Mahatma Gandhi on Health

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Gandhi was in search of Truth and experimentation on his own life was unique, fundamental and unparallel in human history. During his stay in England and South Africa he have acquired considerable experience, and have been able to form certain ideas on food and diseases to be cured. These ideas are pearl of wisdom and may be of some use to the readers even in contemporary times.

Gandhi gave much importance to health and hygiene. Good health, once it is lost, costs much time and effort to regain. It is therefore essential for thoughtful people to attach the utmost importance to the keeping up of health. We shall give importance to the keeping up of health and also how health, which may be lost from time to time, can be regained. It is the duty of everyone to understand the simple law of nature to keep oneself physically healthy.

Gandhi's writings on General Knowledge about Health are reproduced here without any distortions and alterations so that the readers drew their own conclusions.

It is a must book for those who want to understand simple law of nature and keep themselves healthy and wise.

Anil Dutta Mishra is a distinguished Gandhian Scholar and Writer. He started his career as Assistant Professor in the Department of Non- violence and Peace Studies, Jain Vishva Bharati University, Ladnun, Rajasthan, became Deputy Director of National Gandhi Museum and Honorary Professor, Centre for Gandhian Philosophy and Human Development, Gayatri Vidya Parishad Degree College [Autonomous], Visakhapatnam. Presently, he is Treasurer, IIPA, Delhi Regional Branch, New Delhi.

Mishra has held the post of General Secretary of Indian Society of Gandhian Studies, Alliance for Sarvodaya, Member Board of Studies, Nagpur and Punjab Universities and is Member of Gandhian Studies Centre of different colleges and universities across India. He has authored/edited 30 books and published a number of research papers. His recent book Reading Gandhi is widely acclaimed.

Gandhi during his stay in England and South Africa have acquired considerable experience, and have been able to form certain ideas on food and diseases to be cured. These ideas are may be of some use to the readers even in contemporary times. Gandhi believed that, "Prevention is better than cure". "The bund should be built before the flood". It is also true in case of health.

Gandhi gave much importance to health and hygiene. Like a lost jewel that takes greater effort to find than it does to keep it in the first instance, good health, once it is lost, costs much time and effort to regain. It is therefore essential for thoughtful people to attach the utmost importance to the keeping up of health. We shall consider further importance to the keeping up of health. We shall consider further how health, which may be lost from time to time, can be regained. It is the duty of everyone to understand the simple law of nature to keep oneself healthy.

While Gandhi was practicing law in South Africa he was suffering from digestive complaints. He used to take some herbal medicine. He thought that, every time taking some medicine for improving digestion and clearing bowels is not a proper way of treatment. He therefore thought that, there must be something wrong with the diagnosis and management of his problem. He was taking some medicines but they were ineffective. He thought that, what was the use of such therapy when every day one has to depend on a doctor and a chemist. One of his friend gave him a book "Return to the Nature" written by Adolf Just. He studied that book and tried simple measures like dietary reform, mud application over abdomen, use of wet compresses etc. He experienced relief by these simple measures. He thought that, such drugless therapy would be beneficial for India, where most of the people live in villages and they do not have access to doctors and hospitals. He wrote about his experiments in his own publication "Indian opinion" under the title "Guide to health" and some articles on nature cure, use of five elements and its effects. Those articles were written during the year 1906. When Gandhi returned to India, those compiled articles were published while he was confined in Aga Khan Palace in 1942. The book is known as "Key to Health". It is translated in different Indian and European languages. The book became popular because Gandhi wrote with a novel idea somewhat different from the ways adopted by medical practitioners and medical scientists.

Gandhi incorporated education in health and hygiene in his 18-point constructive programmes aimed at achieving complete independence by truthful and non-violent means. He emphasised on vegetarianism, which is inseparable from naturopathic way of treatment. He believed in his famous eleven vows namely 'Non-violence, Truth, Control over Palate (taste), Celibacy, Physical work, Non-stealing, Non-possession, Fearlessness, Removal of caste barrier, Equality in religion, Swadeshi or self-reliance."

"It is Health that is real Wealth and not pieces of gold and silver" Gandhi believes that modern medicine is the bane of man when used to perpetuate bad habits. Unpleasant reactions to food, drink or bad habits are our body's way of telling us to form better habits but instead we resort to medicine to mask the symptoms and inculcates faith in our body's own self-healing mechanisms.

**Contents and Sample Pages**