HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 68

HEALTH COLUMN.

Foo«l« in Hoi Weather.

The high importance of prtseiving all food irf»m contact T»ilh mutlei!- w influences likely to render it lnjiuiou* to the consumer is never inure cJukiugly illustrated than in the hot season of the year. A gran ooject lesson m tliih » expect i. 1 to be found in tlie Tiigh d'-utli late 1/oui infantile di.nihwa which prevails in oiii bi<4 centre 1 - >ii nimnioi. The City of M<UK.heM.er equally has been sufi'eiing of late fiom t div;^Irons epidemic ot this kind — an cittack in -which infants undei one year old -'n poorer districts are mowed down literally in scores and fifties. A polluted soil lias, no doubt, much to do such outbieak.*, hut milk which has become infected through being kept in uncleanly places in houses is the exciting causes of the illness. With fi«h and meat, equal precautions should pievail. Tinned fish, left for a few hours in the opened tin in a hot, impure atmosphere, is responsible for cases of food poisoning. Even the odour* of the streets may infect fish, a fact shown in a recent case in London, in which salmon was found to taste of creosote, the pollution having arisen from the odour of burning tar used in repairing a wood pavement opposite the fishmonger's shop. The butchers and fishmongers should universally adopt the practice adopted by some of their number*. They should all announce that, "In the hot weatner. our goods are kept in«ide in refrigerators."' — D v Axdkkw Wilson*.

Tlints from a Mother's Life. — The second article of the sorios by Mis i;lad«iono appears 111 a loi'onl niuubiT of " The Lady's .Mjii^iKMii'," jiiiil Hill. no doiib;. he wi'li'aiiK'd o\ i'n mine \\;uiul\ run tlu> tii>i. Writing on ihe mi-t-ssity of tro*h nir tor infunts. .-.lv- mi\v. "Let mo hoio Mum^ly pnrti'si ii^iimst tho l.mh-li t'ti»lmm ot lwltMiioll»>nni; .1 vlorpms; Ivbv, ivm'iiii;- us ho.ul tuul moiilh ;t( lho n>k of vtitlm>; it outright. C'kN ami Iv ils m t lie mu-oiy should bo um-ui taiuod. or neatly .so. AVo might almost as \\<ll lay tho t-ln'id to sloop on the shell" of 11 jhov, or at Ihe bottom of a packing box a.-> in 11 cot clovoly cuitnined round. An authentic story is told ot a well-constituted child pacing within <i feu minutes from a condition of s-pasinodie irritation, bordering <>n convulsions, into perfect health, owing dimply to the af'nii.'-.sioii of fresh air into a close, ill-ventilated nursery. A thermometer should bs kepi in the rooms, and should not ri«c above 6Cdeg Falir. Nervous irritability 1-; a prominent characteristic of infancy, and pure air Mill be found to act a.- one of the most powerful nervou> sedatives upon the tender s\>tem of a child. Whatever, therefore, affects ihe purity of the atmosphere should be quickly lemoved, proper places provided for dirty linen, etc. The air of bedrooms should be perfectly fresh, especially should we oeware of ' tired air ' creeping in from the day nursery, just before the children's bedtime"; chimneys, should be kept open, bedclothes turned hack and e-\no»ed to "the air as oon as the child is up. ' Pimples.-- Pimple^ and blackheads, frequently go together They iU e most common in youni, people between the ages of 15 and 25, at the time when the constructive force-- of the body are the most active. Lhcy ive fluo to ;hc inciea<-e t | Hinctions jf the glands- and oilier Muiciuies o f the skin. The biadchcad* are due to plugging of tbe ducts of the sebaceous glands by .secretion md scak,« which aie 111 pioce^s of separation. This leads to a damming back of t he secret 'on, with pain and eventually inflammation The Mini! black top is due tr. the action of (lhL iio.o the .iiniaco. and wlven .he -pen. , w,ii t/t . l „,,(• „ Miiiill woim-like •'i-uciuiv • mi • rj'aik lit ad. the glandular secietion, „1 lie notit-d When "" inflamed the-p bhcklir kU I, ,1)1) nasty pustules They are commonest ou tlu j face, at the •ui^kV of the !'o-o. <r the Jmi. but may appear on other pa.(- of tht body. They are generally vtiv ob-iniato. in spite of treatment, but. lend to get, well of themselves as you grow ohk-i Any blackheads seen should be squetzpil out belveen the fingeis or with tiia end of a w atcli key Do tltis %y_aU)in»ti- J

cp.lly every evening. When pustules form open them carefully with a clean sewing needle, and let out the mattei. Do this before the yenow head forms. Every night at bedtime wash .the face with very hot water, using a flannel ;md spirits ot green .soap. Spirit* of green soap can be got ;>b any diuggist's. and i- made by dissolving about thiee ounces of green soap in eighb ounces of rectified sphit. After this apply the following lotion and allow to dry o~n :) Precipitated sulphur, one drachm ; ether, four drachma; rectified spirits to malvp rour ounces.

A Plea for the Children. — In an article in a monthly, upon the physical development, of children, there is a plea put forwaid for children to be absolutely unrestricted in their play, unrestricted by clothing, oi by hampering injunctions not to do this and thai. The -writer holds that as young animals attain to the most periect physical development by means of the gambols and jumps and mock battles which are instinctive in them, so young human animals would grow up haider and strongei and straighter if allowed move freedom in their play in early childhood. He is particulaily f-evere upon the restrictive clothing which seem- specially devised to prevent babies moving their little limbs as Mature teaches them; uid advises that, whenevei possible, a baby should be allowed to he "and kick about quite naked, or with no moie garments than are nececsary to keep ib Mann, and these loose enough to allow freedom of limb. For children old enough to run about, and yet not old enough to be conscious of shame, it is advised that they might have an hour's play every day at home, freed from their clothing— such as jumping, wrestling, or any sort of exercise thea- own lively fancy may suggest. We have all seen the wonderfiil pride and delight very young children take in the contemplation of their own body and limb<?. And there is one. particularly lively, v. ho, when hi.x clothe^ are taken off at night, objects to the nightgown, and will persist; in scampering from one corner of the room to another, perfectly intoxicated with his freedom. That is an intimation of what Nature would like. If the little ones are allowed an hour of that before being put to bed they will be much the better of it.