THE NATION'S HEALTH

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LII, Issue 2, 6 January 1931, Page 4

THE NATION'S HEALTH

I "National health cannot be obtained unless, and until the people themselves assent, accept and "take the profits.' Unlike some other good things, it cannot be secured, still less imposed, by Parliament, or by the Ministry of Health, or even by the local authority. They can only devise machinery, and ensure that it is sensible and works well in practice. Health can only be achieved by the people themselves," says Sir George Newman, Chief Medical Officer of the British Ministry of Health, in his annual report. "Every child and every adult must discipline and train himself, or be trained, all through his days to understand and practise this art of living—much of the essence of which is contained in the Greek aphorism 'know thyself and be moderate in all things.' .... The joint effect of State and voluntary service on behalf of health and social welfare has undoubtedly proved beneficial. But we must not lose ourselves in an orgy of public effort or public demand of doing something for everybody, which is not only costly in money and energy, but may tend to overlook or forget the imperative necessity of everybody doing something for himself. Individual and corporate responsibility, individual initiative, exertion and dilgence, and above all, personal dscipline—these are more valuable to the nation, more constructive and permanent, than a too rapid or superficial provision of external facilities for securing social wellbeing."