Article #167 - Philosophy of Health

What is the philosophy of Health

            In the first place it is essential that we should know what health is. The perfectly

healthy state of the system is when we are entirely free from pain, when we breathe, see and hear &c with all the ease that it [is] possible for any physical constitution so to act, when we are not sensible that we actually have a head, a heart or a stomach or a limb when the blood passes freely around in its numerous channels without inter[r]uption and in the whole a perfectly harmonious action exists throughout in perfect health.

            The philosophy of health is in reality natural philosophy. We were not created in such a condition as to actually require a knowledge of physiology, anatomy and various other branches that are studied at the present day to improve our health. He who has created every thing perfect

as far as we are able to judge certainly never left man without a something to tell him what to do and what to leave undone, he therefore endowed him with certain passions as they are called through which the demands of different parts of the system were [??] and also that unerring monitor, “Pain” which indicates an excess of which the passion demands.

            When we feel the slightest pain we should ascertain as soon as possible the cause, and instead of administering pills, panicea [sic] or baithing [sic] the affected [area] with quack

medicine let it rest for a time after the cause is removed and in 99 cases out of 100 there will not

be any medicine. As the philosophy of disease will be answered I shall not enlarge on this point at this time.