Francis M. Walters

“ Overeating, by introducing an unnecessary amount of food into the body, overworks the organs of digestion and also the organs of excretion. It may also lead to the accumulation of burdensome fat and of harmful wastes. On the other hand, the taking of too little food impoverishes the blood and weakens the entire body. As a rule, however, more people eat too much than too little, and to quit eating before the appetite is fully satisfied is with many persons a necessary precaution. The power of self-control, valuable in all phases of life, is indispensable in the avoidance of overeating. ”

“ HYGIENE OF THE MUSCLES The hygiene of the muscles is almost expressed by the one word exercise. It is a matter of everyday knowledge that the muscles are developed and strengthened by use, and that they become weak, soft, and flabby by disuse. The effects of exercise are, however, not limited to the large muscles attached to the skeleton, but are apparent also upon the involuntary muscles, whose work is so closely related to the vital processes. ”

“ The fact that alcohol causes pauperism, crime, and general inefficiency, thereby rendering the social environment less conducive to what is best in life, is plainly evident. To realize how alcohol harms the individual through its effects upon society in general, one has only to take into account his dependence upon society for intellectual and moral stimuli, for industrial and economic opportunity, for protection, and for general conditions that make for health and happiness. ”

“ There is, therefore, much in the management of the office, factory, schoolroom, or home that has to do with the real hygiene of the nerves as well as with the efficiency of the work that is being done. The suppression of distracting influences not only enables the mind to be given fully to the work in hand, but actually prevents waste of nervous energy. Although the responsibility for securing the best conditions for work rests primarily with those in charge, it is also true that each individual in every organization may contribute to the order or disorder that prevails. ”

“ Structure of the Cell.—Though all portions of the cell are formed from the protoplasm, this essential substance differs both in structure and in function at different places in the cell. For this reason the cell is looked upon as a complex body having several distinct parts. At or near the center is a clear, rounded body, called the nucleus. This plays some part in the nourishment of the cell and also in the formation of new cells. If it be absent, as is sometimes the case, the cell is short-lived and unable to reproduce itself. ”

“ Exercise and Health.—In addition to its effects upon the muscles themselves, exercise is recognized as one of the most fundamental factors in the preservation of the health. Practically every process of the body is stimulated and the body as a whole invigorated by exercise properly taken. On the other hand, a lack of exercise has an effect upon the entire body somewhat similar to that observed upon a single muscle. It becomes weak, lacks energy, and in many instances actually loses weight when exercise is omitted. ”

“ The free oxygen of the air and the substances known as foods, on account of the chemical relations which they sustain to each other, contain potential energy and are utilized for supplying the body. So long as the foods are not oxidized, the energy remains in the potential form, but in the process of oxidation the potential energy is changed to kinetic energy and made to do the work of the body. ”

“ But the lymph and the blood, everything considered, can hardly be looked upon as two separate and distinct liquids. Not only do they supplement each other in their work and possess striking similarities, but each is made in its movements to pass into the vessels occupied by the other, so that they are constantly mixing and mingling. For these and other reasons, they are more properly regarded as two divisions of a single liquid—one which, by adapting itself to different purposes,27 supplies all the conditions of a nutrient fluid for the cells. ”

“ Only slight study is sufficient to reveal the fact that each organ performs a work which benefits the body as a whole. In other words, just as the organ itself is a part of the body, the work which it does is a part of the necessary work which the body has to do. ”

“ Purposes of Sensations.—Any given sensation is related to the stimulus which excites it as an effect to a cause. It starts up or stops, increases in intensity or diminishes, according to the action of the exciting stimulus. As the stimuli are outside of the nervous system, and in the majority of cases outside of the body, the sensations indicate to the mind what is taking place either in the body itself or in its surroundings. They supply, in other words, the means through which the mind acquires information. ”

“ CHAPTER XXII - THE EYE Sight is considered the most important of the sensations. It is the chief means of bringing the body into proper relations with its surroundings and, even more than the sensation of hearing, is an avenue for the reception of ideas. The sense organs for the production of sight are the eyes; the external stimulus is
Light.—Light, like sound, consists of certain vibrating movements, or waves. They differ from sound waves, however, in form, velocity, and in method of origin and transmission. ”

“ Summary of Causes of Circulation.—The chief factor in the circulation of the blood is, of course, the heart. The ventricles keep a pressure on the blood which is sufficient to force it through all the blood tubes and back to the auricles. The heart is aided in its work by the elasticity of the arteries, which keeps the blood under pressure while the ventricles are in a state of relaxation. It is also aided by the muscles and elastic tissue in all of the blood vessels. ”

“ Deglutition.—Deglutition, or swallowing, is the process by which food is transferred from the mouth to the stomach. Though this is not, strictly speaking, a digestive process, it is, nevertheless, necessary for the further digestion of the food. Mastication and insalivation, which are largely mechanical, prepare the food for certain chemical processes by which it is dissolved. The first of these occurs in the stomach and to this organ the food is transferred from the mouth. The chief organs concerned in deglutition are the tongue, the pharynx, and the esophagus. ”

“ No system of knowledge will ever be devised which can replace the appetite as an aid in the taking of food. It is [pg 164] nature's means of indicating the needs of the body. The natural appetite may be spoiled, however, by overeating and by the use of highly seasoned foods, or by indulging in stimulants during the meal. It is spoiled in children by too free indulgence in sweetmeats. By cultivating the natural appetite and heeding its suggestions, one has at his command an almost infallible guide in the taking of food. ”

“ As the warm blood recedes from the skin, a sensation of cold is felt, but when the blood returns, there is again the feeling of warmth. The sensation of cold prompts one to seek a warmer place, or to put on more clothing; while the sensation of heat, if it be oppressive, leads to activities of an opposite kind. Prompted in this way by the sensations from the skin, one voluntarily supplies the external conditions, such as clothing and heat, that affect the body temperature. ”

“ Bodily Control of Energy.—A fact of importance in the supply of energy to the body is that the rate of transformation (changing of potential to kinetic) is just sufficient for its needs. It is easily seen that too rapid or too slow a rate would prove injurious. The oxidations at the cells are, therefore, under such control that the quantity of kinetic energy supplied to the body as a whole, and to the different organs, is proportional to the work that is done. ”

“ Now it is found that certain chemical processes, mainly oxidations, are taking place in the body. These produce the heat for keeping it warm and also supply other forms of energy,45 including motion. It is the purpose of oxygen to keep up these oxidations and, by so doing, to aid in supplying the body with energy. It serves this purpose in much the same way that it supports combustion, i.e., by uniting with, or oxidizing, materials derived from foods that are present in the cells. ”

“ Nature of Sound Waves.—If some sonorous body, as a bell, be struck, it is given a quivering, or vibratory, motion. This is not confined to the bell, but is imparted to the air and other substances with which the bell comes in contact. These take up the movements and pass them to objects more remote, and they in turn give them to others, until a very considerable distance is reached. Such progressive vibrations are known as waves, and, since they act as stimuli to the organs of hearing, they are called sound waves. ”

“ While the hand receives only a little of the nourishment contained in the food which it places in the mouth or of the heat from, fuel which it places on the fire, it is aided and supported by the work of all the other organs of the body—eyes, [pg 010] feet, brain, heart, etc. The hand does not and cannot work independently of the other organs. It is one of the partners in a very close combination where, by doing a particular work, it, shares in the profits of all. What is true of the hand is true of every other organ of the body. ”

“ In order to determine what things and conditions are in harmony with the plan of the body, we must know what that plan is. This knowledge is obtained through a study of anatomy and physiology. The knowledge gained through these subjects also renders the study of hygiene more interesting and valuable. One is enabled to see why and how obedience to hygienic laws benefits, and disobedience to them injures, the body. This causes the teachings of hygiene to be taken more seriously and renders them more practical. ”

“ Self-control is the chief safeguard against the formation of bad habits and is the only means of redemption from such habits after they have once been formed. The persistent cultivation of the power to control the appetites and the passions, as well as all forms of activity which tend to injure the body or debase the character, gives a tone to the nervous system [pg 335] which increases the self-respect and raises the individual to a higher plane of life. The worst habits can be broken and good ones formed in their stead, if only there is sufficient determination to accomplish these results. ”