414 



HEALTH 



Am. Museum Nat. Hist. 



Bacteriological laboratories contain elaborate equipment. Can you identify the microscope, 

 Petri dishes, agar slants in test tubes, staining fluids for bacteria, distilled water in flask 

 for washing off excess stain, and the Bunsen burner ? Can you give the use of each article in 

 working with bacteria ? 



than attempts to cure disease. Each illness, no matter how slight, 

 is likely to lower the resistance of the person just that much. 



Health and longevity. Another misconception of health is that 

 it is identified by length of life or longevity. This, too, is 

 probably a fallacy. Some delicate people receive medical treat- 

 ment all their lives, and, through care, live a long time, although 

 they never really have good health. On the other hand, people 

 in perfect condition may meet with accidents which will cut short 

 the span of their lives. 



Health and adaptability. Positively speaking, health is merely 

 the adaptability of the organism to meet a variety of situations. To 

 be healthy, an organism must be able to make rapid and proper 

 adjustment to every situation. For example, normal heart muscles 

 thicken to accommodate the heart to unusual conditions. A dis- 

 eased heart will not do this, consequently, discomfort results. Ac- 

 quiring resistance to certain diseases is a process of adaptation. All 



