THE BREATH OF LIFE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 19, 24 January 1919, Page 7

THE BREATH OF LIFE

(ByA.H.H., ill Sydney Morning Keteia.)

Fresh air, sunlight, ami regular exercise, short of fatigue, are among the health rules recently-drawn up at the suggestion of-the Minister of Health by the consultative council of the medical profession to assist the people iii fitting themselves to resist-the influenza scburge. It is safe to say that the average man ■is taking considerably more cate of his general health than he was a month ago, and the question that naturally suggests itself is, “Why should tVe not always take the same pains to keep fit?” To look after one’s .health when the epidemic .threatens, and neglect it at other times, is just as- inconsistent as the conduct of the individual who goes to church op Sunday,'and for the sest of the week banishes all religious principle from his dealings with his fellow-men. Physical flabbiness is; the cause of more" trouble among civilised humanity than even the moral flabbiness that so often accompanies it. The ordinary colds that nine 'people out of ten suffer from at least once a year, are, m most cases, preventable, and slight thoughthey may seem compared with other illnesses, it is nevertheless a fact that! 1 they have a bad effect on the general health, and ;if neglected may give rise to serious lung troubles. How serious a part lung troubles play in human ills; is emphasised by William A lan Chappie. Jn one of his books. This dfistin-. guished New Zealand doctor since 1916; has been a member of the House of Commons. He says:—“ Half the mortality in Britain over the age of five years is due to lung disease, -and one-: seventh .of the worm s mortality is due to consumption alone.” In Australia, of course, climatic ana housing.: conditions are less in favour, of disease than in Britain, but for all that most of us have, experienced the annual co|d ; and many of us know personally. of cases where neglected colds, have ‘developed into pneumonia or even, consumption. Why colds in ■ the head and chest are so'prevalent,-.and how it is possible to strengthen the system so' as to reduce the danger to a minimum,, and at the same time build up thestrength of the lungs, that mean® so much to human vitality, are matters of (particular interest in these days of quarantine and inoculation. A writer on matters of health and hygiene who has devoted considerable research to the. subject is Dr Harald Bjelke-Petersen.. of and the- recent y published fourth edi’. ion of his- book, “How to - Become Hardy,” comes at an opportune time .Mr Petersen- points out that it is the' conditions,, of modem civilisation—, unsuitable clothing, stuffy rooms, -Jack:, of exercise—that have weakened the chest of man, and robbed him of _ the hardiness enjoyed by his primitive, forefathers. We cannot alter our civili-. sation with it* city life; but to counter-: act its. softening influences we should; ■avoid as many weakening, factors as possible, and set apart for a fow minutes every day for exercise, . by, whiph the body’s protective, mechanism:’ can gradually be strengthened and dc-, velcped.. . ■■ . , It may startle the average man to be told that the . superficial area of expand-, ed lung surface he possesses is probably between 90 and 100 square yards, and that when .he breathes normally only .110 per cent of his full lung capacity is called into us. That great reserve of lung power is there for the purpose or special efforts, such ae primitive man had'to make when hmfting, running, or climbing. The last four years have laughj us that nowadays our young men require extensive physical training to enable them to withstand the fatigue and undertake the exertions calU cd for iu war, and at the same, time: have shown us. what miracles' of endurance and vigour the well-trained human body is capable of. For the civilian, who is past, the age for vigorous athle-. tics, howeyer, the lungs are .se.dom, n ever, called on to accelerate the process, of bodily: qdmbustioii %am dn creased; supply of oxygen. The fire-of hie, so to apeak, is kept at a dull glow, and never blown into-a blaze. The unused portions of the lungs not only liaadle, but. actually become a source of danger by affording-a resting place, for germs, it is impossible for the of tuberculosis, for instance, to ejet a hold bn lung, tissue, which ;is in active: nse,Ask yourself how, many vfmes your breathing process hadi been raised above normal to-dav? How many times during the last few months have you taken a really brisk, healthy walk? Just as a muscle unused wastes away, so;-., with the lungs. Exercise regularly .filling and? emptying the lungs, and ! thereby main-;, Gaining their elasticity and the’ mobility, of the ribs encasing them, has n. beneficial effect on the whole body. The taJity thus gaiiied enables one to .resist qplds, and, makes one less susceptible to draught® and changes- of temperature. A a matter of fact ,i! one is vitally fit,and the body is producing sufficient heat to counteract the change of temperature, no harm comes from a

draught. ' ■ , ,• _ The nostrils filter the. air, and keep, harmful, germ-laden dust from' the lungs. Use them, not the month, w breathing. -i',‘-.v'• •' f Colds, -ag. Air Petersen .points opt* are. caused by germs. Tho human organism should be strengthened to resist those germs.. And, moreover, the habitations: and surroundings of man' be made as,, germ-free as. possible, All ‘dust sliould be removed from livingworking rooms, -and. sunlight,,.which la ture's great, germicide, 4 should ,be admitted freely. Public hall's, particularly when badly.. Righted and ventilated:, are great centres for. th,e distributipp .of germs, and that isi ,iyhy, _• should the pneumonic epidemic break ;ont* of fln?" rantine, one of the first precautions- byt the authorities' would be: to close places of entertainment, and .buildings where numbers of people congregate.