Appendix 4 - The Laws of Health

William A Alcott

Score – Unverified

What 22 – Learning to talk

Babies should not be encouraged to talk or sing.

Page 68-355 – “We should restrain, or hold back, rather than hasten. (talking and singing)” (357) – “I would not push them forward, greatly, even in this;”

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Why 32 – Learning to Walk and Talk (What 22)

Babies walking or talking early will inhibit the development of other organs.

Page 69-361 – “If we carry this process of developing and strengthening our muscles to the utmost possible extent, we may, perhaps, deprive other parts of our system of the needful degree of nervous energy. The brain may not act so well for it; or the skin, lungs, stomach, or bowels may lose, gradually, their tone and energy.”

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What 23 – Excessive Learning

Excessive application of the mind injures.

Page 215-1118 – “It is to remembered that over cultivation, or cultivation which is disproportionate, is equally injurious.”

Page 216-1120 – “This over-cultivation of the intellectual powers runs through all our education and all our systems.”

Page 383-2005 – “Excessive application of the mind, at any age, - even though it should not be begun in precocity - is in the end deeply injurious,”

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Why 33 – Excessive Learning (What 23)

Excessive application of the mind injures total health.

Page 383-2005 - "Excessive application of the mind, …. is in the end deeply injurious, not only to the mental apparatus and faculties themselves, but, through its relations .... to every important organ of the system; and not infrequently impairs the health for life."

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What 24 – Light reading

Reading light literature is injurious.

Page 344-1798 – “Reading light works, such as affect the imagination more than the judgement and mental faculties in general, are much worse, other things being equal, …. than books of a different description.”

Page 216-1123 – “It is no part of my purpose to taboo all works of imagination, or repudiate all accomplishments. It is the custom of giving a disproportionate degree of attention to these branches,-of which I complain.”

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Why 34 – Light Reading 1 (What 24) Light reading causes a drop in body heating.

Page 344-1798 – “Reading light works, …. are much worse, …. in their tendency to draw upon energies which should go to sustain the internal fire,”

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Appendix 4 - The Laws of Health

William A Alcott

Why 35 – Light Reading 2 (What 24)

The study of poetry or fiction is not good for the heart, arteries or blood.

Page 216-1122 - “The study of the exact sciences is better for the heart, arteries, and blood, than the study of poetry and fiction.”

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What 25 – Public Speaking

Public speaking extemporaneously is good for the throat.

Page 73-380 – “Public speakers, as is well known,” (is good for our throats.) (381) – “Another thing closely connected with this, is , the lazy custom of reading written manuscripts instead of speaking extemporaneously. ..... the latter is more impassioned, and hence naturally induces more action of the abdominal muscles and comparatively less of the throat. Besides, the wind-pipe, on account of its bend or curved position, is obstructed more in reading than in speaking.”

Comments – Public speakers, such as school teachers, have increased levels of throat disease.

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Why 36 – Public Speaking (What 25) Public speaking prevents throat disease.

Page 73-380 – “Why we have so many throat diseases, of late years, is because we use our vocal cords so much and our lungs so little. Public speakers, as is well known, very often neglect to use their lungs and abdominal muscles sufficiently, and do all, or almost all, their speaking with the top, as it were, of their throats.”

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Page 68-351 – “we may so place a light, that, in his effort to look sideways at it, (causes harm)”

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Why 37 – Looking Sideways (What 26) A squint is caused by looking sideways.

Page 68-351 – “in his effort to look sideways at it, the feeble muscles of the eye will become diseased.”

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What 27 – Small Print

The eyes are abused by reading small print.

Page 404-2121 – “The eyes are much abused by the use of bad print, much too small.”

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What 28 – Eye Drops

All eye drops are dangerous to the eyes.

Page 406-2131 – “This (pure water)is the only eye-water, or eye medicine, which is safe; and is the only one necessary.”

Comment – It is unlikely that any eye drop used in 1860 had any value and most would be dangerous.

Score – Minor

Appendix 4 - The Laws of Health

William A Alcott

What 29 – Spectacles

The wearing of spectacles is not advisable.

