MILITARY HYGIENE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 9

MILITARY HYGIENE.

lecture''BV 'ion ! . - Surgeon-Captain' •l, Mason ; delivered <V lus socond. lwturo' on " Military 'Hygiene'' :{o'"a woll-atteifdejlj.iinceting jiof. iofficors: -;m. Museum -.Building : „last.;/,eyening. .SurgconGena/al Skerman,--presided:i ■>. :■

. ' Dr.VMtison .'prepared;-' his■ lecture bripf;, :Jrtairi';pointfV of hi3-previous address. ■' The chief . enemiej of men in/,campUverev^js.Mteiry^^ rhoumatism;; colds, . and feet.- ; Looking, at health,-point. of vie'., questions of site;.watcr supplyi disposal i . refuse, etc;,-\had> to be considered. Evtiry i care, must be taken ; to ,-seo-that the soil', did .not become; polluted. J -They had: : heard ;a : i*ood . deal;;about,.-malaria. It' was. .prevalent. in South Africa, and Uicy had no doubtkuowp - of. those who.' had como back from the. campaign- there with tho seeds of this: disease: in?, their ? systems. •"••• .Tho-> bacillus' malaria|,iwas i ' carried;! about ;by : -ia K ecrtaiii mosquito, and- it had. .been proved that out of a hundred' different:species, of this insect, onlyi, ;this i particular,. variety. sorved as'.' a medium.: for. communicating the disease toman... ■ Malaria was, prevalent..in Tonga,; Fiji, and •.'.the'-. Cook Group; 'and. the 'proximity, of: thesq,;- islands, laid": upon . them,vth'e* necessity! of exercising tho utmost care"as to- the puiilie :health. Rerbsonei sprinkled . into' pools' which-.the ."wrigglers": inhabited .would, destroy tho. virijifcy :-of' the '.-pests 1 . Oil of'lavciiden.applied to, the 'skin.was a reliable safeguard. aijainst theattacks -ofmosquitoes.- ; An;; important principle :-in-"tho.. science * of' .1' ■- health was \ the:; standard*, .of .^.strength. '. As tho health-improved; the power ■or -resisting disease, increased: The - fact should bo' oonic in;.mind, by ' military, authorities. . Proper!* ■ equipped -. gymnasiums,supervised;. ;• by. com-, : potent instructors, -should : be. available to soldiers, .who should be taught-the importance- their bodies in: periect health. :. ~ln 'a 1 camp \.the: ;i supply .demanded .their .attention; '.Tho. of!i- . cers attached to,,.this, .camp should 'examine the.water;'.ind:testfor impurities, and traces' of pollution. ' Poisonous metals' in ' solution had to ;bo guarded against.-. A good dual had been heard, about -"hydatids." 'The malady,'was prevalent in Australia, and, it was feared, increasing ■ in ■ New Zealand. I Much ,of tho trouble, could bo traced to im-' puro water. 1 Drinking from, the quiet parts . of streams- should- be. avoided. There was little, if any,;danger to be apprehended from ' Tunning water. '< There was, therefore, very .. decided";• reasons,V-for.'-'tho''-'-.'testing of camp water, supply.!: Another consideration- was the,' disposal of . organic refuse. ■■■ Scavenging was .a.-science; and rough and ready .methods. rret;e than, -.useless.' /The principles of . scavenging- should be; taujht, to'ttc .mon, , arid ' particularly<].to../thel non-commission'ed officers,-,'iwho:.ishould- .preach .. tho : gospel : cf . c'.canliness .ta-their 'mcn -ra-.season -and -out. At..,tho conclusion of .-the lectnro' some interesting laboratory tests were made to show, by. simple-means, - how the s sanitary sido of camp life could'be thoroughly attended to.