HEALTH- THOUGH RATI&NAL 1th through Southern Branch of the University of California Los Angeles Form L I 775 C77 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below APR 1 4 1925 s MAR 13 1929 ?92 1925* MAR Form L-9-2m-12,'23 14 L/O HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING By ISAAC T. COOK SAINT LOUIS MCMXIII COPYRIGHT, 1913. ISAAC T. COOK. PREFACE Disease and early death are accepted as inevitable ; every year the Grim Reaper gathers prematurely many people whom the world can ill afford to lose. This is a waste of life. It takes years of experience before an individual is capable of giving the world his best, and it is poor economy to lose our best men and women when they should be in their prime. Most suffering is unnecessary. There is a cause for everything. Disease and early death are no ex- ceptions; disease is not an accident; it is not due to the dictates of Providence. People become ill be- cause they outrage the laws of nature, and earn their diseases. Most people try to obtain health vicariously. This is a mistake, for everything that is worth while must be paid for in effort, and health is no exception. The law of compensation is always at work. Dependable health cannot be obtained by taking drugs. The tendency among the best physicians and surgeons, among whom I have many friends and acquaintances, is to rely less and less on drugs. Nature is the healer. The province of the physician is to interpret nature Hi PREFACE and point the way to health; in other words, to be a teacher. The physician can be of great assistance in hastening a cure by guiding the patient to care for himself so that nature can exert her healing powers unhindered. We have health when we deserve it, and we de- serve it when we bring our lives into harmony with nature. The average man pays no attention to this subject. He lives in the most convenient manner, going in the line of least resistance. When a man builds a home, he prides himself on using only first- class material; when he runs a delicate engine, he uses the best lubricant and fuel; but he selects build- ing material, fuel, and lubricant for his own body in a haphazard way. Every man should take pride in doing good work, but it is impossible to do quality work when dis- turbed by aches and pains. They distract the mind. Disease renders the sufferer inefficient, reduces his working capacity, and makes his output inferior in quality. A common-sense knowledge of proper liv- ing is the key that unlocks the casket of health and comfort. The average man does not know one day whether or not he will be able to attend to his tasks the next day, at least efficiently or with pleasure and comfort, iv PREFACE for on the morrow he may be ill. This uncertainty is unnecessary. The right knowledge is health insur- ance, provided it is lived. We are benefited, not by what we know, but by what we put into practice. I have lived both the old haphazard way, not knowing what real health is, and the new way, having health at my command. The peace of mind that accompanies health knowledge is priceless. I do not consider myself an expert on health. That is not my line of work, but I am very much interested and believe that others will be interested in the sub- ject of health when they view it in the right light. Therefore, I have given considerable study to the re- quirements of the body. I have shown this booklet, in manuscript form, to a number of people and it has influenced some of them to seek fundamental facts of life, and that is why I am having it pub- lished. I am a business man with no leisure on my hands, but if these pages should influence a few to live more rational lives, I shall feel that it has been worth while. Most of the thoughts expressed in the following pages have been inspired by reading A STUFFED CLUB, and by taking special advice from the editor of that periodical, Dr. J. H. Tilden, of Denver, Col- orado, who has a most comprehensive grasp of the PREFACE subject of health through rational living. Some parts of this booklet are verbatim reproductions of passages from the pages of A STUFFED CLUB, some from the instructions I have received from Dr. Til- den, and other parts are based on facts I have learned from him, as I understand them, modified by my observations and experiences. My under- standing may not always be correct, but it has given me a clearer and more pliable mind in a better body. I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to R. L. Alsaker, who edited the manuscript of this booklet, taking my ideas in the rough and placing them in orderly sequence, also suggesting changes and addi- tions. I have not attempted to use scientific or technical language, my aim being to write so that it can be understood by anyone who may chance to read these lines. The repetitions found in these pages are pur- posely inserted. This booklet was written to crystallize my ideas, and to serve as a reminder. As is usually the case, I shall probably be benefited more than anyone else, but if others obtain helpful ideas from perusing these pages, it will add to my pleasure and afford me ample compensation. If people are ill they should obtain expert advice. vi PREFACE Advice which will bring health, if followed, is price- less. It is cheap no matter what it costs. I wish those with whom I associate to be com- fortable and efficient; it would please me more than anything else to have my children avoid the mistakes that have handicapped me; applied health knowl- edge will bring about these desirable ends. I. T. C. vn Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Alexander Pope. Against disease known, the strongest fence Is the defensive virtue, abstinence. Benjamin Franklin. Vlli TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE. A Few Chemical Facts CHAPTER TWO. Synopsis of Daily Routine 6 CHAPTER THREE. Exercise 10 CHAPTER FOUR. Care of the Skin 14 CHAPTER FIVE. Dr. Tilden's Four Essential Rules 18 CHAPTER SIX. Food Classification, Combination and Cooking 27 CHAPTER SEVEN. General Plan for Daily Eating 38 CHAPTER EIGHT. The Care of Children 48 CHAPTER NINE. Constipation 56 CHAPTER TEN. Gas in the Digestive Tract 63 CHAPTER ELEVEN. Introspection 64 CHAPTER TWELVE. Disease 67 CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Health Hints 74 ix CHAPTER ONE A FEW CHEMICAL FACTS 2. dV &> 3 It is not necessary to know the chemical composi- tion of the foods we eat, nor is it necessary to know in detail the chemical make-up of our bodies. It is, however, well to know a few general principles. If we select a balanced dietary, our bodies will utilize the needed elements. Digestion and assimilation will take place as readily even if the diner does not know that he needs potassium salts for his muscles, and that he can obtain a supply from cucumbers, meat, potatoes, and tomatoes ; that calcium is a con- stituent both of his bones and of cabbages, celery, asparagus, and plums; that phosphorus is present in the nervous system, and is also found in fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables. The chemical composition of food varies with the soil upon which it is grown, atmospheric conditions, etc. Potatoes grown in one soil may have a greater percentage of potash than those raised but a mile away. Spinach is rich in iron, but the amount of iron is not constant. These few thoughts on physiological chemistry HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING are merely pointers. Those who wish to delve deeply can easily find great works on the subject. The human body, according to various authori- ties, is made up of about sixteen or seventeen ele- ments. The following are the most abundant, in the order named: Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitro- gen, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, fluorine, potassium, and iron. Other elements are found in traces. These elements do not usually appear in the body as elements, but are constituents of complex com- pounds. In its elementary state oxygen is an invis- ible gas, which supports combustion, but in the body it appears principally in combination with hydrogen, as water. Nitrogen, also a gas, combines with a number of elements to form proteid, or albuminous, substances. Carbon combines with other elements to form fats. Iron is not found in the body as a metal, but appears in the red blood corpuscles in a complex compound called hemoglobin. Likewise, soda, potash, and chlorine form salts such as sodium chloride (common salt) and potassium chloride. The salts of soda, potash, sulphur, iron, etc., are abundantly present in various fresh fruits and veg- etables. Food charts, giving analyses and equiva- lents in calories are very good, but so far as health A FEW CHEMICAL FACTS is concerned they are of value only to men with prac- tical experience in prescribing foods, both for the well and for the sick. Roughly, the foods can be divided into proteid (albuminous or nitrogenous) and carbonaceous. The various salts, touched upon above, may be called foods, for they are necessary to bodily well- being. Much disease is due to the fact that many people subsist almost exclusively on staple foods, neglecting to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Proteid, albuminous, or nitrogenous foods. These are the building foods, necessary for the growth and repair of the muscles. Albumin also en- ters largely into the make-up of the body's lubricants, such as synovial fluid and mucus. The principal sources of proteids are meat, fish, eggs, nuts, milk, cheese, ripe peas, and ripe beans. Proteid in smaller amounts is found in fruits and vegetables. The proteid foods are digested in the stomach and in the small intestine. Carbonaceous foods. The sugars, starches, and fats belong in this class. They are very much alike in chemical composition, all of them containing car- bon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are fuel foods. They are burned in the body, producing carbon di- HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING oxide, heat, and water. They also furnish the ele- ments for fat production. People who are overweight consume too much of these foods. Sugars are found principally in fruits and vege- tables. Americans, as a rule, eat too much refined sugar. Starch is also found in fruits and vegetables. The principal supply is obtained from grains. All the cereals, such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, and rye are rich in starch; the same is true of Irish and sweet potatoes, matured beans and peas, Hubbard squash, sago, tapioca, and bananas. Starch must be turned into sugar before it can be used by the body. The saliva contains a ferment (ptyalin) that serves this purpose. If starches are not properly masticated and insalivated they are li- able to ferment in the digestive tract. They are not digested in the stomach, but the digestion, which be- gins in the mouth, is completed in the small intestine. Fats are derived principally from such foods as butter, oils, and fat meats. Pure olive oil is a good food, but it is no easier to digest than butter. Fats are digested in the small intestine. Water is the great solvent; the bulk of our bodies is made up of this compound. Digestion means the breaking up of the foods we A FEW CHEMICAL FACTS cat. We do not know whether the proteid part of a piece of meat will help to build muscle, tendon, or make lubricant for the joints. The body is a living laboratory, in which the foods are broken up into simple forms (analysis), and the needed elements are selected by the cells in building complex com- pounds again (synthesis). Such elements as iodine, mercury, arsenic, and lead have not been placed in our bodily structure by nature ; when given in the form of drugs to cure dis- ease they are harmful. Nature will keep us well if we allow her to do so. If we could eat, digest, and assimilate minerals and metals, such as physicians often prescribe, what would be the need of tilling the soil, fishing, and raising cattle? We could then con- sume the rocks. All the elements necessary are abundantly