J. D. Koogle

“ Watering a transplanted tree every day, letting the surface dry hard with the sun and wind, is too much like basting a joint of meat before the kitchen fire to be looked upon as decent treatment, for any thing living when you water do it after the sun sets. If you find your fruit trees barren from too great running to wood, (about the first of June is the time) clip or pinch off the ends of the side shoots, so as to expend its substance in making buds instead of wasting all the sap in over growth. ”

“ For be it remembered, that no human being can impair his health at any period of his life, without proportionally shortening his days; without being brought to a strict account at the close of life, and he compelled to end it as much sooner than he otherwise would, as he has injured his health during his whole lifetime. Let me urge upon you the infinite importance of preserving your health. This effectually done, millions of money bestowed on each reader could not equally benefit you, because of the incomparable greater value of health than money. ”

“ If we possessed all the wealth, and all the honors, and all the blessings mortals can possess, we could enjoy them only in proportion as we had health, and their value would be diminished just in proportion to its decline. ”

“ Considered which ever way you will, to preserve the health if it be good, and if poor to regain and then preserve, should be the paramount business of life, should take precedence over all others, and be our first great concern. Come then readers one and all and let us make it our permanent business to preserve and augment our health; let us allow ourselves to do nothing that shall impair it; let us make and take time to do every thing in our power to invigorate it. ”

“ The free action of the heat is prevented by tight lacing and the consequence is it labors like a dying man, but in vain—it cannot get relieved from its fetters. The blood is prevented from flowing with that freedom and ease which are essential to the well being of the system, and the violent exertions which the heart must make in order to carry on the circulation, become the cause of disease in that organ, which perhaps can never be cured. Another evil of lacing: The stomach is always included in the deadly grasp of the corset. ”

“ You cannot expect a tree to flourish and produce good fruit when there is no strength or food to supply it with proper nourishment. It is too much like building a house without a foundation, or sitting down to dine at an empty dish, there being nothing to support the growth of the tree, no food to supply it with proper nourishment, finally, it dies for the want of nourishment, if not, the fruit which it bears, if any, is small and knotty, having scarcely any taste or flavor. ”

“ How a good appetite, the produce of health, would enjoy them. Well might the glutted alderman offer a ragged boy a guinea for his appetite for breakfast. The rich invalid is poor, but he who is healthy is rich, because his fund of life and his capacities for enjoyment are proportionally great. ”

“ There are a great many farmers complaining that they cannot raise any fruit. Truly, how can they expect to raise fruit when they will crowd their trees into small holes, and the soil so hard that you can scarcely drive a stake into it with a sledge, and above all the land starved out, the grass and weeds suffered to grow up at such a rate that you are not able to see the body of the tree. ”

“ Every internal inflammation soon affects the whole system, accompanied with considerable fever, and that fever and degree of it is easily ascertained by the heat of the breath, and the mouth, and the base of the horn, by the redness of the eye, hardness of the pulse and the loss of appetite. When Inflammation seizes any important organ, as the brain, lungs, bowels, kidneys, udder, &c., bleeding is to be immediately had recourse to, after bleeding, a purging drink is to [6] be administered, sometimes it is necessary to insert a seton in the dew lap. ”

“ Nor is this the half; whatever enfeebles the health enfeebles the mind by weakening and disordering the brain. So perfectly are body and brain inter related, that all the conditions of either react upon each other; whatever augments the health, strengthens the body and thereby invigorates both the brain and the mind. What is the true value of the mind? How much could you afford to give for double the amount you now possess? Neither money nor any thing else can measure its value. ”

“ Some think that it is confined entirely to the head, while others say that the lungs are also affected; that it originates in the stomach, from which it is removed by the action of the lymphatic vessels, and being thrown into the circulation is diffused throughout the entire system, and carried by the arteries into the lungs, through which all the blood in a horse’s body passes many times during an hour, where it undergoes a change, thus depositing a portion of the poisonous matter that had been received into the stomach in the lungs. ”

“ Health consists in the vigorous and normal or constitutional action of all the physical organs and functions. Life consists in precisely the same action: in proportion to the vigor of this action is the amount of both health and life, but in proportion as the physical functions are enfeebled or diseased, is health enfeebled and life diminished. ”

“ In chronic rheumatism it has been of great service by its universal stimulant and diuretic effects. If however an ounce of the root be boiled in a pint of water to a strong tea, and all be taken at once, a violent vomiting, purging and diuresis occurs. The disease has been known to yield to one dose, but this is a desperate one, and should not be ventured upon by a person much debilitated; take a wine glass full 3 times until the water is evacuated in uterine complaints,—especially in painful menstruation is the seneca a good remedy. ”

“ Every man that has a horse should habit himself to sprinkle a little salt on the feed every time he feeds his horse. The salt is nourishing and is just as much needed in the horse’s food every meal as it is needed on the food that a man eats.
The Inflammation of the Lungs is another dangerous disease. It is becoming to be a common disease among horses, and carries off its thousands, simply because it is at first a sneaking disease ”

“ When in health, a softness of the skin, and a glossy appearance of the hair, not only indicates present health, but a disposition to thrive; while a hard dry skin clinging to the ribs, and a staring in every direction, show that there is something wrong in the constitution, and that it will be labor in vain to attempt to fatten such a beast, for your own interest, you should put your beast in good condition, and keep it in condition. ”

“ The earliest symptoms of fever in the feet are restiveness, frequent shifting of the fore legs, but no pawing. The pulse is quickened, the flanks heaving, the nostrils red and his moaning indicating great pain. He looks about his litter, as if preparing to lie down; he continues to shift his weight from foot to foot; he is afraid to draw his feet sufficiently under him for the purpose of lying down, but at length he drops. [53] His lying down will distinguish inflammation of the feet from that of the lungs, in which the horse obstinately persists in standing until he drops. ”

