Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-05
Discussions Helpful.


Discussions Helpful.
To avoid the waste of inherited health
treasures and facilitate their increase.
conversations on health subjects are help
full. Curiosity to learn about the distress
ing symptoms and agonizing features of
the maladies of others is Of little practical
value. II is as disheartening as bivouac
discussion of amputationS. In copying the
methods of rich man It is less useful to
know how rich he Is than TO learn how
he gets and how he keeps his wealth. So
In the case of health it is important to
know how the Well keep we'll. Such a
topic is as refreshing d soldiers talk of
broad shoulders, agility or fine fighting
qualities. The salutation How do You
do?' might often he wisely supplemented
by the inquiry What do you do to keep
well?'' or What are you doing to get
better Valuable hints may thus be had
on retaining, certifying or regaining
health, though information received
should be carefully weighed in the same
way financier weighs the points he
picks up on business projects.
The search for the fountain Of youth
has led the wisest far afield and
wrecked the hopes of the bravest. There
is at hand i'm the exercise of hygiene. a
means. not of prolonging life indefinitely
or even of curing all grave diseases. but of
getting the full quota of enjoyable living
4hdiiN NHO grasp dl every NduHttu
all or fashionable recipe for their petty
or shameful III grossly neglect such
simple. health-gtving things as exercise,
fresh air and proper house temperature
Any excuse is sufficient to keep them the
hvelong day in an office chair or rocker
| like a shiftless soldier mounting the
hobby that amuses him Or malngering to
avoid drill The eight-hour workday
does not help with the slothful. Short
hours of labor are for them hygienic
as W1n mi CT lbs fin
is often worse for health than hard labor.
That they do too much useful work to
make exercise for exercises sake neces-
Sary is the excuse OF many. 1t must not
be forgotten that useful indoor work is
often productive of damage to the body
or mind. Professional deformities and
mental strain are frequent results calling
most iInperatively for carefully regulated
compromising open-air exercise. Most
men, perhaps athletic in youth. grow
stale and deteriorate in physical tone
after thirty: few grown women take suf-
f1cient active outdoor exercise.
Illness and Age Call for Care.
Decided illness or old age, while by no
means precluding physical exercise or life
in the open, call for care in this respect
Still even the feeble and ailing should
study their hygienic requirements with
a view ct first rather to future benefits
than to present comfort Healthful prac-
tees, though troublesome in the begin
ming, soon become a source of pleasure.
Almost every sick person feels the inn
portance of getting well. In such cases
the course suggested by hygiene. having
in view the preservation and Improvement
of the remnant of health, is to consult
the best available medical or surgical
authorities with view to adopting the
most applicable remedies. for not all
adaptations of health can be repaired
solely by healthy living. 1t should be re-
membered. too. that in sickness the die
tates of hygiene are to accept partial or
limited relief If that is all that science
has to offer-all that the present state OF
knowledge affords-rather than resort, In
desperation or in illusory hope, to pre-
tentious panaceas and fantastic remedial
methods. Like sensible campaigners, the
sick should report to the infirmary in
stead of dickering for talismans with
camp followers
The best time to establish a healthful
regimen is while the body Is free from
disease: for setting up broken-down
physique is almost as hard as unscram-
bling eggs. Sadly enough, the misguid-
ed victim of vicious habits and neglected
hygiene can often do little more than
cover his deformities with a disguise OF
neatness. hoping that beneath the mask
of starched linen skillfully knotted
ribbon the shameful effects of personal
neglect may pass unobserved. Even by
there is little hope of such delinquent
becoming sturdy veteran whose rugged
but lifeworn figure inspires younger
combatants on the field Of life.
Divergence From Rational Living.
People are apt TO think OF their bod
lily frailties as misfortunes that come ir-
respective OF acts. vices or hurtful ways
of living unless, indeed the acts are
fiagrantly wrong. the vices glazing and
the way OF living utterly riotous. The
incentives at the bottom Of spoiled health
are in many cases slight divergenceS
from rational living neglect and indul-
gences that can scarcely be characterized
as blameful. Blamable or not. health
is none the less undermined by their
continuance and the barriers are lowered
for disease to enter.
In every campaign the question arises,
How much injury will this victory war
rant? In the material operations Of every
mans life similar queries present them
selves. How much health is this money
worth? is the plain question; or is this
this dollar or are these hundreds or
thousands or millions of dollars worth
weak lung, a leaky heart, a damaged
kidney or a reduced resistance to in
lection? The answer will depend on
sound and broad sense of values. Many
a man adept In money-making fails in
gauging the comparative value OF health.
Rich in gold. he Is poor In health. The
heavy gold bag is full Of bad bargains
The burden of the treasure is often the
soldiers defeat.
On the health OF nation depends
largely its wealth, its mental and moral
superiority Aside from the plain die
tates of self-seeking, earnest attention to
personal hygiene is the patriotic duty Of
every citizen as an aid to national sani-
tary defense.