present in our foods, and drugs are su- perfluous, as well as injurious. CHAPTER TWO SYNOPSIS OF DAILY ROUTINE A part of the price we are compelled to pay for being civilized is to give our bodies intelligent care. Otherwise there is a lack of dependable health, with- out which there can be no high degree of efficiency. With this idea in view I have prepared the follow- ing pages, most of which are inspired by Dr. Til- den's teachings. A large part of our time is spent in following some kind of routine. To regain or retain health it is necessary to practice a certain amount of rou- tine. In this chapter I give a brief synopsis, which is explained in detail in succeeding chapters. The first thing after rising in the morning take exercise, a quick bath, and a thorough rub-down. While going through this routine, or immediately preceding, drink slowly a pint or more of water. Rise early enough to avoid hurry. Breakfast, as well as all other meals, should be eaten deliberately. Do not think of business or so- cial matters during the meal. The time spent in going to and returning from business should be used in reflection upon current 6 SYNOPSIS OF DAILY ROUTINE events, in training the mind to dominate the will, and in concentrating the mind on some given subject. If it is not too far, walk to and from the place of business. Walk briskly for at least five minutes be- fore reaching the office. Walk with the body erect, chest well extended. The hours for work will necessarily vary in indi- vidual cases, depending on one's circumstances. Whatever the business hours are, they should be strictly observed. The time to do business and plan business is during business hours, and those who take their business cares to bed soon come to grief. At times it may be necessary to go through extra exertion, but a lull generally follows, when both em- ployer and employees can have a little rest. There are many reasons for treating one's employees well, two of which are that it is right and it pays. The place of business should be well ventilated, with air from the outside constantly changing, so that the temperature in the winter does not exceed 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. People do their best work in pleasant and sanitary surroundings. Those who have to be on their feet should stand and walk erect. When seated, sit with body erect, feet flat on the floor, and do not cross the legs or lounge. This does not mean to be rigid or under ten- HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING sion, but to assume an erect and comfortable posi- tion. It is well to spend as much time as one's occupa- tion will permit in the open air. Anger, worry, jealousy, and hatred steal one's faculties away. They cause incompetency and ill- health. Self-control, poise, and even temper are winning qualities. Worry and anger never did any good in a business way or otherwise, and never will. People who have the worry habit or lose their tem- per easily can cultivate poise. Self-control is neces- sary for retaining health, without which true suc- cess will not be attained. It is surprising how smoothly everything goes and how seldom things go wrong for those who are pos- sessed of physical and mental poise. The foundation of all business, and other affairs of life, must be truthfulness, honesty, and integrity. Upon such a foundation a personality will evolve which will command the respect and confidence of acquaintances and business associates. If failure should be the result of one's endeavors, it is well to remember that failures are valuable, for if studied and properly interpreted, they point the way to success. It is useless to brood over them; after the disappointment is over, start anew. 8. SYNOPSIS OF DAILY ROUTINE Men should not allow their business to drive or enslave them. They should not assume burdens they are unable to bear. A fortune gained at the ex- pense of ruined health is not worth the price. We are not indispensable; the world will rotate and re- volve after we have returned to dust. A successful business deal is one in which all con- cerned are benefited. The lunch should be light and eaten at leisure. If hurried or worried, omit this meal. Before the evening meal, which should be the principal meal of the day, get thoroughly relaxed. Relaxation will come about quickly if a comfortable physical attitude is assumed, and the mind is al- lowed to rest. Food does not digest properly when the individ- ual is under physical or mental tension. The evening should be spent with one's family in discussing topics of general interest, reading, or cul- tivating the mind in other ways. Sometimes go to places of amusement, the club, take a ride, or enjoy other social pleasures. Set aside a regular time to go to bed and adhere to it, except on special oc- casions. Before retiring it is well to spend a few minutes in the open air in walking or taking light exercise, HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING breathing deeply. Then take some vigorous exer- cise and a rub-down, and retire. If no bath was taken in the morning, take one at night. Sleep in a thoroughly ventilated bedroom all the year. The hours needed for sleep depend on the in- dividual. A month-old baby should sleep over twenty hours a day; many old people require only four or five hours' sleep; the average adult needs about seven or eight hours' sleep. 10 CHAPTER THREE EXERCISE The first thing on rising in the morning, also be- fore retiring at night, exercise in a well ventilated room. It does not matter what kind of exercise is taken. The following are all good forms of exer- cise: Tossing a ball, jumping rope, going through the old-fashioned calisthenics, using the various ex- ercisers found on the market, dancing the buck-and- wing, using medium-weight dumbbells or Indian clubs. Playing handball, tennis, or baseball are also excellent exercises. People leading a sedentary life and those having a delicate constitution should avoid violent exercises, but they should exercise vigorously, continuing with each separate exercise until a moderate degree of fatigue is experienced before starting a new one. Exercises should be selected that will bring into play all the muscles of the body, especially those not used in following one's daily vocation. The exer- cises should be vigorous enough to cause the blood to circulate freely in the extremities. Office workers especially need exercises for the arms and chest. 1 1 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING No fixed rule for the duration of exercise can be given. Those who have not been in the habit of ex- ercising will at first become sore or lame. By taking only four or five minutes' exercise at a time at first, and adding a minute each day, the lameness is often avoided. The time should be increased until at least fifteen minutes, morning and evening, are de- voted to exercise. The less clothing worn during the time exercise is taken the better, for it is very bene- ficial to expose the skin to the fresh air. Exercise should not be looked upon as a hardship. It is necessary for our well-being. Those who neg- lect to take sufficient exercise suffer from cold hands and feet; they chill easily and are prone to catch cold. Cold hands and feet are signs of old age, even if they occur in young people. To vary the manner of taking exercise, it is well to take a brisk walk in the park or in some pleasant neighborhood where the air is pure. Walk briskly, head erect and chest well extended, breathing deeply. A good exercise is to lie flat on the back and go through the motions of riding a bicycle. I have personally found the "knee-and-shoulder exercise" to be a very good one: Lie on the floor, flat upon the back; draw the knees up, then place the palms of the hands under the body, just below the 12 EXERCISE small of the back; slowly raise the body until it is in a manner supported by the palms of the hands, with the elbows on the floor. Then gradually work the body up to a vertical position with the feet high in the air and rest as nearly as possible on the back of the neck and on the shoulders; then draw the knees downward so that they will strike the chest or shoulders. Repeat, first with both knees, then alternately right and left. This exercise tones up the contents of the abdom- inal cavity and is benficial in cases of constipation or piles. It can be taken both morning and evening. It is well to walk during the day when opportunity presents, rather than resort to the constant use of automobiles, street cars, and other modes of con- veyance. CHAPTER FOUR CARE OF THE SKIN Once upon a time the skin protected us. Now we protect the skin. The skin is not only a protector of the body, but it is also an excretory organ. We have clothed our bodies so much that the skin function is greatly impaired, throwing too much work on the kidneys and the lungs, and allowing some of the de- bris to remain in the body. He who wishes ideal health must take care of the surface of his body. Ordinarily one cleansing hot bath a week is suffi- cient. The proper time to take it is just before re- tiring, which will be two or three hours after the evening meal. This is the only time that it is neces- sary to use soap on the body, except on the face, hands, and feet. Cold baths are good for those with splendid reac- tion, but are not proper for those who chill easily and have difficulty in reacting. Dr. Tilden's direc- tions for the cold bath are as follows : "Draw four or five inches of cold water into the bathtub and begin by washing the face and hands while still standing outside of the tub. Carry the 14 CARE OF THE SKIN water up over one arm and rub with the open hand, and repeat until the arm is used to the cold; treat the other arm the same way; step into the tub and treat each leg the same way; squat in the water and give the genitals a thorough bath ; drop on the knees and carry the water over your body; step out of the tub and follow with a thorough dry rubbing with a towel. At night, before going to bed, give yourself a five minutes' dry towel rubbing. When the cold bath is followed by cold hands and feet, it should be preceded by a quick hot bath for the hands, face, and feet. Draw a little hot water and wash face, neck, and hands; step into the tub and allow the feet to toast for a few minutes; then take the cold bath as directed." Those who are rugged and react promptly may immerse their bodies in the cold water for a short time, instead of taking the cold water sponge. If the body is sponged off with cold water before being im- mersed there is no perceptible shock. A bath such as described above should be taken daily. It will not require more than four or five minutes. Cold plunge and shower baths are too shocking for many people. There is no rule that fits everyone. Each individual should learn what is best for him, and act accordingly. 