in these days when the name of mahatma gandhi is identified with the momentous question of non-co-operation, it may come with a shock of surprise to most readers to be told that he is something of an authority on matters of health and disease as well. hence it is the duty of all thoughtful men to understand aright the laws of health, and the object of the following pages is to give an account of these laws. it is the duty of every one of us to get over this indifference. it is also a matter of experience that diseases increase in proportion to the increase in the number of doctors in a place. so too, we instinctively honour the man of a pure mind and a noble character in preference to the man who is merely physically strong. hence it follows that a pure character is the foundation of health in the real sense of the term; and we may say that all evil thoughts and evil passions are but different forms of disease. the work of the stomach is to digest the food, and so to provide nourishment to the body. it is of the utmost importance to breathe through the nose, instead of through the mouth. the divers go down into the water in what is known as a diving bell, and they take in fresh air through a tube which leads to the top. it follows that the best way of avoiding disease is to live and work in the open air. there is absolutely no reason why we should not ourselves learn the work of scavenging and teach it to our children as well. as already mentioned in the last chapter, the air is to be inhaled through the nose, and not [pg 21] through the mouth. after learning how to inhale the air, we should cultivate the habit of breathing fresh air, day in and day out. air and light are so intimately connected with each other that it is as well to speak a few words [pg 24] here on the value of light. we should keep all doors and windows in our houses always open, in order to allow the free entrance of air and light. in spite of all the care that we may take, we find it so difficult to keep water perfectly pure. if the food refuses to go down of itself, it means that either it has not been well prepared or the stomach is not in need of it. it is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules in the matter of food. can it be that man alone is created to worship the palate? the fact is that even the best of us are slaves to the palate. is it not a fact, that, in the kitchens of emperors and kings, of all rich men, in general, much more food is prepared than is required to feed them and all their dependents? so powerful is the spell that has been woven over the minds of men by tobacco that it will take an age to break it. and poems have been composed on tobacco, extolling it as the great friend of the poor! by means of repeated and varied experiments it has been established that there is nothing at all in these articles which is capable of improving the blood. to those people who advocate coffee on the ground that it is beneficial against “phlegm” and “wind”, we would recommend the juice of ginger as even better for the purpose. the monkey, for instance, is so similar to man in shape and structure, and it is a fruit-eating animal. it is only when we know what the ideal kind of diet is that we shall be able more and more to approximate our actual to the ideal. he should carefully go through all the chapters of this book, and fully grasp the fundamental principles, before he proceeds to do anything in practice. the worst of it is that it is made by fermentation. indeed, it is doubtful if men can subsist upon mere rice, to the exclusion of such nutritious articles as dhall, ghee and milk. but it would be wrong to to infer from this that all the food has been thoroughly digested, and assimilated into the system. the popular idea of the value of milk is a pure superstition, but it is so deep-rooted that it is futile to think of removing it. many doctors hold the view that milk gives rise to a kind of fever, and many books have been written in support of this view. the sourness of lime is quite a good substitute for that of buttermilk; and as for ghee, thousands of indians manage with oil even now. there is a great divergence of opinion among doctors as to the quantity of food that we should take. the root of all these troubles is, to put it plainly, that we have converted our stomach into a latrine, and we carry this latrine about with us. exercise is as much of a vital necessity for man as air, water and food, in the sense that no man who does not take exercise regularly, can be perfectly healthy. we have however, described the life of the farmer, as we are convinced that it is the natural life for man. the ideal kind of exercise is that which gives vigour to the body as well as to the mind; only such exercise can keep a man truly healthy, and such a man is the farmer. [pg 63] the main reason why our sadhus and fakirs are strong as a class is that they go about from one end of the country to the other only on foot. the chief object of dress has been forgotten, and it has come to be regarded as indicative of a man’s religion, country, race and profession. these ornaments only serve to help the accumulation of dirt in the body; there is indeed no limit to the dirt on the nose and ears. to grow the hair, and to dress it by combing and brushing, parting in the middle and so on, is nothing short of barbarous.
