Page 274-692 – “the cultivation and crowding of large numbers of fragrant flowers and plants together in gardens and houses is decidedly unfriendly to the physiological welfare of our bodies”

Appendix 3 – Lectures on the Science of Human Life

Sylvester Graham

Back yards should be kept clean of decaying vegetable or animal matter.

Page 594-1522 – “the decomposition of dead animals and vegetable matter” ( is a health hazard)”

Score – Significant

Why 18 – Compost Heaps (What 24)

It is the gases given off from the decaying matter that poisons the atmosphere and causes diseases. Page 594-1522 – “and it is also true that other portions of the human family will inhabit regions where the atmosphere is almost continually loaded with the impurities that arise from the decomposition of dead animals and vegetable matter,...health is impaired and disease created and life destroyed by the poisonous atmosphere which they breath.”

Score - Unverified

What 25 – Breathing Oxygen

Breathing pure oxygen is dangerous.

Page 293-723- (It is dangerous to our health) “if we were to breathe pure oxygen gas or air,” Comment – Pure oxygen breathed at atmospheric pressure does not greatly increase the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood. This is in contrast with breathing oxygen under pressure. The one exception is premature babies and this only applies to the retina. Breathing pure oxygen is a valuable treatment of those in respiratory distress or shock.

Score - Unverified

Why 19 – Breathing Oxygen (What 25)

Breathing pure oxygen speeds metabolism, causes inflammation and exhaustion of vital powers. Page 293-723 – “If we were to breathe pure oxygen gas or air, there would be greatly increased action in the whole system, and all the vital phenomena would be exceedingly enhanced; the lungs and other organs would become inflamed, and the vital powers would soon be completely exhausted, and the vital constitution destroyed.”

Score – Unverified

III. SUNLIGHT

Graham sees no advantages to health from sunlight

IV. ABSTEMIOUSNESS

What 26 – Alcohol W 19 R 8 (A 67) (C 16) J 34 K 42

Alcohol is dangerous to mankind.

Page 358-902 – “alcohol, either in the form of distilled or fermented liquors, ….. have extended their blighting influence, as we have seen, over the greater portion of the human world;”

Page 443-1101 - “If you would live long, live moderately, and avoid ….. a great deal ….of wine,” Comment – It is impossible to decide whether he means total avoidance of wine or the avoidance of excessive use.

Score – Significant

Why 20 – Alcohol (What 26)

Alcohol impairs function and makes us more susceptible to disease.

Page 613-1549 – “(Alcohol) slowly but surely destroys the constitution, and always greatly increase the liability to disease, and almost certainly create it, and invariably aggravate it,”

Appendix 3 – Lectures on the Science of Human Life

Sylvester Graham

Page 600-1527 – “and if, instead of hot water or milk and water, we use tea or coffee or chocolate or any other made beverage, the mischievous effects on our digestive organs are still greater, and always ....unfriendly to the vital powers of our bodies.”

Page 617-1554 – “Besides the injury done to the body by the very high temperature in which they are usually drunk, their strong narcotic property, in proportion to the freedom with which they are used, has the same deleterious effects as tobacco, opium, and alcohol”

Comment – It is not so much the affect of tea and coffee on the digestive organs as on the cerebral function. Their affects cannot be compared with tobacco, opium and alcohol.

Score - Unverified

Page 555-1418 – “Thus, let an individual whose voluntary habits are systematic, and which conform in a good measure to the natural regularity and periodicity of the physiological actions of his system, accustom himself to the use of tobacco, opium, alcohol, arsenic, or any other poison, and always take the same quantity at regular periods, and it is surprising how soon, he (his) system will accommodate itself to the pernicious substance,..... But let another individual of general irregularity of habits, accustom himself to the use of the same poison, taking it at irregular times and in irregular quantities, and though he does not consume more in a year than the man of regular habits, yet his system will be incomparably more disturbed by it,.....will bring on disease, and in a much greater measure abbreviate life,”

Page 555-1419 – “the regularity, as to time, with which he takes his poison, enables the system always to be prepared to receive and dispose of it, with the least possible disturbance and injury;”

Score - Unverified

Don’t do any thing that may cause you to dream.

Page 623-1566 –“All alcoholic and narcotic substances, all pure stimulants, all improper culinary preparations of food, all improper concentrations and combinations of alimentary substances, imperfect mastication, too rapid deglutition or swallowing, eating to much, eating at improper times, etc, are among the most prominent cause which impair the soundness of sleep and excite every variety of dreams. …. Lewd and licentious habits of every kind by producing similar effects on the nervous system, serve also in the most powerful manner to impair the soundness of sleep and to increase the liability of dreams.’

Comment – Dreaming is not a health hazard.

Score - Unverified

Why 25 – Dreaming (What 31) Dreaming is unfavorable to health.

Page 623-1565 – ‘it should be remembered that dreaming is always to be considered as unfavorable to the welfare of the human system,”

Comment – Dreams occur in the rapid eye movement phase of sleep and this phase is essential to good refreshing sleep.

Score - Unverified

Page 625-1572 – ‘As a general fact, rocking children in a cradle has a bad effect upon their health, and none but the most gentle motion of this kind should ever be allowed;”