15 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING In winter take the bath first, friction next, and morning exercise afterwards. This aids in bring- ing about reaction from the bath and establishing a good circulation. During the summer exercise may be taken before the bath. It is very important to take a dry rub morning and evening, for this keeps the skin active. The rub- bing should be done vigorously, from head to foot. Use the open hand, a flesh brush, or a coarse towel. A dry rub should always follow the bath. While exercising in the morning and taking the dry rub, or immediately after rising, drink slowly a pint or more of water, either warm or cold, but do not use ice water. It is not necessary to drink the warm water as slowly as the cold water. Some people complain that water is unpleasant to the taste, which is an indication that they should go with- out breakfast. Sleep in a thoroughly ventilated bedroom at all seasons. In winter there must be at least one full sash opening for each individual occupying the room. During warm weather, open all the win- dows in the bedroom, but do not sleep in a draft. In winter warm covers that are light in weight should be used. An excessive amount of bed clothing is in- 16 CARE OF THE SKIN jurious, for it tends to retard circulation. Keep the feet warm at all times. The lower part of the body needs more covering than the chest. If the feet have a tendency to be cold at night use artificial heat in the foot of the bed. Never wear woolens next to the skin. The proper underwear is either linen or cotton. The garments should not be heavy, for people spend most of the time during the winter in rooms where the tempera- ture is that of summer. Wear light underwear sum- mer and winter, and in winter time use enough wraps while outdoors to keep warm. Two or three overcoats, varying in weight, to be worn according to the out-door temperature, will solve the problem of keeping warm. CHAPTER FIVE DR. TILDEN'S FOUR ESSENTIAL RULES "Rule i : NEVER EAT WHEN You ARE FEELING BADLY. "You may not understand what I mean by feeling badly. If you get up in the morning and have not rested well, but feel heavy, tired, dull, cranky, or ner- vous, go through with your morning routine of ex- ercises, etc., but do not eat breakfast. No matter in what way you feel badly, you are not to eat. Take a glass of water every hour or two during the fore- noon. "If you pass through the entire forenoon feeling all right, you may have your lunch. You must feel well from one meal time to the other, or miss your meal even if it makes you weak to go without food. The more of this discomfort you have the greater is the evidence that you need to fast. "When you cannot miss a meal without feeling inconvenience you have chronic irritation of the stomach, and the more you go without food the sooner you will be well. 18 DR. TILDEN'S FOUR ESSENTIAL RULES "Rule 2 : NEVER EAT WHEN You Do NOT HAVE A KEEN RELISH FOR FOOD. "When meal time comes, if it is a matter of in- difference whether you eat or not, do not eat. "Rule 3 : ALWAYS AVOID OVEREATING. "Rule 4: THOROUGHLY MASTICATE AND INSAL- IVATE YOUR FOOD. "If you masticate your food thoroughly, you are not very liable to overeat." The above rules I take from Dr. Tilden's instruc- tions. If these rules were properly interpreted and conscientiously followed, good health would be the rule instead of the exception. These rules are not arbitrary, but are an interpretation of nature's laws applied to man's food intake. The lower animals refrain from eating when they are sick. Man would do likewise if it were not for false teachings and perverted senses. When a person becomes ill, the attending medical man usu- ally urges him to eat to keep up his strength. The truth is that the more he eats under the circum- stances, the weaker he grows, and the more desper- ate becomes his illness. The food does not nourish him, but feeds his disease. People should not eat 19 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING when they feel badly, even if it is necessary to go without food for three or four days. When no food is taken it is well to drink plenty of water. The water may be either warm or cold, but not ice-cold. When on a fast it is proper to drink all the water desired. If there is no desire for water it is well to drink at least a glassful every two hours. The water washes the impurities out of the system. However, in severe acute inflammations of the stomach, nothing is to be given by the mouth, not even water. Sickness is nature's sign that we have been con- ducting ourselves so improperly that the body has rebelled. It means that the body demands a rest until readjustment can take place, rest from food especially. When a person becomes ill he loses his desire for food, which is nature's way of saying, "Do not eat." In illness, the digestive function goes on a strike, and if food is partaken of it poisons the body. If people would stop eating as soon as they begin to feel badly, it would prevent many long spells of sickness, chronic diseases would be rare, and many a life would be saved. When there is no desire for food it means that the body has been oversupplied with nourishment. No food should be taken until normal hunger returns, 20 DR. TILDEN S FOUR ESSENTIAL RULES even if it is necessary to fast three or four days. The digestive organs never work well unless there is a desire for food and what is eaten is keenly relished a desire for plain food, not for food that must be made appetizing by means of sauces, relishes, and spices. Do not eat simply because it is meal time. Most people are guilty of bolting their food. Starchy foods and nuts must be very thoroughly mas- ticated. If the starches are not finely subdivided in the mouth and thoroughly mixed with saliva, sooner or later they will ferment in the stomach or bowels. In time the result will be chronic indigestion, after which the individual will rarely know what it is to be comfortable an entire day. The resulting dis- eases may be of the liver, the lungs, the heart, the arteries; in fact, of any part of the body. Improper eating is not the only cause of disease, but we sin more and oftener at the table than in any other way; digestive troubles are the source of more disease than any other cause. Most people over- eat; nearly all make incompatible combinations of food, and eat when they should not eat; coaxing one's desire for food by means of gravies, sauces, and spices is another prevalent bad habit, which leads to overeating. Foods should be seasoned very moderately, if at all. If one's desire for a certain 21 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING food must be sharpened by a great amount of sea- soning, it is best not to partake of it. Those who eat enough of fresh raw fruits and vegetables will not require and should not desire an inordinate amount of seasoning; these fresh foods contain the required cell salts. Very few people know the natural flavors of their foods. These flavors, which are superior to those evolved by the best chefs, are destroyed by irritating gravies, sauces, and seasoning. After the taste has become perverted, the individual does not relish natural flavors and thus he is deprived of one of life's healthful enjoyments. Sickness is the rule; it is almost impossible to find an individual who is really healthy. This is largely due to being guided by perverted appetites. When we live normally, our desires are safe guides as to the amount and kind of food to eat, but this is not true when our senses are stimulated by coffee, pick- les, preserves, spices, and hodgepodges that appeal to the palate, but are ruinous to health. The med- ical profession, as a rule, urges us to eat even when we need to fast. These rules are to be observed at all times. They apply to the active business man, as well as to the baby and the man of eighty. Babies are made sick 22 DR. TILDEN'S FOUR ESSENTIAL RULES and cross by excessive feeding. While they are still in the cradle habits of gluttony are forced upon them. The aged are killed by overeating. If parents real- ized that overfeeding is the cause of the great infant mortality which disgraces our civilization, that it makes perverts of the growing youths, that perver- sion, insanity, and crime are often the result of the overfeeding begun in infancy, perhaps they would pause long enough to give the subject careful con- sideration. Wherever there is an effect there is a cause. The cause of disease, barring accidents, is improper liv- ing. The prevention of disease is applied common sense. Do not be afraid to miss a few meals, if neces- sary. There is seldom any need of prolonged fasts, but it is well to remember that the average individ- ual can fast four or more weeks without injury, pro- vided misgivings and fear are not entertained, so why worry about missing a few meals? Always quit eating while there is a feeling that more food could be taken with relish. Those who use too much fuel clog up their flues. "How much shall I eat?" is a very frequent ques- tion. It is impossible to answer this in exact terms; what is enough for one may be too much or too lit- 23 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING tie for another. More food is needed in winter than in summer, and more is required by those doing hard manual labor than by those who work in offices. By observing the four rules intelligently, one can soon discover his food requirements and limitations. I have found that the following amounts satisfy me and are well digested: A meal consisting of two or three fairly large peaches with a glass or a glass and one-half of milk, clabbered milk, or buttermilk, preferably the latter two; a fairly large sauce dish- ful of cottage cheese may be substituted for the milk. A large baked apple, a large dish of berries, one or two raw apples, grapes enough to make a like amount, or other fruits, may be substituted for the peaches. Two and one-half to three ounces of what I call Tilden biscuits, with butter, are enough for a meal. One should not exceed four ounces of dried starch at any meal. Four to seven heaping tablespoonfuls of boiled rice, with butter, are sufficient; sometimes take a glass of any kind of milk or a cup of custard in addition. The drumstick, or first joint, a wing, and the neck of a fairly well-matured chicken make a good meat portion; a small piece of the breast may be substi- tuted for the wing. With this meat I would have 24 DR. TILDEN'S FOUR ESSENTIAL RULES about three or four medium-sized beets and the same number of fairly large onions, stewed, baked, or broiled, or a good-sized service dishful of spinach and sometimes a second helping, and a medium-size plateful of salad; no dessert. Other cooked, non- starchy vegetables may be substituted for those named. Two ordinary lamb chops, or a piece of steak one inch thick by three inches square, are gen- erally ample meat portions. Occasionally a meal is one of the above meat por- tions, a large baked potato, and a salad; or less meat, cooked and raw vegetables, and a piece of ap- ple pie. These are merely hints. Each individual must learn his own needs. When leading an active, out- door life, such as when one is hunting or fishing, more food is required than when one is engaged in ordinary business. It is easy to overeat on concentrated foods, but the succulent fruits and vegetables may be indulged in quite freely without overburdening the body. Do not drink any liquid while eating, for the pur- pose of "washing down" the food. Do not take anything into the stomach between meals, except water. If there is thirst or a feeling of weakness or emptiness, take warm water until three 25 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING and one-half hours have elapsed since the last meal; thereafter take either warm or cold water. Learn to distinguish between appetite and hunger. Appetite is artificial, and manifests itself in a com- pelling desire for food, which must be satisfied at once ; hunger appreciates food at the right time, but is not insistent and will not annoy a person if a meal is missed. Appetite can be compared to the feeling a drunkard has when he is thirsty; he is thirsty, not for water, but for his favorite alcoholic beverage. Appetite is a craving for food, which produces certain stimulating effects that are injurious, and represents the same abnormal desire which the drunkard has for alcohol. In applying the above rules it is necessary to use common sense ; those who go to extremes derive but little benefit. People differ so much that even the plain- est language will be construed into various meanings. It is necessary to be perfectly honest with one's self. To illustrate: Some people complain of feeling badly nearly all afternoon, but they recover about an hour before meal time and partake of dinner. This is a form of dishonesty. On the other hand, some people search .their bodies and ransack their minds for aches and pains, which keeps them ill longer than necessary. 