Encyclopedia of Diet: A Treatise on the Food Question, Vol. 5Christian, Eugene
Science
Encyclopedia of Diet: A Treatise on the Food Question, Vol. 5
Christian, Eugene
Diet; Diet in disease; Food
He is a good business man who gives as much study to the laws of his own
physical organization as he does to the organization of his business,
and in the final analysis I doubt if he would not consider himself a
better business man, "Penniless," and in good health at ninety, than
sojourning in a sanatorium with a million at his call, but out of the
fight at fifty.
[Sidenote: Knowledge of health-laws a public necessity]
It is truly unfortunate that the general laws of health and hygiene are
not more universally taught and understood. We learn that best with
which we are thrown in most frequent contact. The business man would
absorb enough information on these subjects to extend his period of
longevity and usefulness many years, if they were taught in our public
schools, or were matters of general knowledge.
THE ROUTINE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE BUSINESS MAN
[Sidenote: Bad habits of the business man]
He rises between six and seven a. m., takes no exercise or fresh air;
eats a breakfast composed largely of acid fruit, cereal starch, meat,
and coffee. He then goes at once to his business, sits at a desk until
noon, takes luncheon at a neighboring cafe. This repast is composed of
meat, cereal, or potato starch, beer, or coffee. He hurries back to his
business, sits at his desk five or six hours longer, hurries home, takes
a dinner composed of more meat, more starch, more tea or coffee--no
exercise, no diversion, no association with the great authors; no music,
no poetry, no change.
[Sidenote: The ancient remedy for Nature's warnings]
A friend may come in, or he may go out to visit; then comes the soothing
and soporiferous cigar which may have been his companion since
breakfast. The market, the business, the chances for making or losing
dollars are the topics of discussion. He is in the power of his master,
"business," and must do him continual obeisance. Within the domain of
the tyrant he lives, moves, and has his being. If he has a headache,
sour stomach, indigestion, a tinge of rheumatism, dizziness, insomnia,
nervousness, or any one of the thousand symptoms or warnings that Nature
gives him for the violation of her laws, instead of thinking a little
and trying to ascertain the cause, he sends, with "chesty pride," for
His physician, and his physician writes out something in a dead
language--the only suitable language. The local druggist sends over the
"stuff," and it is swallowed with that childish confidence that fitly
becomes the modern business man who knows a great deal about business,
but nothing about himself.
The days and the months go on, the symptoms or signals become more
numerous, more expressive, more impressive, more painful. His physician
is called more often; the dead language paper goes to the druggist more
frequently, and with faith he still swallows the drugs; they relieve him
for a little while, usually by paralyzing the little nerve fibers that
are carrying to the brain the messages of warning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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