choose to read and receive it.

"There are in every country morose beings, who are always prognosticating ruin. There was one of this stamp at Philadelphia. He was a man of fortune, declined in years, had an air of wisdom, and a very grave manner of speaking. His name was Samuel Mickel. I knew him not; but he stopped one day at my door, and asked me if I was the young man who had lately opened a new printing-house. Upon my answering in the affirmative, he said that he was very sorry for me, as it was an expensive undertaking, and the money that had been laid out upon it would be lost, Philadelphia being a place falling into decay; its inhabitants having all, or nearly all of them, been obliged to call together their creditors. That he knew, from undoubted fact, the circumstances which might lead us to suppose the contrary, such

as new buildings, and the advanced price of rent, to be deceitful appearances, which in reality contributed to hasten the general ruin; and he gave me so long a detail of misfortunes, actually existing, or which were soon to take place, that he left me almost in a state of despair. Had I known this man before I entered into trade, I should doubtless never have ventured. He continued, however, to live in this state of decay, and to declaim in the same style, refusing for many years to buy a house because all was going to wreck; and in the end I had the satisfaction to see him pay five times as much for one as it would have cost him had he purchased it when he first began his lamentations."

"Journal of Health!" said one to us the other day; "why, my health is good enough; and if your book was on anything else, I would take it." Ah, thought we, you know not what may be before you. Within twenty years we have seen, and noticed somewhat carefully, many just like you. good enough," but they are now gone.

Their "health was

Their health was so

good that they took no care of it. They stood every wind, but a terrible storm came and swept them away with a stroke, root and branch. "O Tempora! O Mores!" When will men learn wisdom!

seen.

"What do you mean to make of your Journal of Health?" said another. "Is it the Graham Journal, or Dr. Alcott's, or the Philadelphia Journal revived?" We would just say, it is none of these dead Journals resurrectionized. Some of those we have never Others we know contained some excellent articles on health. In a single word, then, we would say that this publication will contain such articles as in the judgment of its editor will conduce to the health of the community, and none of the various isms of the day will have an undue prominence, and none be countenanced but such as commend themselves to common sense.

REMARKS ON CONSUMPTION.

FOR several years past, we have devoted considerable attention to this disease. Our design in speaking of this direful scourge

of our own land, and the world, in this work, is to set before our readers some of the means of prevention. Disease of the chest has been, for several years past, a troublesome companion of ours, and we, therefore, feel as though we might say some things in reference to it which may be serviceable to others.

In the New York Medical and Surgical Reporter, we find the number of deaths from consumption in that city, to have been sixty-seven during the first two weeks of December, 1845. In the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, the number of deaths in the city of Boston is reported weekly. We have examined this work, and find, that during the year 1844, the number of deaths, from consumption alone, was about three hundred. This, it appears, is a fair average for several years before. Some weeks during the Summer and early part of Autumn there were but two or three deaths from this disease a week, while in the Winter and Spring they have frequently numbered as high as twelve or fourteen. The last year, 1845, in the Bill of Mortality just published, there are four hundred and twenty-six deaths ascribed to this disease. Four hundred deaths annually, in the city of Boston alone, from consumption! The fact is astounding, and we hesitate not to say (and we mean to prove the truth of our assertion by the statements of the most renowned physicians of the world) that hundreds of these persons might have been saved by proper care and attention. Probably, this assertion may seem startling to some, and they may be ready to exclaim, it cannot be true; and to feel as though such a statement savors of impiety. Many will be ready to ask, Is not the hand of Providence in the death of every person? And could they have lived longer than their "appointed time"? We believe in an overruling and superintending Providence, as firmly as any one; but such objections remind us of the remark of the old lady respecting Dr. Franklin's Lightning Rods, "to think to preserve any thing from the lightning is to defy the Almighty." We find many still employ lightning rods. Or, we have often been reminded by such inquiries of the case of Zeno's slave. "When his master scourged

him for stealing, he said, it was decreed that he should steal. Yes," continued the Philosopher, as he repeated the flagellation, "and to be flogged." Thus, of multitudes of those who die of consumption, they live as they list, and death, by this fell destroy

er, is the result; and the natural, legitimate result. This is as fairly the consequence of the lives which they lead, as death by poisoning is the consequence of swallowing the deadly drug. It may not, in all cases, be as easy to discover the connection between the course of life, or neglect of its proper duties, and the fatal malady, as between the poisoned chalice and the death of him who drinks it to the dregs. But, nevertheless, the connection is no more certain in the one case than in the other, Let us not be here understood to say, that all who fall victims to this disease are dissipated in their habits, or live immoral lives, or are guilty of any misdemeanor of this kind. We say no such thing. Some of them may have been intemperate and immoral, but by far the greater portion have fallen into the arms of this fell destroyer from (as we remarked in our first number) not knowing how to take care of themselves.

The greater part of the victims of consumption are sensible, when it is too late, that they have brought the disease upon themselves. We had an instance, in proof of this remark, since the January number of this work was published. A gentleman called upon us for medical advice, evidently threatened with pulmonary consumption. We asked what had been his profession. He said, he had all his life, till within three years, been in active business; and added, "I believe, if I had always continued my active habits and my former occupation, I should have been a well man now." We have no reason to doubt but that he now has a correct view of his case. Change of habits, from activity to inaction, was, in all probability, the immediate cause of the difficulty under which he now labors. No person, unless he be aged, should change from an active to an inactive life suddenly.

The late Dr. John Armstrong, of London, a very eminent Physician, in his lecture on consumption, has one section entitled, "The Prevention of Consumption." He speaks of various means to be used to accomplish this object. He, then, believed that it could be prevented. He did not believe it could be cured, though he thought he had seen two or three persons who he supposed had had it, and who recovered. In one place, he says, “I believe sailing will often prevent, though it will not cure consumption." In another, "Fifty thousand persons die annually in England of consumption, and we know nothing which will cure tubercles

or arrest confirmed consumption; hence we see how important it is to bear in mind the means of preventing this terrible disease." M. Boyle, also, advocated the absolute incurability of tubercular consumption, but admits "the possibility of its being almost indefinitely prolonged."

M. Laennec, a greater than either of the above named, admits that consumption cannot be cured by art, though it often is by the spontaneous efforts of nature. At the same, time he says "the development of tubercles may be indefinitely retarded." From these premises we are warranted in stating, that consumption may be prevented. This is all which we assert. We wish it to be distinctly understood, that we have no intention of adding another to the thousands of humbugs which already exist, by asserting that we can cure consumption. We believe, however, with Armstrong, and Laennec, and a multitude of others, that consumption has frequently been cured by the spontaneous efforts of nature. And we here add, that, in our opinion, nature always effects the cure whenever a disease is remedied. All that art can do is to remove the obstructions to the natural and healthful efforts of nature. Thus, if the perspiration is checked and the internal organs are oppressed, art administers the bath, or the medicine which opens the pores of the skin, through which, nature expels the poison and the invalid recovers.

"MY OWN TIMES, OR 'TIS FIFTY YEARS SINCE."

BY WALTER CHANNING, M.D.

[Continued from page 24.]

II. THE SCHOOL. Education was cheap, and the amount taught was in some proportion to the means. There was less required of all classes as a preparation for the professions, and for other callings. There were schools for different classes, for with the other facts in the social history of the times just referred to, distinctions were more strongly marked than in the succeeding years. Still education was so cheap for all, that it was not difficult for any who desired it, by strong bent of intellect to obtain the best. The discipline of the school, like that of the family, was strict, and even severe. Punishment had its authority and