26 CHAPTER SIX FOOD CLASSIFICATION, COMBINATION AND COOKING Proteids. Under the caption of proteids come meats, fish, eggs, and nuts. These foods should be eaten only once a day, preferably for dinner in the evening, with one or two cooked non-starchy veg- etables and a salad. Occasionally it is all right to have some dessert. It is best to confine one's meat eating to the following: Mutton, lamb, chicken, turkey or other fowl, fish, game, veal, and beef. Eat beef not oftener than once or twice a week. Cured meats are not recommended, but occasionally have some ham or smoked beef tongue; or for break- fast, about once a week, some breakfast bacon with corn bread or well baked biscuit. Pork is a winter food. The meats should not be fried, nor should flour gravies be used. Meats should be broiled, stewed, or baked. Those who are fond of fish and are so situated that they can get this food fresh from the water, may have fish as often as they like, that is, for din- ner in place of any other proteid food. Fish should be baked or broiled. 27 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING Eggs may be used in place of meat any time they are desired. Those who are fond of nuts may use them in place of meat. The pecan is the best nut, but blanched almonds, English walnuts, and Brazil nuts may each be used once a week. Nuts are a very concentrated food and about two ounces are sufficient for a meal. They must be thoroughly masticated, otherwise they cause indigestion. But one proteid meal is desirable each day, which means that on days when meat is eaten, one should not have nuts, fish, or eggs. Those who are fond of meat may eat it once a day during winter time, but during the warm months it should not be eaten oftener than every other day, and such heavy meats as pork and beef are to be avoided. It is all right to avoid meat entirely when the weather is warm and substitute fish, nuts, eggs, and cheese, which are not so heating and stimulat- ing. Oysters, raw or stewed, may be substituted for meat. The proper way to make an oyster stew is to cook the oysters in one dish. In another dish bring the milk to the boiling point, and then mix. Eat the stew in combination with a salad and cooked 28 FOOD CLASSIFICATION AND COMBINATION non-starchy vegetables, if desired. No crackers or other starchy foods are to be eaten with the stew. Starchy foods. All foods of the vegetable king- dom contain starch, but when "starchy foods" are mentioned in this booklet, those that contain a large per cent of granular starch are referred to. Like- wise, when the non-starchy vegetables are mentioned, the succulent vegetables, which are low in starch, are meant. This classification is very convenient for lay people and is used by Dr. Tilden. Under the heading of starchy foods come the fol- lowing : Anything made from any of the cereals, such as wheat, rice, oats, corn, rye, and barley, Bananas, Matured beans, Matured peas, Hubbard squash, Sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, Artichokes (tuber variety), Peanuts, Tapioca and sago. Do not make combinations of the starchy foods and foods containing acids habitually. Occasion- ally, however, it is all right to have a piece of apple pie for dessert, after a dinner of meat, eggs, fish, or 29 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING nuts with non-starchy vegetables. In the summer time it is all right to make a meal of raw fruit with plain cake or thoroughly toasted bread occasionally, but nothing else, unless it be teakettle tea (one-third milk, two-thirds boiling water, and a moderate amount of sugar), clabbered milk, or buttermilk, sipped slowly after the fruits and cake or toast have been eaten. People who are not in excellent health should not make such combinations. Tomatoes should not be eaten with any starchy food except the Irish potato. Those who are in ex- cellent health can eat all kinds of combinations for a time with apparently no bad results, but even the best constitutions will deteriorate prematurely under persistent abuse. Ordinarily starchy foods should be eaten but once a day. When eating lightly of starches, the weight will be somewhat less and there may be a lack of energy and strength when walking or working. This feeling will disappear when more starch is con- sumed. When feeling fine, except for the lack of a little force, supply the deficiency by increasing the starch intake. However, do not overeat on starch at any meal, but use starch twice a day occasionally. If biscuits, 30 FOOD CLASSIFICATION AND COMBINATION or other starchy foods, are eaten for breakfast, have a dinner containing meat, potatoes, and non-starchy vegetables, but no dessert. Children need starch oftener than adults; starch twice a day is all right for those who are growing. After full maturity is reached the starch intake must be diminished. Those who eat after thirty-five as they did in earlier years will age and break down pre- maturely. There is a great deal of difference between the feeling that calls for starch and the feeling that calls for a suspension of its use. When feeling fine, except for the lack of force, eat starch; when languid and tired, even when sitting or lying down, that is, when afflicted with what people call "that tired feel- ing," suspend the use of starch until that feeling leaves when at rest. Starches and non-starchy vegetables may be eaten together; also, starches and meats may occasionally be eaten in the same meal; it is best to make this combination when no other starchy food has been eaten that day. It is better, however, to eat starches with the dairy products. The potato is the best starchy food to combine with meat. Meat and breadstuffs habitually eaten in the same meal will cause digestive trouble. HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING Non-starchy vegetables. The following are the non-starchy or succulent vegetables: Artichokes (green or cone Kale and greens of all kinds, variety that grows above Green peas, ground), Lettuce, Asparagus, Onions, Beets, Okra, Cabbage, Parsnips, Cauliflower, Radishes, Carrots, Rutabagas, Celery, Spinach, Corn on cob, Summers -uash, Cucumbers, String beans, Egg plant, Salsify (oyster plant), Endive, Tomatoes, Turnips. The non-starchy vegetables combine best with the proteid foods. One or two of the above vegetables, cooked, with a green vegetable salad, consisting of two or three raw vegetables, such as lettuce, toma- toes, and celery or cucumbers, make a good meal when eaten with eggs, nuts, fish, or meat. Whenever salads are mentioned in these pages, they are to be made of raw vegetables, unless otherwise specified. A good vegetable soup can be made as follows: Take equal parts of four or five of the non-starchy vegetables, and some Irish potato, if desired; run these vegetables through a vegetable mill; put to 32 FOOD CLASSIFICATION AND COMBINATION cook with enough water to prevent burning, and when tender reduce to the consistency of soup by adding boiling water. Season with salt and butter. Those in full health can use hot milk to reduce in place of water. This soup is improved by running it through a collender after the vegetables have been cooked un- til they are tender. A plateful of this soup can be eaten for lunch, after having some kind of breadstuffs. It is not proper to put bread and crackers in soup, for these foods should be eaten dry. Eat the bread first and then follow with the soup, or vice versa. The non-starchy vegetables may be steamed, or cooked in water; barely enough water to keep them from burning is to be used, so there will be none to empty off when they are done; corn on the cob, un- peeled beets, potatoes boiled in their jackets, and asparagus are exceptions. The water in which veg- etables are boiled is rich in flavors and salts and should be eaten with the vegetables. All vegetables are to be cooked until thoroughly tender. Fireless cooking is very good, for none of the food value is lost. Fruits. The acid fruits, small fruits, and ber- ries are summer foods. They combine all right with 33 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING any kind of mild cheese, or milk. Combining acid fruits and bread daily is a bad habit and is respon- sible for a great deal of disease. Frequently in summer, and occasionally in winter, it is all right to have a dessert of either cooked or raw acid fruit with a meal consisting of some kind of proteid food and non-starchy vegetables. Do not eat starchy food with the meat, vegetable, and fruit meal. Fruit is not especially recommended with meat and vegetables, for it makes too great variety, which leads to overeating. There is nothing incompatible about combinations containing meat, fruit, and veg- etables, but it is best not to coax the appetite too fre- quently. There is no objection to an occasional lunch of soup made of non-starchy vegetables with fruit; or a lunch of one or two cooked non-starchy vegetables and fruit; or a lunch of a salad made of raw veg- etables and fruit, such as lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries. In winter time people who are in poor health or well advanced in years should seldom eat the fresh or raw fruits. Dates, figs, and raisins may be eaten in winter, either with dairy products or with bread and butter. Bananas are quite starchy and may be 34 FOOD CLASSIFICATION AND COMBINATION used in place of other starchy foods, such as bread, at any time. Cereals, candies, and sweets. Soft breakfast foods are not recommended. However, there is no objection to an occasional meal of thoroughly cooked oatmeal or cream of wheat with a little milk, half cream, and a little salt, but no sugar; the sugar leads to overeating and fermentation. The same is true of well made hot cakes and waffles, but such foods should not be eaten more than once or twice a week, and they must be thoroughly masticated and insali- vated. Hot cakes and waffles should not be eaten by people who do not enjoy good health. Such cereals as corn flakes, wheat flakes, popcorn, puffed rice or wheat, and shredded wheat should be eaten dry with a little melted butter sprinkled over them; crisp these foods thoroughly in a slow oven before serving; follow with a cup of teakettle tea, milk, sweet or clabbered, or buttermilk. Honey or maple syrup may be eaten with corn bread, biscuits, cakes, or waffles, but not oftener than two or three times a week, followed with the same kind of fluids as given above. People who crave sweets may make a meal of candy, and nothing else, once a week. Children may 35 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING have such a meal two or three times a week. Plain caramels and other plain candies are best. If de- sired, follow with a glass of sweet milk, buttermilk, or teakettle tea. Chocolates should be eaten very rarely and spar- ingly, for they cause engorgement of the liver. Liquids. Avoid tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and alcoholics. Do not drink milk at any time. Milk is a food, not a drink. Sip it very slowly, or take it with a teaspoon, mixing it with the saliva in the mouth. Milk may be sipped after a fruit meal, or after toast, or after eating any kind of cereal food. Milk is not to be partaken of with meals contain- ing meat, eggs, or fish, or in fact with any heavy dinner, for such eating overburdens the system with an excessive amount of food. Milk and other liquids should not be taken into the mouth while food is being masticated. Do not wash the food down with any fluid. Do not drink while eating. After the meal is over, do what drink- ing is necessary. If thirsty after finishing a meal, drink slowly some teakettle tea, or some water, either warm or cold. Robust people can take cold water immediately after finishing a meal, but those who are inclined to have digestive trouble should never do so. 36 FOOD CLASSIFICATION AND COMBINATION When digestion has begun, do not drink cold wa- ter. Wait three or three and one-half hours after eating before drinking cold water. If thirsty within this time, drink warm water. After this time has elapsed have what cold water is desired up to within fifteen minutes of next meal time. Avoid ice water. It has the same effect as water that is too hot, that is, it irritates the stomach. It is best not to use any alcoholic beverages, but if they are used they should be taken with the din- ner, not between meals. A glass of beer or a glass of light wine with the dinner occasionally should be the extent of such indulgence. If these beverages are sipped slowly there is very little danger of cultivat- ing an abnormal desire for them. Those who have a craving for alcoholics should let them absolutely alone, for if they use them they will indulge more and more until they become slaves to their abnormal appetites. Avoid tobacco. All stimulants and narcotics are injurious. 