SCIENCE IN EVERY-DAY LIFE. 



Bv Rkv. H. X. HUTCHINSON. B..\.. F.G.S.. F.Z.S. 



■■ KN()\vi,kd(;e grows, but wisdom lingers. "" These 

 weight\- words of the late Lord Tennyson are, 

 perhaps, just as true now as when the}' were penned, 

 over htty vears ago. Scientific knowledge has indeed 

 advanced by leaps and bounds in that short space 

 of time. The chemist, the astronomer, the student 

 of phvsics, geologN', or of biology, all stand now on 

 a different foundation, and bv the help of modern 

 instruments and the wonderful results obtained 

 bv methods of precision, they are privileged to 

 see a little further into the mysteries of the 

 trulv marvellous Kosmos in which we live, and 

 to read, however imperfecth". some of the riddles 

 of Nature. But when we ask whether the civilised 

 races of mankind ha\e made an equal progress 

 in wisdom, we ari- obliged sorrowfulh- to confess 

 that the answer must be in the negative. Were 

 we trulv wise we should endeavour seriously to 

 appK- some of all this scientific knowledge to the 

 practical problems of every-da}' life. We ignore the 

 teaching of Science as far as it touches our habits 

 and wa\s of life. We do not think scientifically. 

 A few individuals here and there may do so, but, as 

 a nation, we certainly do not, and the consequences 

 of this neglect are of a serious nature. In spite of 

 the warnings of kindh' Nature and the advice often 

 offered, freelv and with goodwill, bv those who know 

 and realize the importance of obej'ing her laws, and 

 following her wise councils, we continue in our ow n 

 foolish way; perversely making paths of our own 

 that are dangerous, na\-, even forbidden ; doing some 

 things in ways that are quite wrong, and others 

 that ought not to be done at all. As the prophets 

 of Israel solemnh- warned the people of their 

 day of moral evils, and of unrighteous wavs, so men 

 of science, in the twentieth century, ma\- well take 

 upon themselves some portion, at least, of the seer"s 

 duty, and speak in no uncertain tones of the misery 

 and waste and suffering that follow from disobedience 

 of Natural Law. Such warnings might well be graven 

 deep on tablets of stone, and brought down from the 

 sacred mountain of knowledge to the plains lielow. 

 to be set up in the eves of the people. We surelv 

 cannot dispense w ith the aid of Science : at ever\- 

 step we need her help — at our peril do we neglect 

 her wise counsel. She is Athene to the modern 

 Ulysses. When we enter the world, Science, in the 

 person of a medical practitioner, stands by to help 

 our arrival, and when we seem likelv to leave it he 

 is also there, in case he may possibly be able to keep 

 death away, or at least to help us in our last 

 moments. One ma}- go a step further and sa}-, that 

 if the laws of heredity were considered in the making 

 of matrimonial alliances, the health of the races 

 could be vastl}- improved, and much quite unneces- 

 sary suffering avoided. The time will come when 

 the science of Eugenics will take its proper place. 

 In the following pages, the writer begs humbl\- to 



offer a few thoughts and suggestioHG;, to those who 

 will accept them, in the hope that chsy may be of 

 some service in a good cause. They are offered 

 more especiall}- to women — and doubtless the 

 readers of "Knowledge" are not all men — because 

 they refer largeh' to domestic matters, and, in the 

 house, woman is rightl}- supreme. She it is who is 

 responsible for order, cleanliness, comfort and the 

 suppl}- of food, light, air, and other things so truly 

 \ital to a proper health}- existence. There is hardly 

 an}- Hmit to her power in this domain; in her hands 

 lie the man"s peace and perhaps his verv life. 



The first thing to consider is the house we live in, 

 and its environment. Nobod\- would w-illingly 

 choose an unhealthy place to live in, but supposing 

 that circumstances compel us to dwell in such a 

 district, we can at least see to it that our homes are 

 not insanitar}-. It is a good plan, in these cases, to 

 call in the aid of a professional expert, a sanitary 

 engineer or an architect. All who study these 

 n-iatters are aware of the fact that houses have been 

 built in situations where good health is hardly 

 possible. excei)t perhaps to a few- exceptionally strong 

 men and w(in-ien, places where damp prevails, 

 bringing with it lung troubles, rheumatism and a 

 lowered vitalit}-. In these places the death-rate is a 

 high one. For example, the situations of our two 

 chief Universities are bad — they would never have 

 been chosen b}- their pious founders had they known 

 something of the Science of Sanitation. It is to 

 be hoped that, in the good da}-s to come, the building 

 of dwelling houses on such sites will be stricth- 

 forbidden, and on those which may be moderately 

 unhealth}-, onl}- such houses should be allowed as are 

 built on arches, as recommended b\- the late 

 Dr. B. W. Richardson. This simple plan would 

 keep out damp to a large extent. It is sad to think 

 how many ^-aluable lives are lost, or at least partl\- 

 ruined. b}- neglect of these simple precautions, w liich 

 even a slight knowledge of science would suggest. 

 The writer has frequently seen country houses 

 surrounded b}- so many trees at a short distance as 

 to render them decidedly dark and unhealthy. Now 

 darkness in a house is a thing to be carefull}- 

 avoided. It is bad for the mind, because darkness is 

 depressing, and all depressing influences should be 

 avoided. It is bad hygienically, because evil germs 

 flourish in darkness, w-hile sunlight kills them. 



Labour-saving appliances should be welcome in 

 these days, when good servants are not easy to 

 obtain (and are inclined to leave us after a year or 

 two). But there is one plan which the present 

 writer has often strongly advocated which, perhaps, 

 more than any other, would save labour, and that is 

 the provision of hot and cold water in every bedroom, 

 together with a waste pipe of proper width to take 

 away water which has been used, and other things. 

 This idea is not new. for it is being carried out in 



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