HEALTHY

Life

The Independent Health Magazine.

3 Amen corner London E.C.

Vol.  V                               July
No. 24.                              1913

There will come a day when physiologists, poets, and
philosophers will all speak the same language and understand one
another.—­Claude Bernard.

 An indication.

 Some laymen are very fond of deprecating the work of specialists,
 holding that specialisation tends to narrowness, to inability to see
 more than one side of a question.

It is, of course, true that the specialist tends to “go off at a tangent” on his particular subject, and even to treat with contempt or opposition the views of other specialists who differ from him.  But all work that is worth doing is attended by its own peculiar dangers.  It is here that the work of the non-specialist comes in.  It is for him to compare the opposing views of the specialists, to reveal one in the light thrown by the other, to help into existence the new truth waiting to be born of the meeting of opposites.

Specialisation spells division of labour, and apart from division of labour certain great work can never be done.  To do away with such division, supposing an impossibility to be possible, would simply mean reversion to the state of the primitive savage.  But we have no call to attempt the abolition of even the minutest division of labour.  What is necessary is to understand and guard against its dangers.

Specialisation may lead to madness, as electricity may lead to death.  But no specialist need go far astray who, once in a while, will make an honest attempt to come to an understanding with the man whose views are diametrically opposed to his own.  For thus he will retain elasticity of brain, and gain renewed energy for, and perhaps fresh light on, his own problems.—­[EDS.]

 Camping out.

 IV.  The five-foot sausage.

The question of blankets and mattresses may be taken as settled.  We can now sleep quite comfortably, take our fresh air sleeping and waking, and find shelter when it rains.  But that same fresh air brings appetite and we must see how that appetite is to be appeased.

Take a frying-pan.  It should be of aluminium for lightness; though a good stout iron one will help you make good girdle-cakes, if you get it hot and drop the flour paste on it.  You must find some other way of making girdle-cakes, and if you take an iron frying pan with you, don’t say that I told you to.

Though it is obviously necessary that a frying-pan should have a handle, I was bound to tell Gertrude that I do not find it convenient to take