Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-06

seems to have. sublime faith that he will get the
health reaction if he shovels down almost any
combination of foods in almost any way.
The other day a scientist who spec1a1zes IN
the principles of right eating came into WASH
ington restaurant. Washington today is crowded
with war workers; the restaurants are full Of young
men from the various departments, until there Is
practically bread line around the hat check
stands. The food specialist watched a few or
these young men order and eat their evening meal,
and shook his head. 'They have been taught to
read Latin and French, to analyze the gases OF
the atmosphere and the minerals of the earth, to
plan bridges and engines, to solve the problems
of accountancy to test the strength of materials.
but apparently not one in ten has ever been taught
to order a meal" said he. There is man !
happen to know, from engineering bureau OF
an important office He is something of a genius
as a mathematician, and his bureau chief probably
thinks he is lucky to have him. Yet this young
genius has just paid for a, dinner consisting OF
heavy soup, fish, roast beef with side orders OF
potatoes and beans and dessert of Camembert
cheese and hard crackers with coffee Tomorrow
he will function at about so per cent efficiency,
and he will probably tell himself that he has been
working too hard for his government"
"a good many factors of the diet, such as the
amount of food eaten and the number of meals
day, are matters that each individual must deter
mine for himself by experience, but the proper
food combinations matters of chemistry, where
the scientist help. Every traditional food COM
bination, such meat and potatoes bread anu
butter, bacon and eggs, has sound chemical basis
and science can suggest many others, as we'll as
prevent wrong combinations. 1t is in this way
that government food supervision abroad mas orten
benefited the health of the people In this country
while there is food supervision, the 1ood al
mnistration has done its share by working OUT
in collaboration with the department of agricul-
ture, simple but comprehensive table OF
Food Elements which be used as basis
for planning proper combinations of all sorts or
food. -
Another element in the national health, which
is probably more peculiarly an American problem
than any other, is the factor of worry There is
no other mental or physical habit which can arise
on a fairly healthy and normal soil, which cuts
int onSni 70 hn
Worry is distinctly war problem.
War does away, so the experience of Europe
shows with goodly part of the groundless and
slenderly rooted worries that characterize super
civilization. HypochrOndia, melanchola, all tho
morbid results of too much introspectlon are ols-
sipated by the touch of the grim realities OF war
The old saying of the medieval physician that
melancholy humors nightly helped by dead
mans touch" was based the same law. But
If war does away with a certain class or Worries
it brings a train of new ones
For example, there is the worry Of those who
have loved ones in the army the worry OF tnose
who hold responsible position or OF the one VINO
looks forward to service in a time OF grlmmef
need and has the fate of his dependents to con-
slider. To all these worries, Americans are more
prone than any other nation. The machne-like
discipline of the Germans, the burning PATRIOTISM
of the French that kindled by an actual VIC
lation of their SOIL the
undue worry. America has always been the nome
of worry, anyway.
Worry saps national efficiency 1t is duty
to nut il aside. Most of it is groundless. The
United States public health service compares the
man who worries to the chauffeur who lets his en-
CINE run on neutral all the time the car rs stand
ing still Says the public health service, mot all
worry is preventable but for the most part it can
be avoided. Most of our fears are never realized
Worry undermines the health to certain
extent 1t really weakens the mental forces by
firing them out while doing nothing. Usually the
relief from worry rests with the victim of the
unfortunate habit himself.
Since almost every American is more or less
victim of the unfortunate habit, the last phrase
is worth bordering.