The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 2 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better BabiesHague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Science
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 2 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better Babies
Hague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Eugenics; Hygiene; Marriage
THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD HEALTH.--There are certain fundamental basic
requirements which are essential to good health: fresh air, good water,
a reasonable amount of physical and mental exercise, nutritious food,
freedom from unnecessary and unreasonable worry, frequent bathing, and a
daily movement of the bowels. The reason why constipation is of such
serious importance is because it is the only basic requirement of good
health that afflicts a large majority of the race at the same time. The
health of so many is being undermined by this one affliction, that it
dominates all other factors that have any bearing upon posterity. A
woman may enjoy all the essential conditions necessary to good health,
yet she may be constipated, and the presence of this condition will
undermine, in her constitution, all the benefits she derives from her
advantageous environments. It will do more; it will be responsible for
the disposition,--the temperament,--of that woman. The natural
disposition of that woman may be an amicable one; if it were allowed to
express itself naturally it would be kind, gentle, considerate,
affectionate. No woman, however, the victim of chronic constipation, can
preserve an equable temperament or an amicable disposition. It is
impossible--with her nerves being constantly poisoned--that she can hold
the symptoms of that condition in abeyance. She must be irritable and
nervous and sick of herself and everything and everybody. The home as a
direct result suffers; its atmosphere is not one of contentment and
peace and affection. Constipation, therefore, blights the home and the
influence of one blighted home may have a far-reaching effect on the
story of the human race. It is responsible also for that woman's mental
attitude outside the home. Instead of exerting an optimistic influence,
her whole existence is a message of pessimism and discouragement.
Multiply these influences and messages to correspond with the prevalence
of the disease and we have a condition that is tremendously significant,
a condition that is really a pressing economic issue. A constipated
woman is an anti-eugenist--a eugenic atrocity.
We have no desire to create a false impression or to build up a foolish
fear. Are we justified in regarding this as one of the most important,
if not the most important, disease condition; the most menacing physical
vice, which the human race has to combat? Let us offer the following
brief facts in witness of our stand:
THE COST OF CONSTIPATION.--It has been estimated that consumption (the
great white plague) kills one-tenth of all the human race. Cancer kills
half as many, or one in every twenty. Constipation, and the diseases
which are caused directly by it, kills one in every three of all the
people on the civilized globe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account