What keeps us alive? Three things sustain us; water, food, and fresh air. Of course we cannot get by for long if even one of these essentials is missing. Without good food we could only last two or three weeks. Without water, we would die in a matter of days. Without fresh air, we could not live more than a few minutes.

More important than the food we eat, or the water we drink, is the blessed pure air we breathe. It is indeed, the elixir of life. The very best locations for enjoying the benefits of fresh air are at the seashore, the mountains, or in the country, away from city life. It is imperative that we distance ourselves from poisonous fumes, second hand exhalations, dust, decay and putrefaction.

It is even unwise to sleep near a composter. Many well meaning people have placed composters in their backyards in an effort to produce an organic garden and get back to nature. No waste vegetables or piles of decaying leaves should be permitted to poison the air near or within the home. The warmth and moisture associated with decaying vegetable or animal matter promotes germs and mould. Spores are then released into the air and they in turn are active in the production of disease.

While pure fresh air is the elixir of life, impure air can be the harbinger of disease and death. We must be vigilant in checking our living spaces for contaminated air from sewers or poorly maintained heating systems. Furnaces and ducts must be clean and efficient at all times. Ventilation is of paramount importance.

With regard to the therapeutic properties of fresh air, it should be kept in mind that the oxygen in the air we breathe affects the whole body as if it were charged with electricity. This electrical energy, absorbed by the blood, is carried to all parts of the body, including the nerves and the brain. A good breath of fresh air can revitalize, energize, and stimulate the mind that has been dulled, as well as the body that is fatigued.

Doctors should promote the life saving benefits of being out of doors. Medicines are necessary to fight certain conditions, but it is the change to a healthier lifestyle that really works wonders. Nature is the physician of God and there are life giving properties even in the balsam of pine, in the fragrances of cedar and fir. Wounds also heal much more rapidly when exposed to fresh air and sunshine.

Air has a very soothing effect on the body when it comes into contact with the entire surface. Whenever possible and modesty permitting, let your body breathe. Internal breathing is the function of the lungs. External breathing is accomplished through the medium of the skin. Dress in light cotton clothing where possible. The skin has millions of minute openings known as pores. It is through these pores that external breathing takes place.

In closing, I would urge you to consider moving to the country, the mountains or the sea shore. If you cannot do that, then at least visit those locations as often as possible. You would never dream of eating food someone else has chewed, so why should you breathe air that others have exhaled. Put some distance between yourself and the congested, contaminated environs of the commercial, industrial cities. Without an abundance of fresh, pure air, the interchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the lungs cannot take place. This important work of normalizing the blood chemistry is essential for optimum health.

Those who are sick and those who are well need to be in closer contact with nature. We shall derive health giving and even life giving benefits from time spent in the pure fresh air, amid the trees, vineyards, flowers and orchards. Take a deep breath.