37 CHAPTER SEVEN GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING All meals should be eaten deliberately. The con- versation at the table should be pleasant. Do not discuss anything that has an irritating or depressing effect. If a person is nervous, irritable, or worried, he is not in fit condition to eat anything, for digestive power is lacking. If tired, it is best to lie down for a little while and relax before eating. It is essen- tial to good digestion to have both the body and the mind at ease during the meal time. Very few people realize the importance of com- bining foods properly. Eating too many varieties of food at a meal leads to overeating; making in- compatible mixtures causes indigestion; both are prolific sources of disease. The less variety used at each meal and the more simply the foods are pre- pared the better. When vegetables and starchy foods are cooked, they should be well cooked; meats may be rare or well done, to suit the individual taste. Every person should have so much information on the subject of combining foods that he will avoid making mixtures that are ruinous to health. It is not making bad combinations occasionally or hav- 38 GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING ing too big a meal once in a while that is injurious; it is the bad daily eating habits practiced year in and year out. People who eat so that they are troubled with gas in the stomach or bowels, or both, have in- digestion, which will some day be serious. Gas comes from fermentation and fermentation is due to indi- gestion. It is true that some people lead such in- tense lives that they have not enough energy left to digest their food, but most digestive troubles are due to bad eating habits. In suggesting menus, or meals, it is necessary to have a definite plan. However, if it is found better to have what is suggested for the morning at noon, and vice versa, there is no objection. Some people eat their dinner at noon. The plan that is best for most people is to have the dinner in the evening, after the day's work is done. Everyone should have some definite plan. However, this plan should be flexible so that a change can be made occasionally, if desired. If digestion is slow, it is well to eat the fruit meal in the morning, for it digests in less time than the starchy meal. Dr. Tilden's system regarding daily eating con- templates that starches, proteids, and fruits should each be eaten only once a day, and they should gen- 39 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING erally be eaten at separate meals, allowing four and one-half hours, or more, between meals. Have a regular meal time and adhere to it as nearly as pos- sible; if it is necessary to go one hour or more be- yond this time without taking food, eat nothing until next meal time, but drink all the water desired. The four essential rules must be observed at all times. Breakfast. For this meal have fruit, either cooked or raw, selecting a different fruit for each breakfast, if desired. With the fruit, it is all right to have either cream cheese or cottage cheese, or fol- low the fruit meal with a cup of teakettle tea, or a glass of any kind of milk. Lunch. For lunch have some kind of starchy food, selecting from the list previously given, with butter. As often as desired follow with vegetable soup. If neither milk nor cheese was eaten in the morning, the starchy food may be followed with some kind of milk or mild cheese. A good lunch or breakfast can be made of either cantaloupes or watermelon when they are in season, either by themselves or eaten with berries or some of the small fruits. Cantaloupes may also be eaten with ice cream by people who have good health. Dinner. For dinner have either fish, meat, eggs, 40 GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING or nuts with one or two cooked non-starchy vegeta- bles, and a plate of salad. Desserts should not be eaten every day, but two or three times a week have some well made pie, custard, fruit, or ice cream. If occasionally there is a desire for starchy food with the dinner, have some baked potato, meat, and a salad. Do not have any dessert in this meal. The following is a good rule to observe in regard to eating potatoes or other starchy foods for din- ner: Have eggs for breakfast, with fruit or cot- tage cheese ; then have fruit again for lunch, or veg- etable soup, corn on the cob, or a couple glasses of buttermilk; then for dinner have potato or some other kind of starchy food with one or two cooked non-starchy vegetables and a salad; if desired, have a cup of custard, a piece of custard pie, or a dish of ice cream for dessert. A person should select his food as he selects his clothing for the day. A selection of food should be made and then no further attention should be given to the subject. When seated at the table, decide quickly what is proper, eat what has been selected, and give the subject no more thought. Specimen menus. All foods can be eaten. For the benefit of those who wish something more defi- HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING nite than these general directions the following spec- imen menus are appended. People should learn to think for themselves and then they will have no trouble in selecting meals that are not only appetiz- ing, but meals that will not cause ill-health. WINTER MENUS. Breakfast. Baked apples, cottage cheese, tea- kettle tea. Lunch. Toasted bread, butter, vegetable soup. Dinner. Roast beef, stewed onions and car- rots, cabbage slaw, apple pie. Breakfast. Cream cheese, two ounces of figs, teakettle tea. Lunch. Cup custard, well made biscuits, butter. Dinner. Roast lamb, peas and beets, combi- nation salad. Breakfast. Waffles with butter and maple syrup, glass of milk. Lunch. Vegetable soup and two ounces of cream cheese. Dinner. Broiled chicken, baked potato, spin- ach, lettuce and celery. 42 GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING Breakfast. Bananas, raisins, teakettle tea. Lunch. Biscuits with butter, glass of milk. Dinner. Broiled beefsteak, carrots and tur- nips stewed together, lettuce and celery. Breakfast. Dates, nuts, teakettle tea. Lunch. Buttermilk or clabbered milk. Dinner. Baked navy beans, vegetable salad. Breakfast. Baked apples with cream, cream cheese. Lunch. Rice with milk or butter, cup custard. Dinner. Roast pork, stewed onions and stewed celery, salad. Breakfast. Corn bread, breakfast bacon, one egg, teakettle tea. Lunch. Fruit and cottage cheese. Dinner. Roast turkey with cranberry sauce, string beans, peas, sliced tomatoes. SUMMER MENUS. Breakfast. Prunes with rich milk. Lunch. Dish of ice cream, toasted bread. Dinner. Pecans, combination salad, dish of berries. 43 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING Breakfast. Grapefruit, dressed with sugar, glass of buttermilk. Lunch. All the corn on the cob desired with butter, with or without a salad. Dinner. Macaroni and cheese, string beans, cauliflower, salad. Breakfast. Berries with lettuce and tomatoes, dressed with sugar or sugar and clab- bered cream. Lunch. Two glasses of buttermilk. Dinner. Baked fish, butter beets, sliced toma- toes, sliced peaches. Breakfast. Biscuits with butter and honey. Lunch. Cantaloupe and berries, ice cream. Dinner. Eggs, stewed tomatoes, combination salad, berries. Breakfast. Sliced peaches with cream, cottage cheese. Lunch. Fruit and vegetable salad. Dinner. Stewed chicken, beets, carrots, veg- etable salad. 44 GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING Breakfast. Lettuce, tomatoes, and berries, dressed with sugar and cream. Lunch. Watermelon. Dinner. Baked potatoes, stewed string beans, cauliflower, vegetable salad, cup of cus- tard. Breakfast. Stewed prunes and cottage cheese. Lunch. Sponge cake and ice cream. Dinner. Pecans, cooked non-starchy vegeta- bles, salad. The above menus do not follow the general rules exactly, but one is to have the liberty of making in- telligent choice. During the summer the body does not need the amount of heat-producing foods that are necessary in winter. Summer is the time to live largely on fruits and vegetables, and avoid overeating on meats. Instead of eating meat in summer, have eggs, nuts, and fish, if the fish is above suspicion. It is very important to combine foods properly, but it is even more important to be discreet and mod- erate. At times it may be impossible to obtain ideal foods; it may be necessary to live chiefly on the sta- ple foods (bread, meat, potatoes, beans, rice, sugar) 45 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING for a while. These foods are very concentrated, and should be eaten in moderation. A large plate- ful of salad contains no more nourishment than a small potato, and a small helping of navy beans is more nourishing than a large amount of stewed onions. Do not worry about the food, but use intelligent care in making selections. Do not make the mistake of eating bread, meat, and potatoes three times a day. It is nearly always possible to obtain some kind of fruit, and raw fruits can be substituted for the salad vegetables. The following meals should not be hard to obtain and will give an idea of what selections to make when the variety of food is lim- ited: Eggs and toasted bread; stewed fruit and milk; meat and potatoes; beans and teakettle tea; toast and milk; meat with either stewed or raw fruit, or both; rice with milk or butter; hard boiled eggs with bread or potatoes; stewed fruit and nothing else. Do not combine many of these staple foods, for the result will be overeating. It is simply a mat- ter of using common sense. Teakettle tea may be used after any meal, when desired. Pork is a winter food. It is all right to have roast pork once or twice a week with cooked and raw veg- 46 GENERAL PLAN FOR DAILY EATING etables. A good dinner can occasionally be made of navy beans and a salad and nothing else. During the early years of life feed bread made largely of whole wheat flour. It contains more of the salts and building materials than the bolted flour. After middle age, use less and less of whole wheat products. Those who wish to retain a pliable mind and a healthy body will begin to reduce their starch intake at the age of thirty-five or before. If this is not done, early degeneration will result. It is no hardship to treat one's self right. There is every reason for not being a slave to one's habits, as most people are today. In selecting fruits, remember that the cooked ones are dead, while the raw fruit is alive. Raw fruit has a tendency to check fermentation, which is not true of cooked fruit. Get a rational knowledge about food, but do not make a fad of it. People who insist on discussing such topics as food and health in season and out of season are a nuisance. Most people insist on injur- ing themselves with their bad habits in spite of every- thing. The rule is that each individual can reform one person himself. 47 CHAPTER EIGHT THE CARE OF CHILDREN Healthy babies must have healthy parents. It is the duty of parents to be healthy so that their chil- dren will have a good start in life; it is also their duty to give the children such care that they will have the opportunity to become healthy adults. Unfortu- nately the ideas on the care of children are so er- roneous that the mortality early in life is exceedingly great. Normal, well-cared-for babies sleep nearly all the time. They should not be disturbed in any way ex- cept when they need care. They wake up often enough to be fed. The best food is the normal mother's milk. Babies should not be fed more than three or, at the most, four times a day, and not at all during the night. For the first year they need nothing but the mother's milk, supplemented by the milk of a healthy cow or goat, if the mother is unable to furnish suffi- cient food. Goat's milk is preferable to cow's milk, for it is easier to digest. Contrary to popular opinion, babies should not be fat, for fat babies are not healthy. 