134 THE HUMAN MECHANISM 



of the feces from the rectum, but in a derangement some- 

 where else; it may be entirely the fault of the mechanism 

 of peristalsis, or it may be due to imperfect secretion. In all 

 cases it means that something is wrong, &nd .the remedy should 

 be sought not in drugs or pills but in search for and removal 

 of the cause. A moment's consideration will show the reason- 

 ableness of this position. If a watch loses time because it 

 needs cleaning, we do not seek a remedy in drugs, but in its 

 cleaning, better adjustment, and good care ; and the remedy 

 for diarrhea or constipation should in all cases be sought for 

 in the better conduct of life. Is enough muscular exercise 

 being taken? Is the diet properly chosen? Are we drinking 

 enough water? Especially, is the food of sufficient bulk and 

 does it contain enough laxative material (such as fruit)? 

 Above all, are we getting enough sleep ? Are we over- 

 working, or do we work too long at a time without resting? 

 Is our clothing warm enough, or are we overclad? Such are 

 the questions which should be seriously asked. The student 

 of personal hygiene cannot lay to heart too seriously the 

 truth that the man who goes from day to day, from week 

 to week, from year to year, neglecting the warnings of diar- 

 rhea or constipation, only reaps the harvest of his folly when 

 in later years he suffers loss of health and at times bodily 

 discomfort; and it is nothing short of impiety to marvel 

 under such circumstances at the " mysterious " ways of a 

 Providence which so " afflicts " his creatures. It is no ex- 

 aggeration to say that the regular discharge of the wastes is 

 quite as important as the regular feeding of the body and 

 that no less pains should be taken to form good habits in the 

 one case than in the other. Many of the headaches, many of 

 the bad feelings, and many of the bad tempers of the world 

 are due to neglect of this simple fact. No city, however well 

 fed or beautiful, the drains of which are choked with filth, 

 can long remain either wholesome or attractive and the 

 human body is essentially a city teeming with living cells. 



