The Home

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 31, 3 August 1905, Page 29

The Home

By Maureen

Old Age and Health. In these wonderful days of enlightenment, when the microbe holds undisputed sway, we are not the least suipribed to learn that old ag;e an-d even death itself are ouetio the intrusion of these pestiferous, little invaders. It is said that disease once known is half cured, consequently now; that we know the cause of old age, the other half of the cure should be comparatively easy. Every weefit we are confronted with a ' system, 1 a ♦ developer,' and a ♦ germ destroyer,' each claiming to b« miles m advance of the other in the race for life, but still the reaper is as busy as ever gathering in the sheaves, those that are unripe equally with those that are ripe, and with no niceties of distinction. One of the latest methods suggested for keeping old agp at bay is to keep the supply. of ' white corpuscles 'in the blood well maintained. It appears that these white corpuscles are the terror of all invading armies of microbes— lor so long as the former are sufficient and active, you can snap your fingers at disease and decay. An apostle of the new creed is J. P. fuller. a Dane, who promises us 140 years of life, health and hapuness if we act up to his teachings. He has published a pamphlet explaining his system in detail, and the most noticeable feature about it is the extraordinary simplicity of his method. Mr. Muller modestly asserts- that he does not pretend to abolish death, and probably his system, like a well known brand of soap, ' won't wash clothes,' biit it is claimed that it will add' years to our life and life to our years, and that our days shall not be one hundred and twenty, but one hundred and forty !. In an interview ho said : Whlat I advocate more strongly than anything else is the proper care ot the skin, the daily bath, and the rubbing exercise. The idea of a bacillus of death is all humbug Death is natural. Plants die, animals die, everything in nature dies ; no, I don't pretend that I shall abolish death, but what I do maintain is that fifteen minute* i,er day de\oted to physical exercise— one quarter out of the twenty-four hours— is not a heavy price to pay for health and, a long life. vWcll, anyone who carries out my instructions in e\ery point, beginning from the cradle may reasonably hore to live to be 140. Since as. a rule, e/crythinig Hakes away more than it gives, it is to say the least quite refreshing to come across anything that offers so much for the little it asks in return.

Systems and Symptoms. The health craze seems 1o have gripped the general public. Exeiybody who is anybody has adopted som« system, practices that system, and talks, that system to the detriment of every other system. In fact the talk about ' symptoms ' and ' systems ' has so completely monopolised conversation, that \arious protests are being made against the tedious agressheness of the cult. A society lady suggests that an Anti-Symptom League for the suppression of diseases in conversation shoild at once be formed. 'To have people sitting in one's drawing-room, talking about their symptoms ' she says, ' seems to me repellant, not to say disgusting It is bad enough to have each of tneir most trifling actions explained and justified by a symptom, but it is quite intolerable that each symptom should in its turn be explained, and a name given to the particular form of acid or inflammation to which it is due.' The ' Lancet ' has likewise something to say on the same -subject : 'Nowadays the talk about complaints is openly indu'Jged in at the dinner table by members of the opposite sexes. . . It is too true that refinement and resene have markedly decreased of late years. f r lhe craze is said to ha\e a baneful effect ton nenous people, who imagine every trifling ailment (to be a ' symptom ' of the fashionable malady, appendicitis.In fact some of these neurotics .become so thoroughly imbued with the idea that nothing short of treatment for the supposed malady will allay thoir fears. Busy surgeons declare that they are pestered with woule-be patients, mostly women who have little or nothing the matter with them.