Page 409-2146 – “Still, it is not always advisable to use spectacles, because the eyes are weak. Nor is it always best to use spectacles at all, except in the case of near-sightedness.”

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To protect the eyes we should avoid licentiousness.

Page 408-2143 – “Nothing more certainly impairs the strength and energies of the organ of vision....

than does every form of licentiousness.”

Comment – Licentiousness is associated with venereal diseases including AIDS.

Score – Significant

Why 38 – Licentiousness (What 30)

Licentiousness overloads the tender blood-vessels of the eyes.

Page 408-2144 – “In short, every cause, mental, moral, or physical, which, by producing a determination to the brain and nerves of sense, and overloading the tender blood-vessels of the eye, - licentiousness, in thought, word, and deed, is among these causes,”

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We should not touch the eyes or put anything in our ear canals.

Page 411-2156 – “The German proverb - which forbids touching the eye, except with the elbow - might be extended, with almost equal propriety, to the ear.”

Score – Minor

We should avoid strong smells, especially that of cooking.

Page 412-2164 – “I know of nothing more influential than the unnatural odors to which, under the conventionalisms of civic life, we are daily and hourly exposed, …. particularly in our modern cooking.”

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Why 39– Smells (What 32)

Strong smells destroy the sense of smell.

Page 412-2164 – “But, of all things which tend to destroy the integrity of this important sense,”

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Why 40 – High Living (What 32)

High living also destroys the sense of smell.

Page 412-2162 – “The sense of smell is perverted and benumb by high living, both regards eating and drinking.”

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Why 41 – Body odour (What 32)

This loss of the sense of smell, in some people, is so bad they can not smell there own offensive odour.

Appendix 4 - The Laws of Health

William A Alcott

Page 412-2167 - "I have seen those who actually become insensible to their own offensiveness." Comment – This is not due to poor lifestyle, but is a natural survival phenomena.

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II. PURE AIR

What 33 – Air W 11 R 21 G 20 J 24

Pure air is essential for health.

Page 287-1499 – “the great work of educating the lungs to the highest pitch of health and power. They must have pure air.”

Page 37-195 – “If employment of an individual is within doors, - in air mingled with dust, fumes of poisonous metals, bad gases, or injurious exhalations, animal or vegetable, (it is bad for the health)” Page 406-2133 – “But we must also avoid the irritation of dust of all kinds, as much as we can; and of smoke,”

Score – Significant

Why 42 – Body Temperature 1 (What 33)

Body temperature is controlled from the heat produced in the lungs.

Page 336-1759 – “I have represented the lungs as being a highly important agent in the great work of heating the body, and the skin as its auxiliary or handmaid.”

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Why 43 – Body temperature 2 (What 33)

Body temperature is also controlled by the heat produced in the skin.

Page 293-1526 – “In doing this, moreover, it aids very considerably in heating and warming the body; .... a very considerable share of the work has also been committed to the skin.”

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Why 44 – Circulation (What 33)

Circulation is driven by the expansion of the blood that results from heating in the lungs. Page 206-1069 – “The blood is set in motion by means of the lungs, heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries. Being heated and rarefied in the lungs, it must needs expand more rapidly than the

vessels which hold it will permit, and hence it is pushed forward in these vessels into the heart, which is so constructed as to facilitate its course toward the extremities and the surface of the body.”

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Why 45 – Lung Disease (What 33)

The cause of lung disease are: general diseases, dust, gases, being depressed, exhaustion, poor medication, poor breathing, overeating and drinking hard water.

Page 281-1462 – “But, then, the exciting cause of lung disease are .... 1. Certain diseases, among which are measles, small pox, and scrofula. 2. Dust of various kinds. 3. Gases, emanations, etc. 4. Depressing passions and affections. 5. Excessive or protracted labor. 6. The ill-judged use of medicinal substances, of every kind. 7. Excessive or deficient use of the lungs, 8. Over-indulgence of the appetite, especially with rich food. 9. The incautious use of hard water, or of water which is in any way medicated.”