One thing that should be regarded seriously is pain in any form in any part of the body. If there is a dull headache frequently, find out what causes it. Pain in the knee, the arch of the foot, or at any point, should be taken seriously. Pain means something wrong. It may be brave to bear it, but it {225} is not wise. It may mean something serious. Remember that pain felt in one part of the body may be the result of something wrong in another part. See a wise doctor about it.
Eating
And now in reference to what one shall eat. The average boy ought to have and usually does have an appetite like an ostrich. Three points to remember are; don't eat too much, most healthy boys do; don't eat meat more than once a day; and, third, don't eat anything that you always taste for several hours after you have eaten it, even though you like it.
Digestion
The fact that you taste it is an indication that your stomach is having a wresting match with the food. Some people can't digest onions, others thrive upon them. Some can't eat cucumbers, others can do so readily. The one must give them up; the other can continue to eat them. Each person has some peculiarity of diet and must observe it to be happy. Many a race has been lost through failure to obey this rule. A simple diet is best. Most boys eat too much of a mixed nature. They mix pickles, soda water, frankfurters, and chocolate without fear or favor. No wonder there is so much stomach ache. In boys' camps the chief trouble is indigestion caused by this riot of eating. Such boys are laying up for themselves for the future some beautiful headaches and bilious attacks, which, when they become chronic later, will cry out against them and seriously impair their value. Don't eat when very tired; lie down a while and get rested. Don't eat heavily before exercising, or, better, put it the other way around, don't exercise immediately after eating. Never eat when excited or angry and very lightly when worried or when expecting to study hard. We should learn to eat slowly and chew the food thoroughly remembering that all food before it can be taken up in the blood must be as thin as pea soup. Chewing well will help the digestive organs greatly. Always wash the hands before eating. Be careful about eating food that has been exposed to the dust unless it has been washed. Drink freely of clean water between meals. Never use a public drinking cup without thoroughly rinsing it. Don't touch your lips to the rim of the cup.
Boys who cook their own meals when in camp should be {226} careful to have their food well done. Half-baked and soggy food proves indigestible.
Coffee and Tea
Should a boy drink coffee or tea? This is a question often asked by boys. Coffee and tea are the greatest stimulants known. But does a strong boy need a stimulant? What is a stimulant and what does it do? A stimulant is a whip, making the body do more at a given time than it ordinarily would. It doesn't add any fibre to the tissues, doesn't add any strength, isn't a food, but merely gets more out of the tissues or nervous system than they would ordinarily yield. Of course there is a reaction, because the tissues have had nothing to feed on. Herbert Fisher says that Peary's men, who drank lots of tea on their voyage north, during the most trying time of their trip showed it in their haggard faces and loss of tissue. Their own tissues had turned cannibal and fed on their own material. Stimulants are not foods. They add no strength to the body. They exact of the body what ought not to be exacted of it. There is always a reaction and one is always worse off as a result. Growing boys especially should have nothing to do with tea, coffee, or any stimulant.
Alcohol and Tobacco
Alcohol is not a stimulant, but is really a narcotic that is very depressing. It dulls rather than stimulates. The same is true of nicotine in tobacco. No growing boy should use either. The first athletes to drop out of a race are usually drinkers and all trainers know that smoking is bad for the wind.