What Is The Chief Factor In Producing The Physical And Moral Imperfections Of The Race, Doctor?

"Well, part of our present social evils are no doubt due to false economic conditions, but if every individual was born right and properly educated even these would disappear."

"But as things now exist there must be other great factors besides economic ones that affect the individual."

"Yes, many things affect his existence, such as exercise, ventilation, sanitation, clothing, and each are so important, that thousands of lives are annually sacrificed because the natural laws of which they are a part, are violated; but while these affect many, the most important thing of all is food; it affects the whole world."

"Since you speak of it, I realize the force of what you say, for I asked a teacher about the quantity and proper proportions of the ordinary foods that would be required for health and vigor and he couldn't tell. He said the physiologies and books of hygiene only gave a little general knowledge, with very little practical information."

"I am not surprised that a teacher couldn't," said the doctor, "a great many physicians could not do it, for they are not employed to keep people well, but to drug them when they are sick, and so long as people prefer to pay for taking medicine, the doctors are powerless and unable to do anything better, however much they might desire it; but the doctor of the future will be employed mainly to prevent disease."

Doctor, Since You Have Said What You Have, The Question Occurs To Me, How Do People Live At All?

"By mere accident or chance. They eat what they want, that is, what their appetite craves, or what may be offered them, no matter whether it suits their requirements or not. If it makes them suddenly sick, there is not much danger, but if their food is wrong for a number of years, and if its evil effects are not quick in manifesting themselves, the doctor will finally have a much more serious case to cure, if indeed a cure is not beyond his power."

"Then, if I understand you, the people live almost universally in a haphazard way and if they get sick, rely on nostrums and doctors to cure them."

'"Exactly so."

How Do You Account For It?

"It is partly due to the fact that people believe that proper living is galling; that all the pleasures of life would be cut off if they had to live by rule; but probably a far greater number are under the impression that their work the weather, or natural causes, produce their ills, when in fact they are self-inflicted."

"Well, I have heard these reasons so continuously that I almost come to pity those people who are always saying that something or other in their lives, either their work, the weather, or some accidental circumstance made them ill and wretched."

Is There Nothing In This?

"Not much. Most persons can eat almost any food in proper quantity at a proper time if properly prepared, and as to weather and work killing people, who live in accord with natural law, such would be as hard to find as a dishonest alderman" said the doctor, with a somewhat significant twinkle in his eye, then continuing, "it is no harder to live properly than it is to speak or write grammatically; one doesn't have to think of all the inflections of every part of speech in writing, for correct use of language comes by knowledge and practice, and good usage is only difficult to the illiterate. Just so as to living. If you really understand foods and their relation to life, it is easy to be well."

But People Often Say That They Don't Live Up To What They Already Know, And What Is The Use Of Learning More?

"People who say that it is no use to learn because they do not live up to their knowledge are unconscious of their own ignorance.

It Is True That No One Applies All He Knows To Each Act Of His Life, And This Fact Is Illustrated In Our Daily Conversation, For However Well Educated, Few Persons Speak Correctly At All Times;

But Would Any One Say, That Because Of This Being A Fact That It Is Useless For One To Get An Education?

"Nobody but an idiot would say so."

Here is another fact, few live up to their moral enlightenment, but according to the reason urged for not learning more about our bodily existence, all the efforts put forth to christianize and enlighten the world are useless.

We Might Go Still Farther And Say, That But Few People Do Business As Systematically As They Know How; Is A Business Education, Therefore, Of No Use?

"Doctor that is well put, and emphasizes the importance of training."

"Yes, knowledge is the main spring of action and the people who will not be controlled are those who are suffering from some defect the result of their own or others' violation of physical laws."

Then You Think People Who Have Right Knowledge Of Living Will Not Go Far Wrong, If They Are Not Already Badly Warped By Somebody's Transgression?

"They will not, for it is absolutely certain that under no circumstance will the people go as far in their violation of what they know will injure them, even though their inclinations lead them against their knowledge, as they would certainly do, if they were entirely ignorant of the effects of such imprudence."

Then Knowledge Is Useful To Recover From Errors In Living?

"Yes, when we are ignorant we not only injure ourselves, but not knowing the cause of the injury, we are likely to continue until we are beyond any remedy. No language can sufficiently emphasize the fact, that there is nothing of so much value ts us, as knowing how to live, and to know how and what to eat comes first.

Are We To Understand That All The Ailments Of Life Come From Improper Food?

"No, not all of them, but most of them do. Some come from hereditary tendencies, some are thrust upon us, such as infectious diseases, but if people were to eat the right kind of food in proper quantity, and properly prepared, sickness would scarcely be known at all."

Has Physical Weakness Much To Do With Our Career As Individuals?

"Yes, everything; it retards moral and intellectual development, causes a craving for stimulants, drives people to crime, makes labor a burden when it should be a pleasure, causes life to be partially or wholly a failure, and frequently makes the individual a burden to society instead of a blessing. All of which are forcibly illustrated by our penal institutions, alms houses and asylums."

There Is No Doubt, Doctor, But What The People Need Enlightenment Upon The Subject Of Proper Living More Than Any Other?

"Yes, unless it be the question of heredity and prenatal influences, but as you want to deal with questions for immediate results there is no field which could possibly offer you a greater opportunity for labor."

What Would You Suggest As A Proper Scope For A Book That Would, In Your Opinion, Be Of Most Benefit To The People?

"The qualities and properties of everything used as food should be given, and the best methods of preparing each food product. It would also be well to point out the deficiency, if any, of each food and what would be suitable under different conditions to make a complete diet. It would be advisable to mention those foods that have particular value as remedial agents, and suitable diet in all diseases."

Whom Should We Urge To Study A Book Of This Kind?

"1 suppose most people would say that those who are ill need it most, and while it is urgent for them, the greatest good can be done by interesting those who are as yet too young to have suffered irreparable ill from bad example. As this is beyond question the most important of all education it should be taken up and taught in our public schools as the most essential branch of the school course."

Then You Don't Regard School Physiologies As Of Much Practical Benefit?

"As to that, it certainly isn't objectionable to study physiology and hygiene, but the only trouble is that much of it has no direct bearing on living, and too many suppose they are well informed when they have not learned any more about living than they would have done about house building, by simpjy examining a house and finding that it was made of brick, mortar, stone, wood and metal,"

"That will shock some of the teachers." "I hope not, for I was a teacher myself and studied and taught from the school physiologies, but what I did not know would have filled a large book. Too much attention connot be given to this because experience teaches thai those who are now healthy are gradually perhaps imperceptibly breaking their natural vigor, so that with them it is only a question of time before they will have the common ailments with which everyone is familiar. If these can be reached they can be saved much distress, while those who are diseased and broken might not be worth but little after you have taken away all the causes which afflict them. It is a good plan to help all the people you can, but do not devote all your energy towards working over spoiled material."

"Then you think it better to save the coming and future generations."

"Yes I would seek them but let the others seek me.'