Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-03
VIGILANCE THE PRICE OF
HEALTH

Dozen physical culture or plain,
enter upon these gladly. rejoice in
them, are stimulated, improved as
to digestion and temper. They
neither are depressed because OF the
prospect nor shrink from them as
from drudgery. On the contrary they
go to them with the zeal of battle
in their eyes. If they have due care
for pure air, water. food and sleep
they are not a prolific source Of in
come to the doctors or TO the drug
gists They are paying the price Of
health. vigilance. joyously. They
gladden. the eye and the understand
ing and inspire the ailing.
All this is indisputabIe. What are
we doing with that inspiration?
What are we going to do with It?
Survival OF the F'ittest is written on
every New Year page and II we get
scared and pop-eyed at reading 1t.
Old Survival Of the Fittest will over
take us all the more quickly.
From the dawn Of history man has
been combating germs in one way
and another. Whether these may
have been the same throughout the
ages may be question. Those
that overcame the cave dweller.
whose skin had been tanned by sum-
mer suns and winters blasts. may
oh p
probosces and the better digestions
There is n haunting suspicion that
II man was not made for germs then
germs were-and possibly are-made
for man. Anyhow. man no sooner
discovers and catalogues one genus
OF germs than along comes another
to take its place or substitute an i'll
for that which has been allayed; no
sooner has the scientist discovered
what disagrecs with the digestion
and interfcres with the longevity Of
one species Of germ than another
worms into the line awaiting regis
tration. Not at all shy are these
germs. And II man permits them to
his other troubles but he surely
causes the aforesaid germs to wrig-
gle gleefully.
Better is II to attend to the funda-
mentals OF good health leaving to
the bugologists the study of germs;
better to remember that the germ
rarely gets n firm foothold in the
person whose health Is good. than to
worry I'm conjecture as to just what
particular kind of bug has marked
us for its own. or permit the stripes
It wears or its style OF whiskers to
interfere with our dreams. On the
other hand the moving tides of battle
between the germs and the germi
cidcs is n more educative conflict
than was that staged between
Dempsey and Ffrpo. II is tlluminat-
ing end should he inspiring to learn
OF those that bit the dust and why.
with an alleged discovery of a
remedy designed to multiply the
white corpuscles in our blood. those
defenders against disease. He has
found than an injection of salicylate
OF mercury has increased the white
corpusclcs by 100 per cent with no
i'll effects. Now IL these multiplied
corpuscles show the vigor of those
naturally produced we may yet look
upon the flu. tuberculosis and the
like with scorn, the while some
other variety OF germ is worming
through out dcfences. We. however.
best not he premature or careless or
over-contident about doing this.
It seems that man has made some
Roadway. AZ least that is what one
authority. DIR. w. A. McCubbin, de-
clarcd in an address before the Ameri-
can Society for the Advancement of
Science. He said: while the tide
OF battle surged back and forth.
man Outing the past ages has gained
some ground" but he fully recognized
the existence of silent. bitter un-
ending war between the human race
and myraids of minute but powerful
enemies, enemies to his health also
to the health of that to which man
looks for his food. Here. while some
OF these have been placed under con-
troll. new ones have appeared. Re
Gently attention has been called TO a
new rot OF onions. a mildew OF soy
beans, n foot-rot OF wheat. attacking
While We are cnyrossed In repellins
others, such as the boll-weevil.
Clearly there is nothing for us but
TO go to the conflict with the battle
light In our eyes and courage in our
hearts. The setting UP drill must
take the place of the sitting down
drill. and the feel of our muscles
and the inspiration of effort must
give us Joy. Vigilance is not only
the price of our own health but of
that upon which we depend for food.
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