Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-13
HEALTH TO GIRLS.
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.
Especial to The Argus.

not feeling A. Colds and headaches are
positive disgrace. Anybody can achieve max
imum OF health, and keep 1t, If he really puts
his mind to II. The trouble with most OF US
is that We are too lazy.
This Is not an advertisement for q patent
medicine. 1t is part Of the novel doctrine now
being preached and demonstrated at New
York's new health center for women-the lat
est thing in preventive medicine.
From fifteen to twenty women and girls
are examined here every DAY and placed on
the right road to health. II necessary. they
are directed TO clinics or hospitals for medical
or surgical treatment, but in the majority OF
cases the prescription consists OF nothing more
painful than exercise. fresh air, proper cloth
ing and diet. This sounds too simple to be
en- cacious but you should hear these doctors
at the health center talk Of the simple causes
that are often responsible for low vitality and
poor health.
For example, a young girl who came up for
examination the other night was sure that she
was a victim Of kidney trouble, because within
the past two weeks her ankles had been swell
ing mysteriously every night. She appeared
wearing a scared but resigned expression,
walking slowly up the steps to the examina-
ton room as If every step would be her last.
When she departed she looked like a dinerent
girl, and the steps meant nothing in her young
life at all. For the doctors discovered that
orEanically there was nothing the matter with
her that the trouble with her ankles was due
70 the fact that she had recently moved TO the
country where she was compelled to walk two
miles from the station every night after sit
ting all day at an once desk, and this walk
was performed in ill-htting, high-heeled shoes:
Its wonder that her ankles didn't reoel
entirely" said the doctor who examined her.
The object OF the health center is TO point
out these small but important dangers TO the
health of women and to teach them good living
habits The majority Of men acquire such
habits by a sort Of blind instinct as Wen as
by their early bcyhood training IN outdoor
hal ipa 2
centuries Of skirts and a fear Of being unlady-
like must be taught, step by step. II q man
has too many headaches or a pain IN mis- BACK
he usually PUSHES to see doctor but woman
will endure Ill health Tor years WITHOUT nnd-
ing out the cause
This is the worst habit Of ALL" says Dr..
Florence Meredith, director of the center, for
so often the trouble is so easily corrected"
For instance. most pain is caused by poor
posture" continued the doctor, thrusting her
what she meant This throws the organs
out Of place restricts circulation and weakens
the abdominal muscles. II could correct only
one thing out OF hundreds that are wrong with
women / would correct this weakness OF the
abdominal muscles, which impairs the entire
circulation"
When DIR. Meredith speaks, you feel she
knows what she is talking about In the first
place, she herself radiates health and energy.
and in the second place her experience baA
been such as to make her an authority on the
health of working women As plant physician
for large rubber company employing thou
sands of women, and later as lecturer on
health topics to war workers, she acquired a
large understanding of. and sympathy with.
their problems. This experience has led her
TO believe that hsredity and environment play
relatively a small part in the health OF the
average individual
Some of the diseases we believe TO be
hereditary" she declared. but this feature
Of heredity has been greatly exaggerated. We
have so many girls coming here, blaming their
mothers and fathers for various inherited dis
abilities, really due entirely to their own bad
living habits. Maybe their mothers and faith
ers had the same bad habits but there is such
a thing as progress.
Bad housing conditions and cheap food
unquestionably make it harder for a person
to keep we'll, but he can at least make the best
of his environment II doesn't do any good to
sit around blaming things. Get what YOU can
out of them. Every one has his maximum
health within his grasp, and many are putting
up with a minimum"
This-is not mere Idle philosophy on the
part of Dr. Meredith, for she and the other
doctors who run the health center actually
show girls and women how to get the most
out of their environment In this they are
aided by the Y. ". c. A.. which provides GER
tain necessary props such gymnasiums,
tennis courts. swimming pools and other recre-
ational facilities at an absurdly low sum. All
of these are valuable adjuncts to what may
be called the Meredith system.
Keeping we'll, as taught by the health cen
ter, is by no means easy. AS one of the girls
upon hearing it exclaimed, Gee that's hard
work" 1t consists in maintaining unrestricted
circulation through proper carriage, bathing
and exercise; eating substantial food mot nee
essarily expensive food at regular intervals;
drinking at least eight glasses Of water day;
getting lots of fresh air and at least eight
hours of sleep out of each "a; keeping the
mind interested, and above all, in cultivatng
the will to be healthy.
I'VE must quit taking health as a matter Of
course" declares DR.. Meredith, land pursue
it as intensely we do the work of earning
a living"