“ I have never known it to fail; you may grease with sweet oil 1 day after using the last time. This liniment will take off the hair, but it will do no harm, as the hair will come out in a short time as fine as ever, and will not leave the least blemish. The liniment must act on the skin, [76] and if it does not make sore or act on the skin, add more spirits turpentine. If you have a horse that has the sweaney, do not put yourself to the trouble of getting any person to cure it for you, or purchase any quack medicine for it; but go to work and cure it yourself, which can be done for 121⁄2 cents. ”

“ On the day which the physic is given, the horse should have walking exercise, or may be gently trotted for a quarter of an hour twice in the day; but after the physic begins to work, he should not be moved from his stall. A little hay may be put in the rack, and as much mash given as the horse will eat, and as much water as he will drink with the coldness off. Aloes is the best purgative, for there is no other that is at once so sure and safe—the dose is from 1⁄2 to 1 ounce, if the horse is properly prepared. ”

“ Why is it that men will toil and labor hard through the summer’s heat, and expose themselves to the extreme cold in winter, and at the end of the year perhaps, will lose more in horse flesh than they have made. Millions of dollars are lost yearly in horses and a great part of it for the want of carefulness and paying some attention to the diseases of the horse, which costs no man any hard labor or exposure. ”

“ Gentian possesses in a high degree the tonic properties which characterize the simple bitters. It excites the appetite, invigorates the powers of digestion. It may be used in all cases of disease depending upon pure debility of the digestive organs, or requiring a general tonic impression; as dyspepsia, gout, difficult menstruations, hysteria, scrofula, intermittent fever, diarrhœa, and worms. It is given in the form of infusion or tincture. The dose in infusion is a wine glassful 3 or 4 times a day. Infuse 1⁄2 ounce of the powdered root in a pint of water. ”

“ A considerable time ago I read in one of the newspapers of the day, that a man had died near London at the advanced age of 110 years, that he had never been ill, and that he had maintained through life, a cheerful, happy temperament. ”

“ Young trees should be nursed and cultivated, keeping the soil mellow by repeated stirring and preventing the growth of any vegetable for several feet from the tree. A hoed crop is next best to clear mellow ground. A sowed crop, grass or weeds is ruinous to young trees. After you have your trees well set, you should by all means wash them down once or twice a year with soap and water. Say about one quart of soap to two quarts of water—wash from the large branches to the bottom—this will destroy the insects that may be put into the body and limbs of the tree. ”

“ Dyspepsia is the result,—a feeble and finally a destroyed constitution. For all the powers of nature must act freely and naturally, or a sound constitution and good health can never be enjoyed.
Nothing is so fascinating to an intellectual young man as a well cultivated mind, a rosy cheek, an intellectual eye, and a corresponding expression of countenance; these you cannot have if you suppress any of the healthy functions of the system. Exercise is another essential item to promote the health of girls, and this they should be allowed to take freely. ”

“ First, the strength and constitution of the Cow require a little respite. Second, the mixture of the old milk and the new secretions, that nature prepares for the expected calf. During the early period of gestation, the animal may and should be tolerably well fed, for she has to provide milk for the Dairy, and nourishment for the fœtus. But when she is dried, her food should be considerably diminished:—She should not be too fat, or full of blood at the time of calving, for that is the frequent cause of difficult labor, garget fever and death. ”

“ I will here give to the reader the symptoms of Scarlet Fever. This disease has slain its thousands where the monster disease, Cholera has slain its hundreds, and it becomes every parent to feel it his duty to be careful when the disease is in the neighborhood. It is evident that the disease is contagious, in this form it can be taken by inhaling the breath from one that has it, and it is satisfactorily proven that it can be carried in woollen goods from one family to another. ”

“ In particular diseases where there is considerable fever, or the attack of fever is apprehended, there is no purgative so beneficial as the Epsom Salts; in bad cases twenty four ounces may be given at a dose, and eight ounces of sulphur every six hours, until the purgative effect is produced. Linseed Oil is a good purgative, the dose is from a pint to a pint and a half. Common Salt is a very good purgative in mild cases, a pound dissolved in warm water is a dose; it should not be given when the animal labors with fever. ”

“ First wash the sore well with strong warm soap suds, then drop 8 or 10 drops of muriatic acid in it twice a day, until it has the appearance of a fresh wound, after which it should be washed clean with soap suds from castile soap and then left to heal, which it will quickly do if the acid has been used long enough in a proper manner; but if it does not get well, wash as before, and apply the acid until a cure is effected. It is a sure remedy, and will not fail if applied properly until the disease is burnt out or killed. ”

“ The glystering or back-raking never does any harm but always assists in relieving. Every owner of horses should prepare himself with several large beef or hog bladders, a few elders with the pith punched or burnt out, and by so doing you are prepared at any time to give an injection. This may be done by cutting a notch around the one end of the elder, then fill your bladder with soap suds or oil, next tie the bladder on the end of the elder you have notched, firmly, and introduce the elder into the fundament, and then you can force the suds into the fundament easily by pressing on the bladder. ”

“ Which of you has not, some time or some how, induced debility or pain in one portion of your system or another, which [141] will cripple you for life. A foolish ambition breaks down the constitution of an incalculable number of our youths, unwilling to be outdone they will work at the top of their strength as long as they can stand, perhaps over heat themselves, or in a single day or week bring on some complaint which debilitates them for life, and carries them to a premature grave. ”