48 THE CARE OF CHILDREN Give the little ones all the water they wish, teach- ing them to take it from a nursing bottle. The tem- perature should be about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Children often fret because they are thirsty, or un- comfortable from being overfed, but this is gener- ally interpreted as being due to hunger; the result of this misinterpretation is overfeeding and sickness. Babies should not be bounced, nor should they be shown off. They should be allowed to live tranquil lives, so that they may develop normally. Excite- ment makes them nervous and irritable. Those who want "good" children must let them alone. Babies should not be fed anything at the table. It is quite common to see a mother feeding her six to ten-months old bady on meat, potatoes, and bread. Such feeding helps to swell the infant mortality. When the child is a year old it is time enough to begin feeding other foods than milk. Do not give any soft or mushy starches until the child has learned to masticate, and then very seldom. Young chil- dren will moisten crusts or thoroughly toasted bread with saliva before swallowing, and thus prevent in- digestion. Fresh bread is swallowed without being mouthed, and fermentation is the result. The flaked or puffed cereals, with melted butter sprinkled over them, are all right. 49 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING Fruit should not be given unless it is thoroughly ripe. If the child is inclined to bolt it, the fruit may be ground up. Teach the child to eat cooked non- starchy vegetables and salad. The salad vegetables may also be ground at first. Children can have milk three times a day if they wish, but it should be scrupulously clean. They should be taught to sip the milk very slowly or take it with a teaspoon, for it is a food and if swallowed too hurriedly it will be converted into curds so large that they are hard to digest. If the meal is bread and milk, the milk should be eaten either before or after the bread is eaten. A mushy mixture of bread and milk is improper, for it leads to underchewing and overeating, thus laying the foundation for the early development of digestive troubles. If the child wants three meals a day of bread and milk occasionally, very well. However, most chil- dren are fond of fruit, and one meal a day may be all the fruit desired, cooked or raw, with a glass of any kind of milk, or a dish of cottage cheese, or a piece of mild cream cheese. Bananas should not be fed if there is a tendency to bolt the food. It is best to give little or no meat during the first few years of life. Substitute eggs, nuts, and cheese. Meat is too stimulating. A good meal would be THE CARE OF CHILDREN egg, all the cooked non-starchy vegetables desired, and a salad. Cooked non-starchy vegetables, a salad, and a glass of milk, or a dish of cottage cheese make a good meal. The simpler the meals the better the child will thrive. Do not make the prevalent mistake of feed- ing fruit and breadstuffs, or other starchy foods, in the same meal. Such feeding lays the foundation for catarrh, bronchitis, scarlet fever, croup, whooping cough, measles, and other maladies which are too often fatal. If the child wants jellies and jams, give them with other fruits occasionally, either with or without cot- tage cheese and milk, but not with bread; if the child overeats on such combinations, do not repeat; if he wants candy, give him a meal of plain candy and milk. Chocolates should be avoided, for they have a tendency to interfere with the normal functioning of the liver. Desserts should be used sparingly; occasionally give a piece of well-baked fruit pie with the dinner; sometimes custard with plain cake for lunch, or cus- tard and toasted bread. In summer time give ice cream with plain cake or toasted bread for lunch several times a week. There is no craving for fancy foods until the taste has been perverted. By feed- 51 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING ing plain foods the danger of overeating is reduced to a minimum. Lunching is not necessary. It is a bad habit. Three meals a day are sufficient, even for growing children. If lunches are given, they should be noth- ing heartier than the juicy fruits, but those who wish to do the best they can for their children will give no lunches. Never ask children if they wish food or drink. If allowed to develop normally they will partake of all they need. If they wish lemonade, give it at the end of a fruit meal. Children like to patronize the soda fountains, but they should not be encouraged to establish irregular eating habits in this way. If they want ice cream or ice cream soda, either take them to the soda foun- tain when they have finished their meal and give the ice cream as a dessert, or let them have enough ice cream with cakes for a meal. Tea, coffee, chocolate, and cocoa should not be used. The best beverages are water and teakettle tea, the latter at meal time only. When the children are not well, never coax them to eat or try to arouse their hunger by preparing ap- petizing dishes for them. Normal hunger will re- 52 THE CARE OF CHILDREN turn without coaxing and until it does there should be no feeding. Both the father and the mother should take suffi- cient time to study each one of their children, for no two children are exactly alike. Too often the parents and the children are not really acquainted. It is a great privilege to be able to watch the devel- opment and unfolding of a new life, and the parent who is but a physical parent, and no more, fails to avail himself of the opportunity of benefiting him- self as well as his children. Children should not be nagged, for it ruins the nervous system. They should be dealt with firmly, but kindly. As soon as possible they should be taught to obey their parents promptly and willingly. There should be no bickering, and no repetition. The children should learn that whatever they are requested to do must be done at once. Of course, the parents should be sensible and reasonable in their requests. Under no circumstances should they be tyrants, exercising authority because they are able to do so; nor should they try to make the children like themselves in all respects, for the children are little men and women with individuali- ties of their own, and often with undreamed-of tal- 53 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING ents which will unfold if they are allowed to develop in favorable environment. Only on rare occasions should the parent resort to corporeal punishment. It should never be done in anger; the parents who punish their children to relieve their own feelings will live to rue it. Deeply implanted in the breasts of children is a love of jus- tice and fair play, which should be nurtured. When they realize that their parents are unjust, they cease to respect and love them as much as formerly. Most children can be governed by appealing to their better nature and this appeal should always be made be- fore resorting to physical force. The parents should be their children's compan- ions. The children should always feel at liberty to come to the father or the mother with all their troubles. It is especially important that there should be no ignorance on the subject of sex, when children are old enough to need and appreciate such knowl- edge. If the parents do not explain this matter, the children often pick up misleading information from the class of people who are dangerous instructors. Many boys and girls, just budding into manhood or womanhood, have been ruined through curiosity, who could have been saved if the parents had done their duty. 54 THE CARE OF CHILDREN The children should be taught to be independent early in life. They should be taught to care for themselves and to be useful, no matter how exalted the station of the parents may be. The best parent is he who teaches his children early in life how to get along without him. 55 CHAPTER NINE CONSTIPATION Constipation is often referred to as "the great American disease." However, no country or con- tinent has a monopoly on this affliction. It is a con- dition that no one should tolerate, for it always leads to other diseases. The lower bowel is the great sewer of the system; its function is to carry off the waste of the body. It is so constructed that if the waste is not carried off, a part of it will be absorbed, poisoning the whole system. Those who live as they should are not troubled with constipation. The liver and intestinal glands of a healthy individual secrete properly and the waste is thrown off in a normal manner. Those who have become constipated can remedy the condition by correcting their lives. It often takes considerable time and sometimes the condition is so obstinate that it requires expert advice to overcome it. A physician who pretends to cure this condition by giving drugs is not a safe adviser, for the rule is that the more drugs taken the more obstinate becomes the consti- pation. 56 CONSTIPATION People have various ways of compelling sluggish bowels to perform their duty; some take powders or pills; others use mineral waters or enemas; and still others pin their faith to coarse food, such as bran bread. All of these have the desired effect temporarily, but the time comes, sooner or later, when they produce the condition which they are taken to alleviate. It is better to take enough mineral water to secure a movement than to allow the bowels to become clogged and the body to be poisoned as a result. Enemas may be resorted to under the same circumstances, but no one should rely on such means to cure. Learn to live so that all the bodily functions are performed in a normal way and then such dis- eases as constipation will take wing. Have a movement of the bowels every day. Have a regular time to solicit a movement, and do not neg- lect it ; then after a while the bowels will move regu- larly, for they can be educated to perform their duty. Never neglect the calls of nature in this line, for that will result in blunting the sensitiveness of the bowels. The time to have a movement is when nature makes known her wishes. The morning, either before or after breakfast, seems to be the favored time, but this does not apply to everybody. Do not be in a hurry and do not strain severely in order to force the 57 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING movement, for a slight bearing down is all that is necessary when nature is unobstructed. It is very important to have a regular time each day to solicit a movement, otherwise one is inviting constipation. Overeating, especially of the staple foods, is a prolific source of constipation. The overeating causes overstimulation of the bowels, followed by sluggishness, also perversion of the secretions which act as lubricants. Many people who are constipated think too much about the subject. There is a constant auto-sugges- tion which confirms the habit. If a person concen- trates his mind a great deal on any disease, it will be but a short time until he is suffering from it, or until he imagines he has the disease, which is about as bad. Let the mental processes be directed into healthful channels; instead of wasting the mental forces in thinking about disease, use them in train- ing the body and mind into correct habits, after which health is assured. Rectal dilators are often beneficial in obstinate constipation, especially when the individual is ner- vous and his muscles have a tendency to be tense. These dilators come in sets of graded sizes; use a small one at first and gradually increase the size. 58 CONSTIPATION Another aid for those whose bowels are stubborn is to assume the natural squatting position, when go- ing to