HEALTH NOTES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 281, 28 March 1929, Page 2

HEALTH NOTES.

PERSONAL HYGIENE.

Fundamental Principles.

(Contributed by the Department of Health).

The chief object of personal hygiene is to use and enjoy the blessing of health. Good health makes possible the highest enjoyment of life and the best service to the world. Health does not consist simply in keeping out of the hospital; it is positive, not negative, states Professor Rosenau in his work on “ Preventive Medicine and Hygiene.” Good health consists in keeping the body and mind at the best level. It requires that each person study his powers, learn his needs, exercise his abilities, improve his resources, expand his possibilities, develop his mind and body, respect his limitations, and thus be prepared for the daily needs of life and he ready to meet emergencies as they come from time to time. There are times when it may be noble to neglect health; there are times when it may be justifiable deliberately to sacrifice health. Some things in the world can he done only by paying the price. That is the case with heroism, creative work, and childbearing. Sacrifice of health is sometimes made in the home and in the workshop, as well as on the battlefield, but the sacrifice of health in the pursuit of personal or selfish gain cannot receive approval. Many of

the greatest contributions to the welfare of mankind have been made j by men in poor health; the list is ■ legion. We do not seek health for health’s sake, but for the sake of usefulness in the world. Health is not the end but a means to service and satisfaction. The strong and vigorous man, if selfish in these matters, is socially sick. A healthy man finds joy in play, satisfaction in work, and inspiration in service. Health permits one to “ live most and serve best.” j Physical and Mental Powers. The physical and mental powers, if j normal, should be exercised and strengthened; if handicapped, they should be corrected. If these deficiencies are not amenable to treatment, the individual must learn to adjust his activities within the powers of his body. This is a problem of compensation. To drive at high speed a machine that is built to go thirty miles an hour invites disaster. This is a problem of personal hygiene—it is individual. It depends upon the recognition of trouble, its nature, its course, and its effects; then an intelligent adjustment to make life satisfactory within our limitations. Those who are endowed with a robust frame, sturdy physique, sound functions, a good constitution, and hereditary advantages must also learn the limits to which the human

machine may be driven without permanent harm. One of the important lessons of personal hygiene is to develop that self-control which is fundamental for a temperate normal life. This is a problem of character building, and the most significant aim of personal hygiene which each person must learn for himself. To follow our instincts blindly would be to live on the plane of the animals. Persons who do this fall into grave error, especially in matters of hunger, exercise, and sex. Instinct fails to protect us from disease germs; it fails to appreciate the i.eeds and rights of others and thus falls far short of the mark. Our sensations are not always to be trust-

ed; we may feel tired yet need exercise; we may feel energetic and excited yet need rest; we may not be thirsty yet need water; we may feel hungry yet not need food. Our sensations regarding sex may lead us astray and deplete our vitality. Instincts and sensations must be watched, studied, interpreted, and often curbed, sometimes sublimated. Although we are still ignorant of many of the fundamental factors which underline the art of hygienic living, and there are many unsolved problems concerning diet and nutrition, etc., the safest plan is a common-sense middle ground that will regulate our health habits to accord with clean, moderate and moral living.