Evening star., 1924-06-06
RIGID HEALTH RULES
KEPT WILSON ALIVE
DR.. Grayson Credits System, Ex-
ercise, Humor and Diet in
Prolonging Life
BREAK LAID TO CONSCIENCE
Trips to Paris and Over q. S. Made
for Ideal Against Advice.
BY the Associated Press.


BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, June 6.-Rear Ad-
miral Cary T. Grayson. Woodrow
Wilson's physician and confidant
for the last eleven years of his life.
drew an intimate picture of the for
rner President at the commencement
exercises of the Medical College of
Virginia
Admiral Grayson's theme in his ad-
dress to the graduates was preventive
medicine. and as an example of how
physician may practice the axiom
that "a stitch in time saves nine" he
described how former President Will
son, frau man when he entered the
White House, was made physically
able to carry on the burdens of a war
President
Il cannot think of a better or more
practical illustration of how a person,
under medical advice, can regulate his
daily life SO as to permit him TO give
full scope to all the powers conferred
on him by nature than that furnished
by the man with whom / had the
privilege of being in intimate rela-
tionship for eleven years" said Dr.
Grayson.
Carried Heavy Burden.
During the eight years that Wood
row Wilson occupied the White
House ne worked as few Presidents
have worked, and bore burdens such
as few men are called upon to shoul-
der. The remarkable thing in the
case of Mr.. Wilson is not that he
broke down finally, but that, with a
constitution by no means strong, and
bearing burden fit to kill a physical
giant, he kept well by obedience 10
the simple laws OF health.
-Four features Of his life and per
sonality kept him going under con
ditionS that would have soon ex-
hausted the powers Of younger and
stronger men These four things
were system, exercise, sense OF
humor and proper food"
IF President Wilson is to be held
up as a model Of healthy living, how
did he happen to lose his life?" DR..
Grayson asked
1T is a natural question and / will
answer it honestly.
When President Wilson took his
seat at the peace conference he was
sixty-two years old. His whole pre-
vious life had been moderate and
carefully regulated. Had he consid-
cred his health, had he put prudence
and caution first, he would never
have embarked for Europe Decem-
Der 4, 1918. Then and there he de-
liberately neglected his health. Then
and there he deliberately refused to
obey his physician and the laws of
health which he, himself, so well
understood.
Warned About Trip.
when President Wilson, in August
1919, was planning his campaign
throughout the country in support of
the league of nations l had a plain
talk with him as his medical adviser
and urged him on the grounds OF
health not to undertake it. l had
been constantly at his side in Eng
land, France, Italy, as well as this
abroad, he had to modify his usual
health habits, giving UP golf and
walking for a short daily drive in
an automob bile, and how he devoted TO
thought the hours usually sacred to
repose.
ST had seen him in the hospitals,
where our wounded soldiers lay, and
senSed the exhausting effect Of the
emotions on his outwardly undemon-
strative but deeply sympathetic
nature.
Affected by Blind Soldier.
Never can 1 forget his silence when
he stood for the first time-he the
fluent speaker-not daring to trust
himself to say a word-before SOL
der who had lost his eyesight in
battle.
"The President wrung the soldiers
hand and passed on; but the man
asked the nurse afterward why the
President had held his hand so long,
gripped it SO hard and said nothing.
'Tn another ward | remember
splendid specimen of physical devel-
opment, who stood on crutcheS at at
tention for his commander-in, chief
The President had been struck by the
large number of patients he saw
everywhere bereft Of arms and legs
and he asked the handsome fellow
how he accounted for it
Those who were shot higher up
are not here was the significant
answer
'I saw the Presidents lip culver.
and he passed on down the line.
These things told on Mr.. Wilson.
and they worked his soul up to a
pitch of passionate resolution. When
/ urged him 10 forego his canvass of
the country, he told me that no per
sonal consideration could divert him
l vividly remember our final talk on
the subject in his study in the White
House. 1 had made my final protest
against the trip across the continent.
He replied:
"'You must remember that those
soldiers whom I, as commander-in-
chef, sent to Europe did not turn
back when they met the crucial test
| in the trenches: nor can / turn back
now. 1 cannot put my personal
safety. or my health, in the balance
HE walked to the window looking
out toward the Washington Monu
ment, and stood silent for some sec
onds. When he turned back to me,
his face was gray and very grave
| and / thought / saw film OF mois-
! ture in his eyes. But l knew the
decision had been made. There was
nothing more for me to say.
European Trip Dangerous.
"As matter Of health precaution. Of
health insurance for himself, President
Wilson should not have gone to Europe.
and afterward he should I, not nave trav-
eled all over the United States. He knew
the price he was to pay, but no man
could stop him.
"If you choose deliberately between
health and sacrifice to duty as you see
it-as Woodrow Wilson saw it-1 can
not blame you. Perhaps it is a SAD
choice, but it is a noble choice. But if
you choose between health and mere
selfish indulgence, or mere careleSsness,
can only call your choice foolish
II have used the case OF Mr.. Wilson
as an illustration of the preventive medi-
cine as applied to the individual. have
wanted to make the point concrete, and
so have told you little about g. most
eminent individual who co-operated with
his physician until he felt that he had
duty beyond the duty to himself and
his own life.
MY experience with Mr.. Wilson did
much to confirm me in my faith that CO
operative action between physician and
a patient can achieve great results
System Prolonged Life.
II know that Mr.. Wilson could not
have lived out his first term as
President If he had not systematical-
ly practised the fundam entail laws OF
health as laid down by physician.
I am not boasting of myself. / am