CAMP HYGIENE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1908, Page 3

CAMP HYGIENE.

LECTURE BY DR. MASON. \ SOME' USEFUL LESSONS. - Last night Surgeon-Captain Mason continued his lecture on "Military Sanitation," before a large gathering of local military men. Surgeon-General Skerinan, of Masterton, presided, and "th^ere were also present Colonel Webb, Lieut. - Colonels R. J. Collins, Bauchop, and Campbell-,; Major/ Brandon,,, , -Captain M'Donald,;, Lieut.-Ctilonel '{Surgeon) „W. Collins,'v,and quite >c iiuniber -of officeis commanding companies,' their subalterns, non. corns., and privates. Continuing Ins remarks on the need for thorough hygiene, Dr. 'Mason said that amongst the diseases to be specially guarded against in ' New Zealand were dysentery, diarrhoea, enteric foyer, rheumatism, colds, and last, but not least, cold feet. In all camps there was need for thorough I sanitation ; no matter whether the camp was to endure for a 'month, or only a day, pollution of the soil should' bo guarded against. To this end a careful endeavour should bu mad© to keep the soil free from contamination,, nnrj the water pure. Freedom fi»m poisonous metals such as lead or copper, and from animal or human impurities were things to be guarded against. Ona disease above all others that might- bo contracted from drinking out of small streams was hydatids. Ifc was a disease that was Very prevalent . in Australia, and unfortunately was increasing^ in New Zealand. One should never drink from the quiet parts ot a stream, and for preference the water " from such streams should bo boiled before bsing drunk. The lecturer then gave a number of tests for ascertaining the parity, or impurity, of water -which could' be readily applied by camp sanitary'officers. Apropos of the subject of camp latrines, the lecturer said they snxmld never be dug more' than two feet deep, and the instant burial ' of -"all " organic refuse should be the» endeavour of>? all administration, whether military or.cjvil. By leaving it unbuiried 'plagues of flies were induced, for there was absolutely no limit to the productiveness of,m-eat flies, 'if food for them was available. So rapidly did they breed ihttt Linnaeus had computed that, "three' meat "oies, by reason of their rapid increase, 'could remove a dead horse quicker than a live lion could devour . it." Dr. J^lason - spoke against the practice- '(recommended in some 1 manuals) of burying disinfect- ' ants with organic refuse. The earth r-waa quite capable of purifying, unaided/? all refuse put into ifc in proper mangier. As long ago as the time -of -Moses ; the instant burial of execreta was required of the Israelites ; the instructions- ftere given in the Book of Deuteronomy. In New Zealand we should have no preventible diseases in our little army, and the way to prevent "the danger tvas to" establish a corps, whose sole doty -it would be to look after the important health matters of the camp. A good deal could be done by the non-commissioned officers of a corps j they were, as Kipling ( had observed, the backbone of an army; and by teaching and example they could make their men unders|and the needs of sanitation, and the things they should and should not do: ' '^Preventive medicine- and sanitation,", it had been observed, '"had its heroe*. no , less than war." To supply clean to troops might seem nothing by comparison with the holding of a "New Zealand Hill," but it was just, as n&essary for the welKbeing of an. army." In illustration of his lecture, »iDr. Mason exhibited a , number , of .cultivations which he had made from ' vasous waters. Some of them were astonishing enough- to confirm any whiskydrinker in his alleged bad habit. phoid cultures of a form which (viewed through a microscope) would gladden the heart'of any eel-fisher were amongst the interesting .objects &hown v ' A hearty vote of; than&s .to Suigean•C'aptam 'Mason was carried ';by Reclamation. The two lectures are ta bo put in a form of a brochure and circulated amongst the volunteers and manent forces. Tho Defence Council has now.,almost,«6mpleted^its.<aan»ngemonts for the establishment of sanitary corps as adjuncts to the defence forces,' which .vill be charged with tho coirtrol and regulation of the sanitation of the whole of the defence forces of the Dominion.