THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1912. THE GOSPEL OF HEALTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10518, 5 January 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1912. THE GOSPEL OF HEALTH.

This wortu is full of gospels, and creeds, and cranks, and fads. There is a gospel for almost everything, exempting the truth.. The latest "gospel" to come to baud is described as "a. new gospel of health." It is by one Lloyd Jones, of Waivganui, who claims to hAve been owed of some loiig-standiiaig illness- by the simple process- of fasting, mud who wauts the world- to,know that he is "quite well, than-k you." Now, Mr Lloyd Jones may be quiite sincere in* his belief that by. denying himself, of'Ms meals for a week, or a month, or a year, he can cure hiinrseltf of dyspepsia, or canoer, or consumption. It- is quite reasonable to suppose tha'fc the latter eomplaitnt would yield to such a. remedy. But it is appealing too miuch to the creduliity of the people to invite them to believe that th|e adoption of a "no breakfast" mode of living would restore them to youth and secure to them perpetual health 1 . The idea is simply ridiculous.. Imagine, for example, a man. fasting for a week to cure himself of diabetes, and then* standing foil- an hour over a cess-pit containing the germs of typhoid- Does Mr Lloyd Jones wish us to believe that the fact that a man goes without his breakfast renders him immune from the attacks of the bacilli of disease ? .When -.v.u. *-■ iafea*-u«tL i

lie says that "all these deaths from J disease and all the deaths .. caused from disease axe entirely avoidable," hie talks rubbish. All the swine, the science of heaJMi is one which, mem and women might study to advantage. How to live in a sound state of health is; a pre t: cm which has de- ! fled the medical t flautists of centuries. The ooiiidii'fcionis surrounding existence are so varied, that any perm- ; ar.ent dtfinite mode of Mving is almost impossible, if a man could be sure of a sufficiency of sleep, an imr unity from worry, an equable clii .ale. mi. entire absence of disease gLi-m;;. from tine atmosphere, and a fb.idi income, he mjght contrive to ex.if.t- in tolerably good health, provided a.lKvays that he dfd) net inherit sonie form of mental er pliysical dli's*ease. J* is quite probable that if people would bo moderate in, their indulgences they would derive "great physical l benefit. Indeed, it lias been demonstrated beyondl shadow of doubt that many human sysfbems have been- shattered by excessive eating and drinking. If men imd women . would* devote a little more attentllon to hygiene gnd a., little less to the dfc'fetsipitwons of\ faffee pleatsucfe.; they would be am measurably better in health and prospects'. But, to tell them that im ordier to be in absolute good health they must have only two meals a. day, and must fast at least one day a week, is to tnifle with their f intelligence. Ma- Lloydi Jones may be fond' of fasting. WeWi, let him indulge himself ui. that direction. If h'e faisita long enough, he will be fcnanislaitcd to a sphere where mi- , crobes and, possibly, water are unknown. 1 ' We would i/ot recommend our paying /siuhscrobersi to adopt this method of perpetuating exidbenice, much as we respect them.