NO. 23 INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERE ON HEALTH 95 



The reduction of spray (saliva) infection by ventilation is impos- 

 sible in crowded places. It therefore behooves us to maintain our 

 immunity at a high level, and, if possible, to diminish the spray out- 

 put of those infected with colds by teaching them to cough, sneeze, 

 and talk with a handkerchief held in front of the mouth, or to stay 

 at home until the acute stage is past. 



In all these matters, nurture is of the greatest importance, as well 

 as nature. 



A man is born with physical and mental capacities small or great, 

 with inherited bodily characteristics, with more or less immunity to 

 certain diseases, with a tendency to longevity of life or the opposite; 

 but his comfort and happiness in life, the small or full development 

 of his physical and mental capacities, his immunity and his longevity 

 of life, are undoubtedly determined to a vast extent by nurture. 



By nurture (we use the world in its widest sense, to include all the 

 defensive methods of sanitary science), plague, yellow fever, malaria, 

 sleeping sickness, cholera, hospital gangrene, and like diseases can 

 be prevented by eliminating the infecting cause ; small-pox and 

 typhoid by this means, and also by vaccination ; and most of the 

 other ills which flesh is supposed to be heir to can be kept from 

 troubling man by approximating to the rules of life which a wild 

 animal has to follow in the matter of a simple and often spare diet, 

 hard exercise, and exposure to the open air. " For whosoever will 

 save his life shall lose it." 



There is nothing more fallacious than the supposition commonly 

 held that overfeeding and overcoddling indoors promotes health. 

 The two together derange the natural functions of the body. 



The body of a new-born babe is a glorious and perfect machine, 

 the heritage of millions of years of evolution. 



" Not in entire forgetfulness, 

 And not in utter nakedness, 

 But trailing clouds of glory do we come." 



A race-horse or a dog kept in perfect physical health and training 

 is as clean, sweet, and beautiful as a wild animal. A pampered, 

 ill-fed, underexercised dog becomes fat and gross, vomits on the 

 mat, and passes offensive motions. 



" Shades of the prison house begin to close 

 Upon the growing boy." 



The ill-conditioned body, anaemic complexion, and undersized 

 muscles, or the fat and gross habit, the decay of the teeth, the more 



