to be desired, but the well digested scientific facts
presented in this volume clearly show that the most direct and effective
means of lengthening human life are at the same time those that make it
more livable and add to its power and capacity for achievement.

Many years ago, Disraeli, keenly alive to influences affecting national
prosperity, stated: "Public Health is the foundation on which reposes
the happiness of the people and the power of a country. The care of the
public health is the first duty of a statesman." It may well be claimed
that the care of individual and family health is the first and most
patriotic duty of a citizen.

These are the considerations that have influenced me to co-operate with
the life extension movement, and to commend this volume to the earnest
consideration of all who desire authoritative guidance in improving
their own physical condition or in making effective the knowledge now
available for bringing health and happiness to our people.

WM. H. TAFT.
New Haven, June 12, 1915.

PREFACE

The purpose of this book is to spread knowledge of _Individual Hygiene_
and thus to promote the aims of the Life Extension Institute. These may
be summarized briefly as: (1) to provide the individual and the
physician with the latest and best conclusions on individual hygiene;
(2) to ascertain the exact and special needs of the individual through
periodic health examinations; (3) to induce all persons who are found to
be in need of medical attention to visit their physicians.

A sad commentary on the low health-ideals which now exist is that to
most people the expression "_to keep well_" means no more than _to keep
out of a sick-bed_. Hitherto, the subject-matter of hygiene has been
considered in its relation to disease rather than to health. In this
manual, on the other hand, it is treated in its relation to (1) the
preservation of health; (2) the improvement in the physical condition of
the individual, and (3) the increase of his vitality. In short, the
objects of the manual are positive rather than negative. It aims to
include every practical procedure that, according to the present state
of our knowledge, an athlete needs in order to make himself superbly
"fit," or that a mental worker needs in order to keep his wits sharpened
to a razor-edge. For this reason some suggestions, which might otherwise
be regarded as of minor importance, have been included and emphasized.
While it i