HEALTH TALKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8349, 8 February 1913, Page 9

HEALTH TALKS.

"Health is the second blessing that wo mortals are capable of—a blessing that money cannot buy,”

The trouble with ioed drinks is that just when one wants them most, when tho thermometer is soaring towards tho yO’s, they are most dangerous. At such times tho body is particularly susceptible to chill, and a sudden cold shock may easily cause most unpleasant symptoms. It may bring a serious internal chill, fever, a rash, or a thorough upset of the whole system. When tho blood is in a state of unusual beat it should be allowed to cool down slowly in its own sweet way.

On getting back from a walk or any kind of heating exercise the first thing to do is to sit down, to keep perfectly still, and just to endure the heat. Then, when cool, indulge, if you must, in the iced drink, but on no account touch anything iced while you are still moist with the heat—that is if you value your future health.

Do not sit and cool in a draught unless you are exceptionally strong and accustomed to draughts, and oven in that case be sure to ait facing it. The great thing to remember when trying to become cooler is to keep every part of the body, hands as well, perfectly still, and to sit in such a position that you are thoroughly comfortable. One of the best and safest ioed drinks is barley water made with ordinary pearl barley and flavoured with lemon juice. Begin by taking very small sips, gradually increasing the amount swallowed as the blood returns to its normal temperature. People who suffer from anaemia should take very few lemon drinks, and those of us who aro a prey to that most miserable of complaints, indigestion, must firmly resist all artificially sweetened iced drinks. The constant sipping of iced water is a bad habit that we have learned from our American cousins, who, it is a well-known fact, are more or less regular sufferers from indigestion. Ice has a lowering effect on the system, and, taken in large quantities, is always injurious to the digestive organs. “Death,” Professor Metchnikoff holds, “is premature if it comes before .the age of a hundred.?' Strong people should live to be 126. We often 'wonder what is the object of life. I believe the object of life is to complete a physiological cycle. We are bom, we grew, we come to the fulness of growth, then we gradually weaken, and at last we ought to fade away peacefully and even gladly, the instinct to live having been replaced by tbe instinct to die.” For many years he has been working at the problem of prematqre,; ele.qay, ; ; It,, : is, .closely connected;..he believes, with-tho food we eat. Certain ‘bacteria cause fermentations in the body, and. so poison us. If we could avoid taking these into our systems or find healthy bacilli which would war against them, we should last much longer. The future of cancer research work was discussed at the annual meeting of the Christie Hospital (cancer pavilion and home), which was held at tho hospital, in Manchester recently. ;It was pointed out that, though the medical profession had increased their knowledge as to what cancer is, they had not made any progress as to what is tho cause of it; and the distressing fact was told that in Manchester last year the number of deaths from this disease was the highest that has ever been recorded. The Medical Board reported that during the year 138 cases had been under treatment, including. 33 out-patients., Of the 105 in-patients, 52 were discharged, 31 died, and 22 remain in the wards, 16 of whom are home patients. During the year the hospital had provided a permanent abode for 50 patients, who could not be properly treated at home owing to the grave character of their ailments. These patients were admitted in a late stage of the disease for the purpose of alleviating suffering during the whole remaining period of life. Professor Wild, honorary physician to the hospital, stated that' it was twenty years since the first.patient was admitted to that institution. Though the hospital was able to maintain itself in a certain way there were ample opportunities for money to be spent with advantage in carrying out the work tot which the hospital was originally founded—investigations into the cause and treatment of cancer. Some said it was hereditary, others put it down to the kind of food eaten, whilst other people thought It was due to other causes. Whatever may have been the result of the investigations of those theories, one thing they did know was, that statistical investigation and clinical methods did help them in their research work. Dr C. P. White, directm of Pilking. ton Cancer Researcn, said that during the year there had been a number of new theories as to the origin of can cer and suggested new cures, but ho maintained that no one would accept them, without very full investigation. Most of them were put forward on theoretical grounds, and when put to a thorough test had always failed. As Dr WOd had stated, they had tried every reputable remedy, but they had not yet found one which had come up to the reputation which it was supposed to have.