Advice to the Indian Aristocracy/Chapter 9
HEALTH.
(language characters)
This is the most important subject for us all. There is a saying in Sanskrit, namely, "The body is the first and the chief means for doing all kinds of good work." A person with a weak and diseased body can do little. Therefore we must have a healthy body. To keep our body in health, we must be regular in all our actions. No one can keep his body in health without proper exercise, regular meals and all possible cleanliness.
If any one impartially and carefully studies the Hindu methods and rules prescribed in their religious books for a person's behaviour from birth to death, and for each hour of the day from early morning till the time to go to bed, he can not but come to the conclusion that every one of them is framed with this object only in view, to keep the body in health; yet most of them appear at the first view as if they were simply connected with religion. Purity is prescribed as the first essential in all actions; because there is nothing more important and necessary for the maintenance of health than purity. Purity must be observed both in body and in mind. The great Manu says : "Impurity does more than anything else to shorten a man's life in this world." Bhishma and some others advised the King Yudhisthira about his health. They said that he should not neglect his health, and that he should be in daily consultation with qualified physicians. All the best qualities that a man should possess depend on health. If his health fails, he cannot do anything as he should do.
As I am not a physician, I cannot enter into detail regarding the rules prescribed for maintaining health; but I can give you some general and practical rules for keeping your body in health in this country. You should rise early (before sun-rise) in the morning; change your clothes after cleaning your teeth, whether you bathe or not; take a cup of tea or whatever else may suit you, go out for exercise and return before the sun gets hot. Then bathe and take your breakfast at 10 or 11 o'clock. The morning exercise may be riding, shooting, bicycling or walking. If you have to go out a long distance for shooting, you should take some Chotahazri, but it is not necessary for you to take it every day as Europeans do. In the afternoon you may take some tiffin and go out again in the evening. The evening exercise may be tennis, rackets, golf and games like these, or riding and walking or driving. Self-driving is also a good exercise for the chest and the arms. Take your dinner early and go to bed before 11 o'clock. Never take exercise, as a rule, so as to overtax the strength of the body After exercise, do not expose your body to a draught. The best thing is to get into a bath or to rub your body well with a rough towel and then put on fresh clothes. Your dress should be suitable for the season and the country. Never read when there is a bad light. At night the light of the lamp should not be too bright or too dull for the eye.
Never take heavy meals, or as many youths do, enter into an eating competition. Always be careful to keep your bowels open. It is one of the five general rules:— Keep your head cool, your feet warm, and your internal arrangements in order; honour the King, and fear God. If you ever feel a slight sickness of any sort, see the doctor at once; and never put off seeing him for days. Though you are well, doctors say it is a safe thing to have your heart and kidneys examined once in six months or so.
The abuse of alcoholic liquors, and the use of opium, ganja and other intoxicating articles except under medical advice, are always injurious to health.
"Never get into those habits, and the want will never be felt." The one who gets into any of those habits is "Dead while he lives,—dead to his duty, dead to the world, dead for every useful purpose."
Intoxicating liquors and drugs are forbidden by most religions of the world. It is one of the ten commandments of the Vedas. Indians in the good old days were particularly opposed to, and had a great antipathy against, intoxicating drugs and drinks. But it seems that Mahommedans introduced opium, ganja and such drugs into this country. Now our people, I am very sorry to say, have learnt the bad habit of drinking from Europeans, instead of acquiring many of their best qualities, such as straightforwardness, impartiality, courage, honesty, and so forth. Among the lower classes of people, toddy-drinking has been and continues a general practice; but, though it is equally objectionable from a religious point of view, yet it is not so injurious to the body as these European alcoholic liquors. Many of the better class of Hindus, who gave early promise of usefulness, have shortened their lives by drinking. I must admit that I am in the habit of taking a little liquor, but always in moderation. I pray you not to follow my example in this respect. In short, never drink a drop of intoxicating liquor and never eat a grain of intoxicating drugs, except when prescribed to you by a doctor as medicine.
Out of your business hours, do not give yourselves up to too much thinking. Keep yourselves always cheerful and untroubled in those hours of relaxation.
Smoking is considered to be not altogether a good habit. It is objectionable also from a religious point of view, whether of Hinduism, Mahommedanism or Christianity. If you anyhow get into that habit, be careful to keep the habit under restraint. Never become a slave to it, and never allow your children to smoke before 25 or at least 21 years of age. It affects the growth of children to a certain extent. It is a very objectionable thing for females to smoke.
I regret very much to mention here that it is a general practice with Hindu and Mahommedan physicians to persuade people to have recourse to aphrodisiacs. My advice is not to listen to such quacks, but to consult an honest thoroughly quali- fied physician, and, if there should be weakness, to follow his advice, and to pay strict attention to exercise and diet. Never take such medicine unless you really feel the defect. In ordinary cases proper exercise and diet are the best things to be recommended, and, if carefully looked after, will produce the desired effect.