The San Francisco call., 1905-02-12
TREATISE
Oh Bodily Health

THOUGH the layman may we'll be
excused for shying at book
Of such bulk as Air, Food and
Exercise" by DR.. A. Rabagliati, it
may be advanced with a considerable
degree of certainty that once he has
dipped into its pages large part of
the volume will be digested before it
is put finally on the shelf. The work
would be catalogued on a library list
as medical book and in the final in
stance that is what it is, but the au-
thor has prepared this, which he mod
estly calls an essay, for the reading of
the uninitiated rather than the prac-
titioner. He gives a thoroughly COM
plete and at all times comprehendabls
dissertation upon the preservation of
bodily health through moderation in
eating and drinking and the sane use
of exercise. A popular book for the
use of all desiring to increase the span
of healthy and efficient life is Air.
Food and Exercise"
Dr. Rabagliati expresses his thesis
succinctly thus:
The predisposing causes of disease
are for the most part the relations of
the body to air, to food and to exer-
else, with perhaps the influences of
anxiety and heredity added / shall
hope to say something about the last
later, and shall dismiss it for the pres
ent with the remark that as cause
of disease Though not of organiza
ton, which is greatly determined BY
iD, / believe it's influence has been
greatly exaggerated both by medical
men and by the general public. And
l go on to say that of the other pre-
disposing causes of disease by far the
most important is the relations of the
body to food This statement is really
the main thesis of this essay. This the
sis may be analyzed into the following
statements. First if human beings
were to arrange properly the quantity
and quality of the food which they
take, and also the times at which they
take it, they would suffer much less
from disease and illness than they do
now. Second, even after disease has
occurred or broken out, the best means
to combat it and to restore the body
to health is by an alteration in the diet
From which 1T follows, thirdly, that
the best and most important means to
keep a man. in the health which by
the supposition he has reattained is to
prescribe for him proper amount
and quality of food. and suitable times
of taking it for the future.
"A great Latin medical writer, it is
we'll known, divided methods of treat
ment into three divisions-treatment by
diet (victus), by medicines (medica
menti). and by surgerymanus). And
he might have added, 1 venture to sug-
gest, that, with the exception of a few
diseased conditions which must be
treated by surgery. those diseases
which cannot be treated by diet or by
diet combined with exercises, which
for the moment he forgot. can hardly
be efficiently treated at all.
AS a converse to this doctrine the
author notes specifically that cancer
Gus diseases are due, in his belief. di-
rect;y to the results of over-feeding.
The excess of life building materials in
the blood that is brought about by
diete tic abuses finds its outlet in can
cerous exudations, which are prevent
able by adherence to sane rules of
eating and drinking, but which. once
present. cannot. in the opinion of the
author. be cured.
AS in the matter of diet so in the
case of exercise. DR.. Rabagliati urges
upon US constant supervision and a
guarding against excess. Spasmodic
recreation or athletic exercises in
dulged in too vigorously must bring