XI 



PERFECT HEALTH 



A TEACHER of philosophy once said that Aristotle 

 after hearing and contributing to the endless fas- 

 cinating discussions in Plato's Academy came away 

 with a passion for the obvious. There is nothing dazzling 

 about obvious truths any more than there is about fitness. 

 Hence we are quite apt to forget both. But they are always 

 worth thinking about. Indeed a passion for the obvious is 

 one aspect of genius. Aristotle declared that it was obvious 

 that a certain amount of wealth was better than poverty, and 

 that health was better than disease. 



Health is evidently the first prerequisite to fitness. This 

 also is a truism. It is equally evident that perfect health is 

 very rare. Statistics collected during the Civil War showed 

 that only about one-third of the men drafted for service were 

 fit to bear arms, and many of these proved unable to endure 

 the hardships and strain of a soldier's life. Probably not 

 one in ten was what an athlete would call fit. Nearly all 

 showed minor weaknesses. 



All of us remember certain red-letter days in our lives. We 

 awoke in the morning from a refreshing sleep. The air 

 seemed to tingle with energy, we were eager to begin the day's 

 work; and what a day it was! Work became play and went 

 on rapidly, easily, successfully. Difficulties and hard prob- 

 lems only stimulated instead of depressing us. Obstacles 

 which had blocked our paths dwindled and disappeared. It 

 was our mountain top of vision, and we went in its strength 

 many days. Fears cast no shadows, we saw everything clear 

 and in due perspective. 



119 



JS^' 



