How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern ScienceFisher, Irving
Science
How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science
Fisher, Irving
Hygiene
There are really only two material disadvantages from which the poor
suffer in their opportunities to live a healthy life: One is unhygienic
housing, both at home and at work; the other is unhygienic toil. It must
be admitted that millions of unfortunates are unable individually to
remedy these two disadvantages in their lot in life. Yet they can, even
in these two respects, accomplish much if they take an intelligent
interest in hygiene. The graduates of tuberculosis sanatoria are largely
among the poor and they are doing much good missionary work in securing
better ventilation, both in the home and in the workroom. They find this
possible partly by insisting on more open windows in home and workshops,
partly by changing their home to one better equipped with windows or
situated in the suburbs instead of in the city, partly by changing their
occupations, partly by getting the cooperation of their employer or
simply by cooperating with him when he is ready to do his part. The
workman can also accomplish something through the Trades Unions,
especially in regard to hours of work. Employers will increasingly
cooperate in this movement, as they come to realize that the securing of
efficiency in their workmen is to their interest, and that monotony,
long hours, and other unhygienic elements which are now, through sheer
carelessness, often imposed on their workmen, bring back in the end big
financial losses on themselves.
Except for the evils mentioned--those of housing and working
conditions--there are few people so poor that they can not buy the means
of living a healthy life. In fact, hygiene is one of the few precious
gifts which can be had almost for the asking. Most people can sleep
out-of-doors, if they will--if in no other way than by the so-called
indoor window-tent--or can take deep-breathing exercises without cost.
It costs nothing to stand, sit, and walk erect, to evacuate thoroughly,
regularly, and frequently. It costs less than nothing to avoid
overeating and overweight, and to be totally abstinent from alcohol and
tobacco.
[Sidenote: Cost of Food]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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