stool, of people who dwell in places unim- proved by man. This can be done in the bathroom by placing the feet on a foot-stool, six to twelve inches high, in front of the stool. The raw fruits and vegetables, as a rule, have a constipating tendency. When constipated, eat cooked fruits and thoroughly cooked non-starchy vegetables, and use less of the raw fruits and the raw vegetables. Also use less of the dairy products, except butter, for their tendency is to make the bowels sluggish when people are inclined that way. Butter is the only dairy product which should be used regularly when con- stipated. Stewed prunes and rhubarb are especially laxative. Taking a pint, or more, of water between the time of getting up and breakfast time, a glassful or two twenty or thirty minutes before the noon meal, and the same amount before the evening meal should have a beneficial effect on sluggish bowels. The thirst should not be used as a guide when the bowels are inclined to be constipated; then it is well to drink as directed whether thirsty or not. Cooked fruit for breakfast and well-cooked, non- starchy vegetables for dinner are beneficial when 59 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING the bowels are constipated. Poorly-cooked vegeta- bles are of no benefit. Stewed spinach and stewed onions are more laxative than the other vegetables. Dress the spinach with olive oil or butter, and very little salt, and eat freely of it. Dress the other veg- etables in like manner. Olive oil makes a very nice dressing, and some people prefer it to butter. Lemon juice may be used sparingly. Raw vegetables, such as celery, lettuce, and toma- toes, are very necessary foods, for they prevent fer- mentation and carry needed cell salts, in forms easy to digest and assimilate, into the system, but they have a constipating tendency. When the bowels be- come regular, increase the consumption of raw veg- etables and raw fruits. It is not advisable to refrain entirely from eating dairy products, raw fruits, and raw vegetables be- cause of constipation. Eat less of them than when the bowels are normal and eat freely of the cooked non-starchy vegetables, especially of those that are most laxative. By so doing the body gets the ben- efit of the anti fermentative action of the raw fruit and vegetable juices. Prunes, raisins, figs, and dates are not constipat- ing unless they are eaten in excess, and people should not eat to exceed their requirements; most foods will 60 CONSTIPATION produce constipation sooner or later when people overeat, for then there is fermentation with gas for- mation, and the gas so distends the bowels that they cannot do their work properly. The excessive use of sweets has a constipating ef- fect, for sweets taken beyond bodily requirements tend to make the liver sluggish. As nearly everybody overeats, or eats wrong com- binations of foods, or both, and thus overworks the stomach and other digestive organs, keeping them in a constant state of irritation, it will be found that temporary constipation generally results when the food supply is reduced so that the food acts only as a food, not as an irritant. For this reason so much stress has been laid on keeping the bowels open and securing a daily movement by following the directions given. In some cases an almost complete paralysis of the bowels may result. Under the circumstances it is well to resort to an enema on the second day of constipation, using a pint, or even more, of lukewarm water, in which some pure castile soap (enough to render the water opaque) has been dissolved; or a larger enema of water without the soap; hold this ten or fifteen minutes and try to have a movement. It is best not to get the enema habit, for the water 61 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING washes away the secretions in the lower part of the bowel; these secretions act as lubricants. People who are troubled with constipation will improve vastly in health when they get rid of this disease in a rational way. Various exercises, such as kneading the bowels, bending and touching the floor with the tips of the fingers, the knee-shoulder exercise previously described, lying flat on the back and going through the motions of riding a bicycle, and others, are helpful in overcoming the torpor of the muscles of the abdominal wall and of the bowel walls, and thus they help to overcome this condi- tion. Another good exercise is to lie flat on the back and with knees rigid raise the legs as far as possible while counting ten, and return the legs to the floor to the same count. Each person should be able to select various other exercises that are beneficial. To cure constipation permanently it is necessary for the individual to get his body into normal condi- tion and then live so that the body can remain normal. 62 CHAPTER TEN GAS IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT There is normally a small amount of gas in the bowels, but it is such a small amount that it is imper- ceptible. If there is rumbling of gas, passing of gas from the bowels, or belching, it means fermen- tation, and fermentation means indigestion. It is due to overeating, eating too rapidly, eating wrong combinations, or eating when one should not eat. Many people are troubled with gas when they partake of such foods as matured beans, prunes, and spinach. Those who have good digestive power and are prudent about their eating are not inconven- ienced in this way, even after eating the foods men- tioned. If the gas is foul or if the breath is bad, it shows that there is decomposition, and then the proper thing to do is to stop eating until the system has had time to throw off the poison, for decompos- ing food is poison. The bowel discharges should never be offensive; when they are there is intestinal decomposition. Bad breath sometimes comes from unclean mouth and decaying teeth, but more often it is the result of decomposition of food in the stomach. The teeth should be brushed at least twice a day and the mouth should be rinsed after each meal. 63 CHAPTER ELEVEN INTROSPECTION Many people exaggerate their own importance. They take themselves and everything pertaining to themselves too seriously. When they are trying to regain lost health, that is to them the most impor- tant subject in the world. They not only think of it almost constantly, but wish to discuss the matter with friends and acquaintances, and have them think about it. This is a mistake. The more people dwell on their ills the more serious they seem. Disease is a disgrace, and the sooner people quit advertising their shortcomings in that line the sooner they will be in position to acquire health. Dr. Tilden says: "Do not make a business of taking care of your health. Acquire enough infor- mation to take care of yourself without thinking about it or making a business of it. Select your food as you select your clothing for the day. Do not think much about eating before meal time. When you come to the table, figure out quickly what you should have. Don't discuss your habits with anybody. When you dine with a friend, if you are offered some- thing that you do not wish to eat, do not excite curi- INTROSPECTION osity or comment by refusing the food, but take a little on your plate, muss it up and leave it, not say- ing anything about the fact that you do not care to eat it. Should you be invited to a turkey dinner or a banquet, use your judgment and avoid explana- tions as to why you refuse to touch certain dishes." If one eats too much on a certain occasion, it is best to miss a meal or two thereafter until the body has recovered from the excessive food intake. To get the best out of life it is necessary to have a wide horizon. We can associate with the best minds of the past centuries. We may lose our friends, but if we cultivate our minds to appreciate the best, we cannot be deprived of the companion- ship of such great men as Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Shakespeare, Milton, Emerson, Darwin, Spencer, and many others. It is well to read the lives of great men and the histories of great people. By so doing we get a bet- ter perspective. We learn that no matter how great were the men or the nations, the world continued to revolve serenely after their brief day was over; and so it will be after our small part is played. It is well to be on good terms with the insects and the flowers, and all other living things. The more we know of other parts of nature, the better we will 65 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING understand ourselves. The deeper and broader our knowledge, the greater will be the bonds of good- will binding us to our fellow beings. Those who are too introspective and self-centered gradually contract their horizon until they are living in a shell, as it were. Insanity lies in this direction. We are dependent one upon the other, and those who get the most out of life are the ones who give as gladly as they receive. 66 CHAPTER TWELVE DISEASE Sickness is unnecessary. It is due to the fact that we fail to adjust ourselves to our environment; in other words, we are not in harmony with nature. It is not possible to give the subject a great deal of at- tention in this booklet, but in this chapter a few hints of importance in acute diseases will be given. Chronic diseases generally require expert attention, and it is always necessary to correct the bad habits which caused these diseases if a permanent cure is desired. Acute diseases generally make themselves known through pain and fever. The most important meas- ure is to take absolutely nothing but water into the stomach until the pain and fever are both gone and there is a feeling of comfort and ease. It does not matter if it takes two or three weeks to restore the body to ease, do not eat; there is positively no danger of starving to death. Water is to be given as often and in as large quantities as desired. Clean out the bowels as soon as possible. Acute diseases are generally caused by poisoning from the digestive tract and the sooner the poisons are re- moved the sooner health will return. Either ene- HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING mas or cathartics, or both, may be used for this pur- pose, but avoid violent purgatives. So long as the disease lasts the bowels should be cleaned out every day. If cathartics are given they should not be powerful enough to deprive the blood of much serum, which is what happens when the stools are copious and very watery. The mineral waters on the market are effective. If the fever is high, give cool or cold baths as often as necessary. If there is fever accompanied with nervousness the best way to reduce the temper- ature is to give a hot bath. Hot baths should be hot, not tepid, and the individual should remain in the bath until relaxed. Do not take drugs to relieve pain, but take a hot bath, remaining in the water, if necessary, for an hour. While in the bath drink all the water desired, and keep a cloth dipped in cold water on the forehead; drinking moderately hot wa- ter both before entering the tub and while taking the bath aids in bringing about free perspiration. There must be fresh air entering the bathroom during the entire time that the body is immersed, for the air soon becomes vitiated in a small room. The sick-room must be plentifully supplied with fresh air at all hours. In protracted illness the body must be rubbed 68 DISEASE thoroughly at least once a day, and two or three times would be better. If the fever is high an alco- hol rub will generally be found soothing and refresh- ing, but the rubbing is of more value than the alco- hol. The sick-room should not be converted into a re- ception room, nor should anyone with doleful face be permitted in it. It is not necessary to be doing something for the invalid all the time. Keep him clean inside and outside, take care of his skin, give him all the water he wants, and then let him alone. In acute diseases the body needs to rest in order to throw off the disease; no rest is possible when a per- son is being showered with needless