The Royal Road to Health; or, the Secret of Health Without DrugsTyrrell, Chas. A. (Charles Alfred)
Science
The Royal Road to Health; or, the Secret of Health Without Drugs
Tyrrell, Chas. A. (Charles Alfred)
Enema; Health; Health -- Popular works; Health promotion; Hygiene
There are thousands of miles of minute tubing in the human body--the
arterioles, veins, capillaries and lymphatic vessels. They ramify
through every portion of the body tissues, the first carrying the
vitalized blood for nourishment of the parts, the second returning the
impure blood, charged with the waste of the structures, the third being
the intermediate stage between the first and second, while the fourth
and last, the lymphatic vessels, collect the surplus nutrition and
return it to the circulation. In addition the lymphatics assist in the
conveyance of effete matter. Whenever disease germs are present in the
system, they first manifest themselves in the lymph, but this fluid
being densely populated with phagocytes (white blood corpuscles), the
micro-organisms are speedily destroyed, if the body is in a healthy,
vigorous condition.
In view of the vital character of the fluids, activity of motion is
indispensable for the best performance of their separate functions and
exercise supplies the desired stimulus. Whenever a muscle is contracted
the blood is wholly or partially expelled from it proportionately to the
force of the contraction, and in its escape it carries with it the waste
material; but as soon as the muscle is relaxed fresh blood from the
arterial supply re-enters the structure, bearing fresh nutrition.
By a wise provision of Nature, the amount of nutrition supplied is
always in excess of the waste products removed; that is, all things
being equal, so that the more exercise a part is subjected to the more
nutrition it receives. This explains the unusual development of certain
parts of the body which are called into excessive use in certain
occupations. But this unsymmetrical development is a thing to be
avoided, as it is usually productive of certain deformities, such as
stoop shoulders and certain peculiarities of gait, which are plainly
noticeable in men employed in certain avocations.
The reason for this is perfectly simple, and may be expressed in two
words--unequal nutrition--for the muscles that are unduly exercised
appropriate the nutriment that should be equally distributed, so that
the neglected muscles become weakened and stiff. Hence, any system of
exercises designated to develop the body should be so arranged as to
call into play every muscle in the individual, thus insuring harmonious
development in every direction.
Muscular activity stimulates all the functions of the body. It has a
most beneficial effect upon all the vital processes, digestion,
assimilation and nutrition. The digestive powers work more briskly to
prepare the needed nourishment, and the blood circulates more rapidly to
carry the material for repair to the parts that need it, so that by
moderate physical exercise, judiciously distributed, the whole body is
built up and strengthened, and the result is a suppleness of frame and a
clearness of head that makes life indeed worth living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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