GENERAL CARE OF THE BODY
If you bought your body as you do a motor car, a piece of furniture, or a new suit, you would undoubtedly receive—and follow —the instructions telling you how to take reasonable care of your purchase to ensure that it gave you good service.
In this opening chapter, I wish to discuss the subject of reasonable care of your precious human body. Here I shall deal with matters involving the entire body, such as fresh air, cleanliness, sleep, posture, exercise, smoking, and alcohol. The food you eat belongs in this category, but this subject is so large that I devote all of Chapter 2 to it.
There are still a few doctors who are inclined to believe that what is best or customary for them and the majority of their patients is essential for everyone. If, for example, you were to ask the average smalltown doctor in Europe how often people should take baths, he would probably say, ‘Once or twice a week,’ whereas the average Australian or New Zealand doctor might answer, ‘Every day.’ Some doctors, however, take a more relaxed position and suggest that while a daily bath or shower is a good idea in hot weather, two or three times a week is enough otherwise, especially for a person who is not physically active. Actually, bathing depends on your personal preference.
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