and annoying attention. The mouth should be rinsed out and the teeth brushed several times a day. In fevers, poisons ac- cumulate rapidly in the mouth ; if they are swallowed, recovery is retarded. Nearly all acute disease yield quickly to a kindly treatment of this nature, and the mortality is exceed- ingly small. When it is remembered that foods do not digest while an acute attack of disease lasts, and that drugs further disturb an already overburdened body, it is easy to realize that foods and drugs are not only unnecessary, but injurious. HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING The cause of tonsillitis and of typhoid fever is the same self-poisoning brought on by improper living, especially improper eating. This statement may seem far-fetched and foolish to people who have implicit faith in the popular germ theory of disease. But the facts remain that improper living causes dis- ease, and that diseases, though variously named and located, are the same. The disease known as a cold, which is really an irritation or a very mild grade of fever, is due to di- gestive disturbances. If there is no self-poisoning (autointoxication) it is almost impossible to take a cold. A cold is often the starting point of other dis- eases, such as^ tonsillitis, inflammations of the va- rious parts of the throat and of the respiratory or- gans, and of that nuisance known as chronic catarrh. Colds will not last long if at the onset one takes a sweat bath, gives the bowels a thorough cleaning, and goes without food for a day or two. Those who like Turkish baths may take one. After the cold is cured, live properly and there will be no more colds. Those who do not desire to get well so quickly may go onto a monotonous diet, such as toast and milk three times a day, or fruit three times a day, nothing else. 70 DISEASE If it is necessary to take a fast lasting three or more days, eating should be resumed gradu- ally, more gradually after a long fast than after a short one. The first few meals should be very light and simple. Fresh fruit juices; juicy ripe fruit; buttermilk; clabbered milk well beaten; fresh milk; chicken or mutton broth made from lean meat and the fat skimmed off; tomatoes, or a salad of crisp lettuce and tomatoes : These are some of the foods on which to break the fast, using but one at a time. If all goes well the first day, on the second day it will be all right to take some solid food, such as stewed chicken or lamb in the evening, the other two meals being light. On the third day begin to eat as in health, but less in quantity. Then increase until taking what food is needed by the body. Of course, if one of the meals disagrees, do not eat until all bad effects have disappeared. The following is a severe form of sweat bath, whicli should not be taken by weak people, or by those debilitated by fevers, heart or arterial dis- eases; in fact it is for those who are not suffering from organic troubles. It produces copious perspi- ration, equalizes the circulation, and because it re- lieves congestion of the blood it is of great aid in preventing the development of colds and pneumonia. 71 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING Fill a deep tub at least one-half full of moderately hot water; before getting into the tub, drink one or two glasses of moderately hot water; immerse the body up to the neck for four or five minutes ; lather a large cloth or a towel with good soap (hand sapo- lio, ivory, castile) and wash the neck, face, and head; rinse off ; then lather the whole body with the soaped cloth or towel. Immerse the body again for four or five minutes in the water which has been made warmer by the gradual addition of hot water; fol- low with another thorough lathering and another immersion of four or five minutes' duration. While going through the above procedure, drink two to four additional glasses of hot water. Step out of the water, put on a bath robe, wrap the body in a blanket and sit in a comfortable chair or go to bed until the perspiration has about ceased, but do not sit in a draught. Then rinse the body off quickly in clean, moderately warm water. If chilly, introduce hot water into the tub and stand in it while drying off. Rub the body well. After the sweating is over with, go to bed and remain there at least six hours. These are but a few pointers, but if given careful and intelligent consideration, and acted upon, they will prevent much suffering and many deaths. 72 DISEASE The key to good health is moderation and common sense. Be kind and considerate of your own body, and of other individuals as well, and you will be blessed with the greatest of all blessings good health - R. L. A. 73 CHAPTER THIRTEEN HEALTH HINTS Don't take health advice from friends and ac- quaintances. Acquire self-knowledge, learn your limitations and requirements, and act accordingly. No two people are alike; some need more food than others. What one eats is no criterion of what another should eat. There are general rules that can be followed by nearly all to advantage, but spe- cial cases require special care. The combining of incompatibles, eating all kinds of food at one meal, and overeating are the cause of more digestive troubles than anything else. Do not eat when in pain or when feeling ill in any way. Do not eat when hunger is absent. Be regular about meals. When traveling, do not have more than two meals a day, and if made uneasy by the mo- tion of trains or boats, avoid food until feeling well again. "Man's cures, like his daily bread, must be earned by the sweat of his brow, and if they are not, they 74 HEALTH HINTS become his bane." Disease is the penalty man pays for breaking health laws, and there is no forgive- ness without repentance and reform. Nature is im- partial, treating all alike. Eating more than three times a day is inviting disease and premature death. When not feeling tip- top, omit a meal and drink all the water, warm or cold, desired. Many people get along splendidly on two meals a day. It makes no difference whether the breakfast or the lunch is omitted. The benefit comes from not overburdening the body with a sur- plus amount of food. It is well to take a nap of from ten to thirty min- utes, but no more, in the middle of the day. A short walk with deep breathing in the open air is advis- able before and after the nap, as well as at other times. i Those who eat when they should not, or eat be- yond the requirements of the system, will be made ill by the best of foods. Dried and cured meats and fish should not be used when the fresh can be had; they are hard to di- gest. Those who habitually use cured, pickled, and 75 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING preserved foods will sooner or later come to di- gestive grief. "Bread is the staff of life before twenty-five years of age, and after forty it is the staff of death." After the age of thirty-five or forty, the body does not re- quire as much building material as formerly. Avoid the habitual use of acids with decidedly starchy foods. Salads containing acid may be eaten liberally at a dinner consisting of meat and any kind of vegetables except dry beans, dry peas, tubers, and Hubbard squash. Starchy foods and acids should not be eaten in combination, for there is a strong tendency for fermentation to ensue, and such eating is conducive to formation of deposits in the system and hardening of the arteries, thus hastening phys- ical decay. In children it causes gastritis, tonsillitis, and various throat and nose troubles. An adult may live for years eating this combination and experience no evil consequences, so far as he knows, but by the time he is fifty or sixty years old often before he has developed some kind of disease due to degen- eration. Some die of kidney diseases; some of cere- bral or spinal hemorrhage, due to hardening of the blood-vessels ; others have limy deposits in the valves of the heart. HEALTH HINTS Salt should be used sparingly, the less the better. It has a tendency to harden the tissues. Do not have food salted or seasoned in any manner before serv- ing, if it can be avoided. Sweet or unsalted butter is the best. Avoid iced or ice-cold water. If no other kind of water is obtainable, be very deliberate in drinking it so that it will be warmed in the mouth to prevent chilling the stomach. Do not worry about being thin. If a person feels well he will eventually be as heavy as he should be. It is easy to put on weight by increasing the intake of starchy food, but those who overeat on starches do so at the expense of health. Starch is the food that produces weight, but it is also the food that keeps people thin. The explanation of this seemingly par- adoxical statement is that when starch is eaten in ex- cess of digestive and assimilative power, it ferments and then the more people eat the thinner they be- come. When in doubt whether to eat or not to eat, be on the safe side and miss a meal. Foods are not taken for the purpose of curing ills, 77 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING on the order of drug medication. Foods do not cure, but they cause disease when eaten improperly. The object in prescribing a diet is to give foods that are compatible, with the elements well balanced. When such foods are eaten in moderation under proper circumstances health will be the result. Al- though there are many other causes of disease, our bad eating habits are at the bottom of the vast ma- jority of our ills, mental as well as physical. The real remedy for curing is physiological rest, or going without food when the system is complain- ing, until the bad feeling has passed away; then eat properly, but do not form the erroneous opinion that special foods or food combinations are curative. Many people feel that they must eat to keep up their strength so that they can accomplish a certain amount of work; eating when one should not eat forces a certain amount of stimulation, but the break- down is sure to come. A coated tongue is due to deranged digestion, fol- lowing bad eating habits; the same is true of bad taste in the mouth. Some people have such per- 78 HEALTH HINTS verted tastes that water is disagreeable; this is also due to abuse of the digestive organs. Always cleanse the mouth well in the morning be- fore swallowing anything. Take good care of the teeth. Do not use strong tooth pastes or powders. Brush the teeth with a medium soft brush; also brush the gums. Once a day use either castile soap or a mildly alkaline tooth paste. Have a first-class dentist examine the teeth twice a year as a precautionary measure. Cavities in the teeth harbor decaying particles of organic mat- ter and when the products of putrefaction are swal- lowed, they poison the body. Some people object to leading rational lives be- cause they think it will deprive them and their chil- dren of social pleasures. They have a right to abuse themselves until they are ill; they also have the priv- ilege of raising their children so that a large per cent of them die in infancy and childhood, and many others become physical wrecks, perverts, and idiots, while the most fortunate do not have dependable health. If parents would do their duty intelligently, it would not be long until asylums and jails would be 79 HEALTH THROUGH RATIONAL LIVING curiosities. We pay too great a price for our con- ventional pleasures. It has been believed since the dawn of history that drugs cure. This is not true. They can change the course of a disease, and they can and do kill pain. When people are ill, they need rest, which drugs pre- vent; drugs whip the tired body into abnormal activ- ity, or cause great depression. Chocolate and rich cream in excess are two ali- mentary substances which interfere with the func- tioning of the liver more quickly than anything else taken into the stomach; they cause liver engorge- ment. If the liver fails to act well, it is impossible to have good health. We are a part of nature and amenable to her laws. "Practice what you preach," or stop preaching. 80 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL I