OUT OF EVIL-GOOD

Evening Star, Issue 20995, 8 January 1932, Page 8

OUT OF EVIL-GOOD

■ depression lessens overindulgence FEWER HOSPITAL CASES [Bpbcul to thi ' Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, January 7. _ “The so-called standard of living is a farce. It is a question of getting a lot of luxuries into the category of necessities,” said Dr W. Fox medical superintendent of Christchurch Hospital to-day, in attributing the comparative slackness in tho volume of general hospital work to tho decreased tendency of tho public to over-indulgence in various ways. While Dr Fox had every sympathy with those people who_ could not find work, and who found times difficult, it was undeniable that many people were better off for being restricted through necessity to simple methods of living. The people who lived longest were those who did not over-feed. A big proportion of diseases sprang from over-in-dulgence. People nte mid over-drank, and kept late hours because of too much seeking of pleasure. To those three factors many of our ills were attributable. A large number of people had to bo treated_ each year for gastric troubles, and it seemed that, with the depression, the health of the people improved, due, no doubt, to the fact that there was not so much overindulgence. Through tho winter and over tho last few months, hospital work generally had been quiet. Ho had never known so few on the waiting list as had been tho experience in the past few months.