Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 1.djvu/107

 Facts which can be determined easily from other sources will not generally find place in this guide, but the sources will be referred to. The province of the book is not to collect information from the existing books, but to attempt that which has not yet been attempted.

Chapter 1. Who Should go to England ?
It may be laid down broadly that all who can afford should go to England. Of course, here the meaning of the word `afford' should be understood in its widest sense. Thus some cannot go to England because they cannot afford the money, some cannot afford through ill-health, others cannot owing to young age and various other objections. All these will be briefly discussed in the following paragraphs. The first and the foremost question is the question of health. No one with a weak chest or a tendency to consumption should ever think of going to England. It will simply mean going to England in order to court death away from friends and relations. It is true that you can go to the south of Europe not only without injury to the constitution but with benefit to it; thus you can go to the Riviera and be cured of consumption. Thousands of consumptive persons annually flock there to be cured of the fell disease. It is supposed to be one of the finest places for persons with weak chests; but all this means a great outlay of money. And then again the book is not written for invalids so that they may get cured by following the instructions therein contained. It is written for those with a good health who want to learn and be useful. Moreover it is for those who would go to England. It is true also that a person with a generally weak health might take a trip to England during the summer season without coming to much or any harm. Still, if I can venture to give an opinion, I should say that those with any chest disease whatever should never think of going to England except under special circumstances and conditions. On the other hand, persons suffering from any disease due to a warm climate can do worse than going to England. I used to suffer from headaches and nose-bleeding in India. I could not read for three or four hours at a stretch during the summer months without getting a headache. Now I am happy to say I am entirely free from both and this I ascribe mainly to the cold and invigorating climate of England. On there question of health if there be any doubt about it, it would be best always to consult some medical authority.