Page:Book of health.pdf/4

Rh Q. What ought to be the state of health of the parents of a healthy person?

A. The father as well as the mother ought to be strong and healthy, not deformed, nor subject to such diseases as may descend to their children, such as the King’s Evil, Madness, Consumption, Epilepsy, &c. They both ought to have a good constitution, and the prospect of attaining old age in good health, and should be of a virtuous disposition.

Q. Why is it necessary for them to be virtuous?

A. Because the virtue of the parents is discovered in the children, and because virtuous parents encourage their children by their example, to endeavour to become worthy and honourable members of society.

Q. What then must be the disposition of those parents, who wish to bring up virtuous and healthy children?

A. They must be virtuous and healthy themselves.

Q. How is the human body constructed?

A. With infinite wisdom and goodness, and in the most perfect manner.

Q. What have we in particular to observe with respect to the perfect structure of the human body?

A. That it is endowed with the greatest and most salutary powers, tending to preserve life and health, to remove diseases, or to heal wounds.

Q. If the body contain any thing unnatural, or if it has been wounded, or otherwise hurt, so as to cause its functions to be obstructed, how do those powers act?

A. They operate more or less powerfully to expel from the body all that is unnatural, or to heal its wounds.

Q. What must men do, that they may be less exposed to sickness.