The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-25
We Need A Plain Word
 For It,


 For It.
 Preservation of the characteristics of youth, better-than- average nu- trjtional condition as manifested in lower death-rAtes, better growth and development, extension of the prime in life in both directions, material improvement of the life expectation of adults, higher aver- age level of positive health through out the life cycle, greater pep, more vitality, the highest degree of nat ural immunity, an adequate fund of erserve power to tide over emer- gencies and strains, the resiliency of the untamed animal or the un- civilized savage.
 Has any geek a word for 1t? A plain word which will convey that general idea? I understand the geeks always have g. word for 1t. Well, this particular word would be worth twenty-five dollars to me, but before submitting samples please understand I shall neither ack- nowledge nor return unaccepted words and I shall pay only for the word I accept and use in this col- umn or elsewhere with due credit to the author or inventor.
 For years we nave cognized some such superior state of health and we have encountered occasionally individuals who seemed to be bless ed with 1t for while, by chance as we supposed. But with the ac- emulation of knowledge of phy- siology, nutrition, hygiene, biologi- cal chemistry, the concept of opti- maj health has developed and to- day commands recognition, as the terms or phrases in the first para graph-terms quoted from various authorS-indicate.
 Health plus, robust health. buoy ant health and the like have lost their force through misuse.
 In 8 curious book on Optimistic Medicine" by an anonymous author, I find this Illustrative case:
 A man of magnificent physique took great pride in the fact that he had practically never known what 1t was to be i'll. Methodical, calm, systematic, his life went on without Q ripple until he was practically never known what 1t was to be i'll. Methodical, calm, systematic, his life went on with out Q ripple until he was seventy years old. About this time he thought 1t wise to take life easier. In apparently good health his ap- petite for good food showed no abatement. He ate heartily. and, yielding to the drowsiness follow ing hearty meals, took frequent maps. A year or two later the naturla result followed. His ar- teries degenerated and he died a few hours after an apoplectic stroke. Placed on a suitable diet and the physiology of his situa- ton carefully explained to him by a competent physician, this man should have easily lived to be ninety.
 This book was published by F. A. Davis Co., Philadelphia, 1921, and my preceptor, Dr. D. A. Eiseline, loaned me his copy. The book, I think, is out of print now.
 Had a physician explained the of the situation" to that healthy man when the man was, say thirty or forty years old, tke man might conceivably have enjoyed ten more years of life.
 But there is just the difficulty, and that accounts for my quest for D word can use in the title of a book or a series of articles which will perhaps give thousands of such men and women some idea of the physiology of the situation" Un- der the present practice or custom, the competent physician never gets Q chance to explain anything to such people. They laugh at doctors. and often thay die laughing.
 believe we can reach these wlseacres if we set up a new standard of health based on new knowledge.