THE NEW HEALTH SOCIETY
"rillIERE is no wealth but life," wrote Ruskin half -I- a century ago, and the " economists " of the day laughed him to scorn. That economics is the " law of the dwelling," for . the life which dwells- therein—this everlasting truth was nought in their eyes. That thrift— to take another constantly abused word—has to do not with money but with thriving, which is a state of life ; this also was nought. Ruskin's economic treatises were actually suppressed by the professional and public clamour against them, to which even his editor, William Make- peace Thaekertiy, had to yield. Not that we can point any self-righteous finger at those days, it being even now the invariable rule (see the practice of the Government of any day) that when economy is to be practised, health and education are the services chosen for parsimony.
Such being ever the natural temper of the vulgar or political mind, and Ruskin's dogma being nevertheless everlastingly true, we may ,welcome all efforts of intelli- gent good will to remind the nations of the ancient and modern truth, " All that a man 'lath will he give for his life " ; and to teach the laws of life, not merely to pro- Sessional students, but in such wise that the 'wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. Such an effort is now being begun by the New Health Society* lately founded by a notable group of leaders _ in medicine, industry and polity (which latter may roughly be defined as the opposite of politics). The Society has chosen for its motto the words, " A nation's health is a nation's wealth," which are a form of Ruskin's mighty declaration.
Many Societies and Leagues concerned with various aspects of health have already a good record of work done, and will continue it. The new Society has been formed with full and appreciative recognition_of their work, and has a well-defined idea of the proper scope of its own. The subject is 'immense and various. The principles are simple; but their application_ is manifold. For instance, the great new (0 subject of maternity and infant welfare is a vast specialism, and already has several Societies devoted to 'it, and united in harmonious_ co-operation under one
*_Address ; Sentinel House, 46 Seuthampton Row, W.C.'1.
general name and roof.* Any advocate of public health may quite properly 'have been concerned with the for- mation of that valuable League and yet be proud to share in founding this new Society, which has before it, quite clearly, a field of work not yet adequately cultivated by any existing organization, official or voluntary.
The diseases of civilization are our especial concern in this new campaign. Those older diseases, now happily disappearing, which are due, in large measure, to dirt, and which have yielded, like typhoid, for instance, to " primary sanitation," such as Disraeli gave us in his , Public Health Act in 1875—those are not the urgent problem of to-day. That problem is, in extraordinary and unrecognized measure, a new one, made by this insolent and headstrong civilization of ours which has not yet learnt Bacon's lesson that " Nature can be com- manded only by obeying her." Half a century ago, when the water-born diseases, now almost unknown in our great cities, decimated their inhabitants, other diseases now common and even rapidly increasing were relatively rare. Something has " gone wrong," somehow, some- where ; we have run off the rails ; we have the effrontery to dictate to Nature, and perish. We despise her _and she destroys us. The teaching of the New Health Society is here characteristic, explicit, new and urgently needed—we declare that civilization has produced many diseases almost unknown among primitive races living in their natural environment. The hospitals are crowded with sufferers from tuberculosis, cancer, rheumatism, arthritis and gastro-intestinal diseases, &c., due to wrong feeding, impure food and air, and lack of hygienic know- ledge. There is convincing evidence that if Men will cat natural food, adopt right habits and take sufficient ' exercise, the diseases of civilization can be kept at bay. Out of 50,000,000 persons now living in these islands, at least 5,000,000 will die of cancer unless new and effective measures arc adopted.t The considered and succinct statement of its objects made by the Society is as follows :— " 1. To spread the knowledge of the newer discoveries of science which concern the preservation of health and the prevention of •
disease.
2. To teach the advantages of right food, fresh air, sunshine and exercise through the medium of newspapers, pamphlets, books, wireless and lectures.
3. To co-operate with local authorities, schools, churches, medical officers of health, trade unions, nurses' and other women's organizations, welfare centres and every other available agency. 4. To influence caterers and heads of schools, colleges and other institutions, to provide pure, natural and unspoilt food. 5. To secure improvement in the quality and supply of milk, fruit, vegetables, bread and other foods by urging the best methods of production, storage and distribution. 6. To prevent profiteering in food, and to improve and cheapen transport in order to reduce food prices. - 7. To adopt every available means of preventing the con- tamination and adulteration of food and to promote legislation for this purpose."
It need only be added that Lord Oxford and Asquith,- whose name heads the list of Founders of the New Health Society, is delivering an address on " National Prosperity and the Nation's Health," at the Aldwych Club luncheon to the Founders this week ; and I only wish that I had the great advantage of hearing the wisdom of that veteran observer and thinker before writing this very inadequate attempt to serve the greatest of causes—the preservation, enhancement and ennoblement of the highest thing we know, which is the being of Man.
CRUSADER.
* The National League-for Health, Maternity and Child Welfare, Carnegie Home, 117 Piccadilly, W. 1. t In passing, let me name a new book which teaches effectively and accurately some of those laws of exercise and diet, tho defiance of which by so many, men and women te.day is followed by the direst penalties; it is ` Physical Fitness in Middle Life," by F.A. Hornibrook, with foreword by Dr. Leonard Williams. (Cassell and Company, Ltd.1
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