On the NECESSITY of IMBIBING and CONSUMING PRODUCTS of the DAIRY for CHILDREN and YOUNG ADULTS
A discussion held on the medical importance of drinking milk to prevent the spread of miasmatic and skeletal diseases in children.
OR: Why your children must drink a cup of milk each day, and how you shall come to have this resource through the works of Ilmater.
Father Mororn Glaemril; of Ilmater and the Disciples of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred
First Ed published in MISTLOCKE, Hammer 23, 1381 DR, for the Brotherhood of Mercy.
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Often overlooked by the necessities of our surroundings is the importance of maintaining a good diet. It is well known to many that poor diets in adulthood can lead to an early demise as the miasmatic workings of Talona take their toll on the heart and mind; however, the matter that warrants our equal or greater attentions must be the diet of our children. Specifically, in conditions where money and resources are difficult to come by, extremely important foodstuffs necessary to the strong development of our children are oft overlooked. The principal goods among these neglected are those of the dairy; the cheeses, creams, and milk which play a pivotal role in the healthy growth of a young boy or girl who shall live to be free of Talona's grip. By addressing these issues through the teachings of Ilmater, we shall ensure that the children of Old Stones and Mistlocke grow to be healthy and strong, becoming themselves more fit to escape the cycle of poverty which threatens to keep them in its fell grip.
The products of the dairy have been known for many years to have a positive effect in warding off the miasma of Talona from young children and the impoverished. The need for individuals to maintain a proper and rigorous diet rich in milk through their formative years cannot be overstated. Talona's works are insidious, and threaten a variety of foul maladies upon those children who through poor diet are vulnerable to her works. Chief among these wretched diseases and curses are:
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The Syndrome of the Bowlegged â€" oftentimes what will occur during cases of severe hunger is a condition wherein the bones of the legs bend outward under the weight of the child's trunk and arms. This results, if the child survives to adulthood, in a gait which is sadly common to many impoverished wards throughout cities across Faerun. The weakening of the bones by Talona can in this case be counteracted by the proper diet ascribed above.
The Loss of Teeth both Immature and Mature â€" children whose diets are poor often have troubles with the development of their teeth and gums. This can result in serious cases of the child growing into adulthood having only a few loose mature teeth with which to work, as the miasma of Talona works rot throughout the oral cavity.
The Weakening of the Skull â€" responsible for many deaths at a young age through falls and slips, children whose diets by necessity lack the products of the dairy are liable to have the bones of the skull fuse together weakly or not at all.
These are but some of the principal conditions associated with an improper diet. Yet there remains the contentious issue of how the impoverished or struggling parent is to provide such luxuries for their child. It is both presumptuous and wrong to assume that the plight of these children is condoned or accepted without suffering upon the part of the parent, for in truth it is the community as a whole which bears fault.
Wherever the works of Poverty are found it becomes the responsibility of the community, through the faithful of the Broken God, to take action. In the case of Mistlocke, by permitting poverty and malnutrition to ferment within the Old Stones, we threaten the health of an entire generation of children who reside as refugees or orphans within its damp walls. The Temple of Ilmater within Old Stones shall in time provide food and refuge for all those who seek it, but in the interim, as funds are collected, we cannot ignore the immediacy of the problems which beset us! We must act to care for our neighbors, to acknowledge their pain, and to ensure that the suffering they endure now may be lessened through the coming months. By providing the essentials which make up a proper diet, we can sustain the children of Mistlocke against the ravages that Talona seeks to inflict upon them while strengthening our future generations and cutting the hamstring of the cycle of poverty which plagues so many of our town.
The faithful of Ilmater, united under the Brotherhood of Mercy, will be providing to the people and children of Old Stones BOTTLES OF MILK and LOAVES OF BREAD daily near the staircases until work on our temple is completed.
Give charitably unto your neighbor, see these good works advanced, let the suffering of our neighbors be ended.