that is to say, they should not touch each other with a carnal thought, they should not think of it even in their dreams. we hardly realise the fact that incontinence is the root-cause of all the vanity, anger, fear and jealousy in the world. the race of true brahmacharies is by no means extinct; but, if they were to be had merely for the asking, of what value would brahmacharya be? the man is blinded so much by his lust that he never cares to remember that his wife is weak and incapable of rearing a child. this book is written not for those who go about with such doubtings of heart, but only for those who are really in earnest, and who have the courage to take active steps for their improvement. they should look also to the welfare of their sons, and not only to their own interests. it is not enough to observe the laws of health as regards air, water and food. this is a hard thing to do, but we have been born into this world that we might wrestle with difficulties and temptations, and conquer them; and he who has not the will to do it can never enjoy the supreme blessing of true health. but, of course, care should be taken to see that the change of air is really for the better. but, as a matter of fact, tea only does harm, and it is really the hot water in the tea that moves the bowels. likewise, if there be inflamation in any part of the body, it alone need be exposed to the steam. and indeed, this is the best way to keep the nostrils clean. the bath should be taken in a room where there is plenty of fresh air and light. a table or chair is placed in the open air, big enough to allow of the patient lying on it at full length. he goes so far as to say that it can be used with success in the treatment of even the most complicated diseases. from these and other experiments in mud-cure, i have come to the conclusion that earth is an invaluable element in the domestic treatment of diseases. it should be well sifted in a fine sieve, and then soaked in cold water to the consistency of well-kneaded dough before use. if any food is given to the patient in this condition, it will remain undigested and aid the fever. in others again, it may give rise to gripes, accompanied by pain in the stomach and the discharge of mucus. they ought not to be eaten at all in cases of gripes accompanied by a bad taste in the mouth. vaccination is a barbarous practice, and it is one of the most fatal of all the delusions current in our time, not to be found even among the so-called savage races of the world. as has been well said, cowards die a living death, and our craze for vaccination is solely due to the fear of death or disfigurement by small-pox. in a certain town, for instance, a large proportion of the people refuse to be vaccinated, and yet statistics prove that they are singularly free from disease. though the exact origin and causes of plague are yet unknown, it is undoubted that rats have something to do with its communication. the water also that we drink during this season is often dirty, as the quantity of it in wells and tanks is small, and we take no trouble to boil or filter it. and why is it that they have to receive special treatment before and after the delivery? if even a single man and woman should do their duty in this matter, to that extent it would mean the elevation of the world. the child that is born of such a mother,—how can it help being noble and strong? the practice of tying a thread to the navel-string and hanging it round the neck is highly injurious. we should always remember that the education of the child really begins from its very birth, and is best given by the parents themselves. it is the solemn duty of all virtuous parents to train their children in noble ways. a knowledge of these things is essential to everybody, so that timely help may be rendered, and the loss of many precious lives averted. people should not be allowed to crowd round the patient, and obstruct the free passage of air. the portions of cloth which adhere to the burns may be easily removed by moistening them with a mixture of tepid milk and water. and in the bible, satan is said to have assumed the shape of a serpent in order to tempt eve. if the serpents were to meet in council and conclude that man has been created by god for their destruction, seeing that he generally destroys a snake wherever found, should we approve of their conclusion? moreover, our object in writing these pages is not merely to give the generally accepted hygienic principles, but to go to the root of the matter, and deal with the most fundamental principles of health. we should remember that all snakes are not venomous, and that even the bite of all venomous snakes is not immediately fatal either. hot water, or preferably a decoction of cloves and the bark of the bay-tree, is very useful for recovering consciousness. it is our duty to keep it pure and unstained from within as well as from without, so as to render it back to the giver, when the time comes for it, in the state of purity in which we got it. is it not most disgraceful that, for the sake of this body, we should stoop to falsehood and deceit, licentious practices and even worse? truth, then, is the source and foundation of all things that are good and great. this collection of essays is intended to stimulate thought on some of the important problems that india has to solve in the field of education, religion and other aspects of national life.
and there is no better guide to optimum health than this classic reference and sourcebook.compiled by gary null, ph.d., america’s leading health and fitness expert, a tv regular and host of his own nationally syndicated radio program, this invaluable resource offers a comprehensive overview of protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and minerals with the facts about their role in maintaining and restoring health.learn what’s in the food you eat and what it can do for–and to–you. discover the pros and cons of supplements, which to take, how to take them and safe and effective dosages for each. and there is no better guide to optimum health than this classic reference and sourcebook.compiled by gary null, ph.d., america’s leading health and fitness expert, a tv regular and host of his own nationally syndicated radio program, this invaluable resource offers a comprehensive overview of protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and minerals with the facts about their role in maintaining and restoring health.learn what’s in the food you eat and what it can do for–and to–you.
discover the pros and cons of supplements, which to take, how to take them and safe and effective dosages for each. he is the author of numerous bestselling books, including gary null’s ultimate lifetime diet and gary null’s… more about gary null, ph.d. gary null, phd, is a host of the nationally syndicated television show gary null’s natural living, and the nationally syndicated radio program the gary null show. he is the author of numerous bestselling books, including gary null’s ultimate lifetime diet and gary null’s… more about gary null, ph.d. start earning points for buying books!
this work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. this work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. a guide to health. chapter i. the meaning of health. ordinarily that man is considered healthy who eats well and moves about, and does not free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by volunteers. a guide to health (1921) by mohandas k. gandhi, translated by a. rama iyer sister projects. sister projects: wikidata item., freedom s battle pdf, freedom s battle pdf, gandhi indian home rule pdf, the science of being well pdf free download, freedom’s battle gandhi.
a guide to health kindle edition ; print length. 62 pages ; language. english ; publication date. ; file size. 339 kb ; page flip. enabled. a guide to health. by. mahatma gandhi an authority on matters of health and disease as illness by the observance of the laws of health than. and there is no better guide to optimum health than this classic reference and sourcebook. compiled by gary null, ph.d., america’s leading health and fitness, .
When you try to get related information on guide to health, you may look for related areas. naturopathy books,mahatma gandhi books peoplespharmacy com health guide,men\’s guide for health,gut health guide,dr sebi health guide,health fitness guide,rat health guide,women\’s health guide,anthem health guide,pet health guide freedom’s battle pdf, gandhi indian home rule pdf, the science of being well pdf free download, freedom’s battle gandhi.