INTRODUCTION XI 



contract himself out of those benefits or barter away 

 his birthright. He can, however, and he ought to, 

 take the best advantage he can of these benefits, and 

 not endeavour in his ignorance to shut out the bless- 

 ings that ocean brings him. In this connection I 

 have endeavoured to impress upon my readers the 

 inestimable value of fresh air, which is solely supplied 

 from the sea. Here, unfortunately, the resources of 

 civilization have been so misused in numberless 

 instances that the civilized man is really worse off 

 than the savage. Heedless of the obvious fact that 

 the principal factor in healthy life is the free access 

 to human beings of the ozonized air of heaven, we see 

 around us people of all classes actually endeavour- 

 ing to shut out from their dwellings this life-giving 

 element, blindly choosing to inhale the poisonous 

 exhalations from each other's bodies and professing 

 their dread of draught. Fortunately for the race, this 

 disastrous practice is slowly dying out, although it 

 is still a matter for keenest wonder to see country 

 folk, after spending the day in the keen air of heaven, 

 return to their homes or to public-houses, and there 

 sit voluntarily asphyxiating themselves and undoing 

 all the good that they have received during the 

 day. 



This, however, is a matter connected with igno- 

 rance of the commonest principles of health, and I 

 have endeavoured to go a little farther and suggest 

 an acquaintance with the source from which this inesti- 

 mable benefit, this essential element of life, fresh air, 

 emanates the vast open spaces of the deep. There 

 is yet another and not less important part which the 

 ocean plays in its capacity as the source of health for 



