Pension Fund Report 251 



Not only will these habits make tuberculous infection highly- 

 improbable, but they will also render the individual less suscep- 

 tible to many other diseases. 



II. Constipation. The most common cause of "feeling 

 mean," of headaches, or a lack of a sensation of health and 

 vigor, is sluggishness of the bowels. It is universal, unhealthful 

 and unnecessary. With only a little effort in habit formation 

 no one need use cathartics. 



(1) Water: One or two glasses of water before retiring 

 and again first thing in the morning. 



(2) Diet: Include in the daily diet such food as prunes, 

 baked apples, cooked or raw fruits, spinach, celery, lettuce, and 

 if necessary, bran biscuits and figs. 



(3) Habit: At exactly the same time every day go for a 

 bowel movement. 



III. Periodic Physical Examination. Since certain 

 common diseases, and notably cancer, often produce no symp- 

 toms until the time is past when treatment is effective, it is the 

 part of prudence to let your doctor examine you every six months 

 for incipient disease of which you are unaware. If such a habit 

 were universal, cancer would frequently, instead of rarely, be 

 curable. 



IV. Teeth. It is now quite definitely known that bad 

 teeth are frequently the cause of disabling diseases. The habit 

 of going once a year to a good dentist and having the teeth put 

 in order, coupled with the habit of thoroughly cleansing the 

 mouth twice daily, would eliminate many intestinal diseases and 

 a great deal of rheumatism. 



