Family Health Guide and Medical Encyclopedia [antikvár]

When you buy an automobilé, a refrigerator, or any other piece of intricate equipment, you undoubtedly receive and follow instructions teliing you how to maintain your purchase. This chapter alsó deals with maintenance-maintenance ofthat most precious, complex, and varied mechanism, the humán body. The effects of fresh air, cleanliness, sleep, posture, exercise, smoking, and alcohol are among the topics covered here. The food you eat alsó belongs in this category, but because the subject is so large, all of Chapter 2 is devoted to it. CLEANLINESS As you read this section, keep in mind that every humán being is unique. Most doctors agree that what is best for one patient may not necessarily be ideál for all. And what is customary for one may seem strange to another. For example, the average North American takes more baths than his European counterpart. This is not because we are inherently cleaner than other peoples, but because most Canadian and American citizens have more efficient, modern plumbing and an ample water supply. Alsó, they live in a culture that equates cleanliness with virtue. While daily bathing is a fine idea in hot weather, two or three baths a week are enough for a person who is not physically active. Your personal situation and your personal preference should, of course, determine your bathing habits. THE AIR YOU BREATHE "Fresh air" is a frequently misunderstood term. Unless a room is completely sealed up, enough air comes in around doors and windows to provide oxygen for breathing. Whether more air should be circulated through the room will depend upon one's own comfort and desires. A few generations ago, air in itself was considered dangerous. Doctors blamed drafts for any number of illnesses, a belief still held by many people. Night air, which was supposed to carry disease-laden vapors-called miasmas-was viewed as especially hazardous. As a result, many of our ancestors accustomed themselves to wearing several layers of underclothing in all seasons and to sleeping with their windows tightly closed. Babies were wrapped up like mummies. With discoveries such as the fact that malaria was caused by mosquitoes and not by night air, the pendulum began to swing in the opposite direction. Practically every family now had its fresh-air fiend who went around flinging windows wide open, to the discomfort of everyone else. Determined to give their children all the benefits of the newly discovered "fresh air," ultramodern parents would force the tots to stay outdoors regardless of the temperature. A not too active child would often suffer frostbitten fingers and toes. In winter, bedrooms of both young and old were like refrigerators. There is no evidence to prove that one practice is significantly more healthful than another. Each person needs to find the condition to which his body responds best. Room Temperature There is, of course, a problem when it comes to getting along with people whose standard of comfort differs from your own. The average person seems to do well with a room temperature that ranges between 68° and 74 °F. As an energy conservation measure, it has been suggested that thermostats be set at 68 °F. If you like to be warmer or colder than your associates, try to take care of this by the clothing you wear. Happily, the recent fashion trend of several layers of clothing and the emphasis upon casual, easy to