SCIENCE AND LIFE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20450, 3 July 1928, Page 11

SCIENCE AND LIFE.

HOW PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE. LONDON DOCTOR'S VIEWS, “ Science will never conquer death. The human machine is like a dock, and when it commences to run down we cannot stop it. Perhaps we can put the brakes on a bit, but it would be contrary to all nature if we prolonged life forever.” It was not, however,, this,-message ofdeath, but one of life that Dr Lewis Smith, a noted London consulting physician, who recently visited Auckland, had to give in an interview in Vancouver last month. For years consulting physician and professor in the London Hospital, he is one of the noted medical men of the Empire. “ It is not a question,” Dr Smith continued, “ of how long we should live, but how we should live. Modern medicine strives to teach, not how to prolong life, but how to live as comfortably and as profitably as we can.” The visitor smiled as he said this, for Dr Smith is a sportsman, and on his present world tour he is enjoying life. He arrived at Vancouver on the steamer Aorangi after weeks of trout fishing in New Zealand. “If I wished to prolong your life,” said Dr Smith again, “ I would send you ou to the fields to live the simple healthy life of manual labour. You would work hard, yon would sleep well and eat healthy, sensible food. Yon would have no worries. But would you call that life? I think not.” “ TAKE CARE OF THE MACHINE.” Dr Smith continued:—“ Even if I put you in a glass case, fed yon the best food, protected you from every hurt and worry, I could not prolong your life beyond the span allotted you at birth. Some human machines are built for 20 years, others for CO, while some manage to last out to 90. The best yon can do is to take the utmost care of that machine and see that it is not abused.” Then came a question about modern life. Dr Smith answered quickly. “ You mention modern life. Of course its pace shortens life with all of the hustle and bustle. Man must pay for the nervous strain he imposes on himself, but, as I said, who would exchange activity for unthinking existence.” The doctor is interested in rejuvenation, but he is doubtful of its efficacy in prolonged.life. “You sec,” he continued, “ rejuvenation as it is now understood, is, after all, applicable only in a certain limited sense. It doesn’t rearf- prolong life.” Dr Smith says he believes there is no royal road to health. Diet, orange juice, calories, white bread, brown bread—-these, he declares, “ are but limited means toward its attainment. Some people , say that those who eat white bread are doomed, and those who eat brown bread will go to heaven, but that’s the trouble with these faddists —they exaggerate. There’s no such way to health.” DIETING AND DOCTORS. « Often the leaders of the health cults thrive under their own treatment, but that is no indication that their followers will also thrive. These wonderful bodies of ours are much too intricate to correct whatever faults they have by merely drinking orange juice or dieting. “Take dieting, for instance. I could prescribe a diet of sawdust and paraffin, and it would be chemically correct as far as calories and hydro-carbons go, yet it would certainly be unfit for human consumption. If you must diet, go and see a doctor and get him to prescribe for you. Go to a doctor to keep well and do not wait for him to come to you after you have tried all of these fads and failed.” Of diet and health, Dr Smiih gave two generalisations and four simple rules. First, of diet, he said: ‘ rsons under 40 seldom overeat, but iu. persons over 40 do overeat.” His rules of health, he said, were: “First, take plenty of exercise. Second, gat a reasonable amount of sleep each night. Third, drink plenty of water. Fourth, eat plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruit.” THE GREAT SECRET OF CANCER. For those who suffer from cancer or who fear it, Dr Smith had a message of hope. “ Never before,” he said, “ have we had so many men at work on the problems of research. But men and money will not alone wrest the secrets of Nature from their hiding place—some of the greatest discoveries of modern medicine have been made by accident. “ That science will some day discover the great secret of cancer, I have no doubt. Little by little we are collecting valuable bite of information, we are learning now and then of- successful methods of treatment, but we do not yet know enough about this disease to know how to cure it. -This much is certain, however; there is not a shred of evidence that it is hereditary, but we do know that if the human body is maintained in a healthy state, there is a good chance of it avoiding this scourge.” Referring to alcohol, Dr Smith said: “Alcohol is not bad in itself, but it is a very dangerous thing, and something that most men could do without.” The one great message of health, he said, was that of balance and sanity. “American medicine seems, for the moment, to have gone in for * stuntiam,’ ” he continued; “there are so many health fads, and some of them fostered by doctors, but the great things about health are moderation, balance and sanity.”