A GUIDE TO HEALTH BY MAHATMA GANDHI Translated from the Hindi BY A. RAMA IYER, M.A. 1921 S. GANESAN., PUBLISHER, TRIPLICANE . . . . . MADRAS, S.E. [Pg v] CONTENTS Page Translator’s Note vii Introduction 1 Part I: General Chap. I. The Meaning of Health 9 Chap. II. The Human Body 11 Chap. III. Air 14 Chap. IV. Water 25 Chap. V. Food 29 Chap. VI. How much and how many times should we eat? 55 Chap. VII. Exercise 59 Chap. VIII. Dress 64 Chap. IX. Sexual Relations 69 Part II: Some Simple Treatments Chap. I. Air Treatment 83 Chap. II. Water Cure 86 Chap. III. The Use of Earth 95 Chap. IV. Fever and its Cures 98 Chap. V. Constipation, Dysentery, etc. 101 [Pg vi] Chap. VI. Contagious Diseases Smallpox 104 Chap. VII. Other Contagious Diseases 112 Chap. VIII. Maternity and Child-Birth 117 Chap. IX. Care of Child 121 Chap. X. Accidents —Drowning 127 Chap. XI. Do —Burns and Scalds 130 Chap. XII. Do —Snake Bite 132 Chap. XIII. Do —Scorpion-sting, etc. 140 Chap. XIV. Conclusion 142 [Pg vii] TRANSLATOR’S NOTE In these days when the name of Mahatma Gandhi is identified with the momentous question of Non-Co-operation, it may come with a shock of surprise to most readers to be told that he is something of an authority on matters of Health and Disease as well. Very few of us perhaps are aware that he is the author of quite an original little Health-book in Gujarati. Those who think of him as a dreamy idealist or an unpractical visionary, with his head always in the clouds, will certainly be undeceived when they read this book replete from cover to cover with practical observations on the most practical question of Health. His views are of course radically different from the ordinary views that find expression in the pages of such books; in many cases, indeed, his doctrines must be pronounced revolutionary, and will doubtless be regarded by a certain class of readers as wholly impracticable. Even the most revolutionary of his doctrines, however, are based, not on the shifting quicksands of mere theory, but on the solid foundation of deep study, backed up by personal experience of nearly thirty years. He himself recognises that many of his views will hardly be accepted by the ordinary [Pg vi] reader, but he has felt himself impelled by a stern sense of duty to give publicity to his convictions formed after so much of study and experience. Some at least however, of those who read his book cannot help being profoundly influenced by it. Such, at any rate, has been the case with me; and I have ventured to translate the book into English in the hope that others may also be benefitted likewise.