over the teacups-第39章

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character　influenced　by　diet；　also　whether；　in　my　opinion；　oatmeal　is

preferable　to　pie　as　an　American　national　food。



In　answer　to　these　questions；　I　should　say　that　I　have　my　beliefs　and

prejudices；　but　if　I　were　pressed　hard　for　my　proofs　of　their

correctness；　I　should　make　but　a　poor　show　in　the　witness…box。　　Most

assuredly　I　do　believe　that　body　and　mind　are　much　influenced　by　the

kind　of　food　habitually　depended　upon。　　I　am　persuaded　that　a　too

exclusively　porcine　diet　gives　a　bristly　character　to　the　beard　and

hair；　which　is　borrowed　from　the　animal　whose　tissues　these　stiff…

bearded　compatriots　of　ours　have　too　largely　assimilated。　　I　can

never　stray　among　the　village　people　of　our　windy　capes　without　now

and　then　coming　upon　a　human　being　who　looks　as　if　he　had　been　split；

salted；　and　dried；　like　the　salt…fish　which　has　built　up　his　arid

organism。　　If　the　body　is　modified　by　the　food　which　nourishes　it；

the　mind　and　character　very　certainly　will　be　modified　by　it　also。

We　know　enough　of　their　close　connection　with　each　other　to　be　sure

of　that；　without　any　statistical　observations　to　prove　it。



Do　you　really　want　to　know　〃whether　oatmeal　is　preferable　to　pie　as

an　American　national　food〃？　　I　suppose　the　best　answer　I　can　give　to

your　question　is　to　tell　you　what　is　my　own　practice。　　Oatmeal　in　the

morning；　as　an　architect　lays　a　bed　of　concrete　to　form　a　base　for

his　superstructure。　　Pie　when　I　can　get　it；　that　is；　of　the　genuine

sort；　for　I　am　not　patriotic　enough　to　think　very　highly　of　the

article　named　after　the　Father　of　his　Country；　who　was　first　in　war；

first　in　peace；not　first　in　pies；　according　to　my　standard。



There　is　a　very　odd　prejudice　against　pie　as　an　article　of　diet。　　It

is　common　to　hear　every　form　of　bodily　degeneracy　and　infirmity

attributed　to　this　particular　favorite　food。　　I　see　no　reason　or

sense　in　it。　　Mr。　　Emerson　believed　in　pie；　and　was　almost　indignant

when　a　fellow…traveller　refused　the　slice　he　offered　him。　　〃Why；

Mr。________　；〃　said　be；　〃what　is　pie　made　for！〃　　If　every　Green

Mountain　boy　has　not　eaten　a　thousand　times　his　weight　in　apple；

pumpkin；　squash；　and　mince　pie；　call　me　a　dumpling。　　And　Colonel

Ethan　Allen　was　one　of　them；Ethan　Allen；　who；　as　they　used　to　say；

could　wrench　off　the　head　of　a　wrought　nail　with　his　teeth。



If　you　mean　to　keep　as　well　as　possible；　the　less　you　think　about

your　health　the　better。　　You　know　enough　not　to　eat　or　drink　what　you

have　found　does　not　agree　with　you。　　You　ought　to　know　enough　not　to

expose　yourself　needlessly　to　draughts。　　If　you　take　a

〃constitutional；〃　walk　with　the　wind　when　you　can；　and　take　a　closed

car　against　it　if　you　can　get　one。　　Walking　against　the　wind　is　one

of　the　most　dangerous　kinds　of　exposure；　if　you　are　sensitive　to

cold。　　But　except　a　few　simple　rules　such　as　I　have　just　given；　let

your　health　take　care　of　itself　so　long　as　it　behaves　decently。　　If

you　want　to　be　sure　not　to　reach　threescore　and　twenty；　get　a　little

box　of　homoeopathic　pellets　and　a　little　book　of　homeopathic

prescriptions。　　I　had　a　poor　friend　who　fell　into　that　way；　and

became　at　last　a　regular　Hahnemaniac。　　He　left　a　box　of　his　little

jokers；　which　at　last　came　into　my　hands。　　The　poor　fellow　had

cultivated　symptoms　as　other　people　cultivate　roses　or

chrysanthemums。　　What　a　luxury　of　choice　his　imagination　presented　to

him！　　When　one　watches　for　symptoms；　every　organ　in　the　body　is　ready

to　put　in　its　claim。　　By　and　by　a　real　illness　attacked　him；　and　the

box　of　little　pellets　was　shut　up；　to　minister　to　his　fancied　evils

no　longer。



Let　me　tell　you　one　thing。　　I　think　if　patients　and　physicians　were

in　the　habit　of　recognizing　the　fact　I　am　going　to　mention；　both

would　be　gainers。　　The　law　I　refer　to　must　be　familiar　to　all

observing　physicians；　and　to　all　intelligent　persons　who　have

observed　their　own　bodily　and　mental　conditions。　　This　is　the　curve

of　health。　　It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　the　normal　state　of

health　is　represented　by　a　straight　horizontal　line。　　Independently


of　the　well…known　causes　which　raise　or　depress　the　standard　of

vitality；　there　seems　to　be；I　think　I　may　venture　to　say　there　is；

a　rhythmic　undulation　in　the　flow　of　the　vital　force。　　The　〃dynamo〃

which　furnishes　the　working　powers　of　consciousness　and　action　has

its　annual；　its　monthly；　its　diurnal　waves；　even　its　momentary

ripples；　in　the　current　it　furnishes。　　There　are　greater　and　lesser

curves　in　the　movement　of　every　day's　life；a　series　of　ascending

and　descending　movements；　a　periodicity　depending　on　the　very　nature

of　the　force　at　work　in　the　living　organism。　　Thus　we　have　our　good

seasons　and　our　bad　seasons；　our　good　days　and　our　bad　days；　life

climbing　and　descending　in　long　or　short　undulations；　which　I　have

called　the　curve　of　health。



》From　this　fact　spring　a　great　proportion　of　the　errors　of　medical

practice。　　On　it　are　based　the　delusions　of　the　various　shadowy

systems　which　impose　themselves　on　the　ignorant　and　half…learned

public　as　branches　or　〃schools〃　of　science。　　A　remedy　taken　at　the

time　of　the　ascent　in　the　curve　of　health　is　found　successful。　　The

same　remedy　taken　while　the　curve　is　in　its　downward　movement　proves

a　failure。



So　long　as　this　biological　law　exists；　so　long　the　charlatan　will

keep　his　hold　on　the　ignorant　public。　　So　long　as　it　exists；　the

wisest　practitioner　will　be　liable　to　deceive　himself　about　the

effect　of　what　he　calls　and　loves　to　think　are　his　remedies。　　Long…

continued　and　sagacious　observation　will　to　some　extent　undeceive

him；　but　were　it　not　for　the　happy　illusion　that　his　useless　or　even

deleterious　drugs　were　doing　good　service；　many　a　practitioner　would

give　up　his　calling　for　one　in　which　he　could　be　more　certain　that　he

was　really　being　useful　to　the　subjects　of　his　professional　dealings。

For　myself；　I　should　prefer　a　physician　of　a　sanguine　temperament；

who　had　a　firm　belief　in　himself　and　his　methods。　　I　do　not　wonder　at

all　that　the　public　support　a　whole　community　of　pretenders　who　show

the　portraits　of　the　patients　they　have　〃cured。〃　　The　best　physicians

will　tell　you　that；　though　many　patients　get　well　under　their

treatment；　they　rarely　cure　anybody。　　If　you　are　told　also　that　the

best　physician　has　many　more　patients　die　on　his　hands　than　the　worst

of　his　fellow…practitioners；　you　may　add　these　two　statements　to　your

bundle　of　paradoxes；　and　if　they　puzzle　you　I　will　explain　them　at

some　future　time。



＇I　take　this　opportunity　of　correcting　a　statement　now　going　the

rounds　of　the　medical　and　probably　other　periodicals。　　In　〃The

Journal　of　the　American　Medical　Association；〃　dated　April　26；1890；

published　at　Chicago；　I　am　reported；　in　quotation　marks；　as　saying；

〃Give　me　opium；　wine；　and　milk；　and　I　will　cure　all　diseases　to　which

flesh　is　heir。〃



In　the　first　place；　I　never　said　I　will　cure；　or　can　cure；　or　would

or　could　cure；　or　had　cured　any　disease。　　My　venerated　instructor；

Dr。　James　Jackson；　taught　me　never　to　use　that　expression。　　Curo

means；　I　take　care　of；　he　used　to　say；　and　in　that　sense；　if　you　mean

nothing　more；　it　is　properly　employed。　　So；　in　the　amphitheatre　of

the　Ecole　de　Medecine；　I　used　to　read　the　words　of　Ambroise　Pare；　Je

le　pansay；　Dieu　le　guarist。〃　（I　dressed　his　wound；　and　God　cured

him。）　Next；　I　am　not　in　the　habit　of　talking　about　〃the　diseases　to

which　flesh　is　heir。〃　　The　expression　has　become　rather　too　familiar

for　repetition；　and　belongs　to　the　rhetoric　of　other　latitudes。　　And；

lastly；　I　have　said　some　plain　things；　perhaps　some　sharp　ones；　about

the　abuse　of　drugs　and　the　limited　number　of　vitally　important

remedies；　but　I　am　not　so　ignorantly　presumptuous　as　to　make　the

foolish　statement　falsely　attributed　to　me。＇



I　paused　a　minute　or　two；　and　as　no　one　spoke　out；　I　put　a　question

to　the　Counsellor。



Are　you　quite　sure　that　you　wish　to　live　to　be　threescore　and　twenty

years　old？