[Eduard Reich's "Hygiene of Culture"-A retrospective on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death].

In contrary to the developing significance of the bacteriology and the chemical and physical noxious influences of the environment for Eduard Reich the main cause of decision between health and illness are the functions of the "soul". Components of this as important for the normal life are virtue (i. e. solidarity, performance of duty, self-knowledge), good sense to realize correlations, morality, charity and mercifulness (social behaviour). The goal of the hygiene therefore is to promote the good and to hinder the evil, as well for a complete person or only one of his organs as for the whole society. The final aim is not only the improvement of the common efficiency for any economic or military purposes but also the preservation of health of the soul.In accordance to these duties and aims Reich divides the hygiene into four parts.The "Moral Hygiene" regulates the activities directed by the brain supported by education, training and religion.The "Social Hygiene" cares for the wealth of the whole population. In Reich's time, it applied in particular to the labour, the basis for it are moral, hygiene and economy, but migration too played a great role.The "Dietetic Hygiene"-the oldest task of the preservation of health-cares for the human somatic necessities and the use of the organs. Prerequisite for this are bodily exercise and moderation, hence moral and physical training. The aim is not only preserving of the health but also gaining high age in health.The "Policed Hygiene" (Sanitary Police) has to care for the observance of reassurances for the public health. It must be done with charity and kindness and has to paralyse a heartless economy as poverty is the worst enemy of health. The duties of the sanitary police in the various districts should be fulfilled by boards of health, of education and of public safety. Each of these boards consists of a legislative and an executive part.Reich's concept of the hygiene as result of the application of moral and charity as well in the lifetime of each individual as of the whole society justifies the already forgotten terminus "Hygiene of Culture".