Strength and happiness / by Richard A. Proctor.

  • Richard Anthony Proctor
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Strength and happiness / by Richard A. Proctor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    279/308 page 259
    unskilful unprovided for, would be muck more serious than the loss arising from the efforts made to help them. But these efforts being so much deducted from the effectiveness of the stronger and more skilful members of the body social must be counted as loss. So that it is the interest of all to see that there may be as few weak and unskilful persons in the community as possible. In like manner the sickness of our fellows is a matter in which we are interested. Apart from the necessity of restoring the sick to such health and strength as may fit them to take their part in the work of the community, the illness of others may bring illness to ourselves. Fever and pestilence, though they may first attack the weak, presently extend their attacks to those who had been strong. If even a man should feel no anxiety on his own account, those dear to him, those dependent on him, or those on whom perhaps he is in greater or less degree dependent, may succumb to such attacks. Considering all the evils, near and remote, which may follow from an epidemic, we recognise the necessity of adopting all such altruistic measures as may avail to diminish the chance of such diseases arising, or to limit their range of action when they have once found footing. No doubt egoistic considerations here seem to suggest altruistic duties ; but these altruistic duties cannot be properly undertaken or discharged unless they have become habitual and are referred to a real care and regard for others independently of consequences, s 2
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3