How to Live | Page 5

set free human life by applying modern science. Science, which has

revolutionized every other field of human endeavor, is at last
revolutionizing the field of health conservation.
[Sidenote: Medical Practise]
The practise of medicine, which for ages has been known as the
"healing art," is undergoing a gradual but radical revolution. This is due
to the growing realization that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure. As teachers and writers on hygiene, as trainers for college
athletes, as advisers for the welfare departments of large industrial
plants, and in many other directions, physicians are finding fields for
practising preventive medicine. Even the family physician is in some
cases being asked by his patients to keep them well instead of curing
them after they have fallen sick.
Furthermore, the preventive methods of modern medicine are being
applied by the people themselves, as witness the great vogue to-day of
sleeping out of doors; the popularity, not always deserved, of health
foods and drinks; the demand for uncontaminated water supplies,
certified milk, inspected meat and pure foods generally; the world-wide
movement against alcohol, and the legislation to correct wrong
conditions of labor and to safeguard the laborer.
Labor itself to-day is being held in honor, and idleness in dishonor.
Ideals are being shifted from those of "leisure" to those of "service."
Work was once considered simply a curse of the poor. The real
gentleman was supposed to be one who was able to live without it. The
king, who set the styles, was envied because he "did not have to work,"
but had innumerable people to do work for him. His ability to work, his
efficiency, his endurance, were the last things to which he gave
consideration. To-day kings, emperors, presidents are trying to find out
how they can keep in the fittest condition and accomplish the greatest
possible amount of work. Even among society women, some kind of
work is now "the thing."
[Sidenote: High Ideals]
One of the most satisfying tasks for any man or woman to-day is to

take part in this movement toward truer ideals of perfect manhood and
womanhood. Our American ideals, though improving, are far inferior
to those, for instance, of Sweden; and these, in turn, are not yet worthy
to be compared with those of ancient Greece, still preserved for our
admiration in imperishable marble. With our superior scientific
knowledge, our health ideals ought, as a matter of fact, to excel those of
any other age. They should not stop with the mere negation of disease,
degeneracy, delinquency, and dependency. They should be positive and
progressive. They should include the love of a perfect muscular
development, of integrity of mental and moral fiber.
There should be a keen sense of enjoyment of all life's activities. As
William James once said, simply to live, breathe and move should be a
delight. The thoroughly healthy person is full of optimism; "he
rejoiceth like a strong man to run a race." We seldom see such
overflowing vitality except among children. When middle life is
reached, or before, our vital surplus has usually been squandered. Yet it
is in this vital surplus that the secret of personal magnetism lies. Vital
surplus should not only be safeguarded, but accumulated. It is the
balance in the savings bank of life. Our health ideals must not stop at
the avoidance of invalidism, but should aim at exuberant and exultant
health. They should savor not of valetudinarianism, but of athletic
development. Our aim should be not to see how much strain our
strength can stand, but how great we can make that strength. With such
an aim we shall, incidentally and naturally, find ourselves
accomplishing more work than if we aimed directly at the work itself.
Moreover, when such ideals are attained, work instead of turning into
drudgery tends to turn into play, and the hue of life seems to turn from
dull gray to the bright tints of well-remembered childhood. In short, our
health ideals should rise from the mere wish to keep out of a sick bed to
an eagerness to become a well-spring of energy. Only then can we
realize the intrinsic wholesomeness and beauty of human life.

CHAPTER I
AIR

Section I--Housing
Air is the first necessity of life. We may live without food for days and
without water for hours; but we cannot live without air more than a few
minutes. Our air supply is therefore of more importance than our water
or food supply, and good ventilation becomes the first rule of hygiene.
Living and working rooms should be ventilated both before occupancy
and while occupied.
It must be remembered that the mere construction of the proper kind of
buildings does not insure ventilation. We may have model dwellings,
with ideal window-space and ventilating apparatus, but unless