THE ART OF LIVING IN GOOD HEALTH.
The Art of Living in Good Health. By Daniel S. Sager, M.D. (Hodder and Stoughton. 6s.)—"It is regrettable but true," so runs the first sentence in Dr. Sager's preface, "that a majority of people are almost wholly ignorant of the best methods of the conduct of life, and apparently are not interested in knowing how to life." Further on he remarks that "it is more important to the race that its individuals should live well than that they should know Latin or Greek"! Did it not occur to him that the things compared are not in rani. materia ? Such banalities do not inspire confidence in the teacher. A man might practise all the precepts here given, choose without exception all the foods which our author recommends, and yet be the most deplorably useless of God's creatures. We do not deny that there is something of value in the volume. We cannot agree with the condemnation of flesh food ; but we readily acknowledge that too much of it is eaten. In fact, the real root of the mischief that occurs in this province of life is in the quantity of food taken, rather than in the ill effect of one or another viand. If any one can keep the golden rule of never eating more than usual because a food happens particularly to please his palate, he will do well. It is not ignorance, it is the want of self-control that brings about the trouble. This is an evil to which other remedies than those of medical knowledge must be applied. Our author, indeed, recognises this in his thirtieth chapter, "The Art of Living Long." "The idea which must ultimately prevail in all that pertains to diet is simplicity, moderation, temperance." Persuade men of that and diet is of little importance. In medicines—and these are sure to be wanted at some time—our author is old- fashioned. Senna tea and Epsom salts he specially recommends.
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