HEALTH NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 21, 22 December 1928, Page 2

HEALTH NOTES

LIFE IN THE OPEN. HINTS TO HOLIDAY-MAKERS. (Contributed by the Department of Health). The spirit of holiday-making is everywhere. Tired city dwellers are pictm ing idyllic scenes—by sea or r u ai hush, with a blue skv overhead and un diluted sunshine. . They grasp the opportunity of realising the joy out of doors, and plan to "ow d into * few days many pleasurable experiences denied them in the routine of life, inis is as it should be, but some lore thought is necessary to secure the maximum of health and happin ~ the long-looked-for vacation brmh&t, for instance, we know to be one ° Nature’s most benefiaent agents, bu injudicious sun bathing may not on'lv harmful but actually dangerous. A famous medical man has said uiti regard to sunlight treatment ia. blister is a major blunder of technique. A healthily-tanned skin cannot be acquired in a few days and sea bathers should refrain from- too suddei reckless exposure of the body ° n .* beaches. Little children especially should wear shady liats. To P r0 ''cn sunburning. and protect the face cold cream, simple talc powder, or eien ordinary flour may be used. lo relieve the pain of sunburn, if acquired, a solution of bicarbonate of soda (one teaspoonful to the pint of wai lll y is useful, followed by a soothing application, cold cream, etc. Calamine lotion is also a good application tor acute sunburn. . , EXERCISE AND BATHING. Again, we all know that exercise in the open air .is an aid to health, but here again excess is harmful. Ihe essence of a holiday is relaxation, tne same brain controls the muscles ana the mind, and excessive bodily fatigue is not an antidote to mental and nervous overwork. It is unscientific and harmful for those of mature years to indulge in violent athletic exercise without proper training. A twentvmie tramp with muscles flabby with disuse means exhaustion without benefit to compensate. People suffering from weak hearts should exercise moderation in outdoor bathing, as the exertion added to chill may he serious. Cramps attack the strongest swimmers without warning. Hence, swimming far out bevond reach of help is unwise. Leave off before you are exhausted. Even the most ardent holiday-maker is better for a sound sleep at night. Remember that a badly-pitched tent limy be stuffier than a shut-up house. Every tent should have a drain dug round it to carry off the water after rain, and the tent ropes must be slackened each night to allow for shrinkage from moisture. AA aterproot ground-sheets are invaluable to rest on by day or to put beneath the mattress at night. The use of judiciously suspended mosquito-netting gives peace and security at night where insect pests abound. The irritation of mosquito bites may be allayed by oatlimg with weak ammonia or sodium bicarbonate solution. lodine may be applied subsequently to prevent the development of infected sores. bandflies do not readily bite a mud-covered stuff ace —■fortunately for bane-legged children disporting in the creek Deds. DIET AND CLOTHING. The diet of campers is necessarily simplied. but it should contain a liberal supply of fresh vegetables and fruit and a minimum of tinned food. One fact not sufficiently known is that milk should not be added to tea before putting in a. thermos flask, as bv 'this means a -good medium is provided for tlie growth of bacteria, which mav be present in tlie milk. Milk should be carried separately and kept cool. Water from the wayside streams may or may not be safe, according to its source' It is safer to boil it as is fortunately done in tbe popular pastime of tea-making. Aleat for campers mav be kept fresh and uncontaminated by flies in an improvised safe of butter muslin stretched over iron hoops and hung from a tree in a cool place. Butter may be kept cool in an unglazed pottery dish with wet muslin over When packing remember that though we hope for summer at Christmas we sometimes meet winter, and warm clothing cannot be left out of the bag. SIMPLE REAIEDIES.. - Shoes are important. No one even on holiday can be happy with sore feet. For little children sand shoes are good at the seaside. Shoes for tramping must have thick soles and board low heels and must not cramp ' the toes. They should be worn with thick stockings, preferably undarned. Stockings' should be soaped before use and the feet dusted- with boracic powder. Regular daily bathing of the feet is advisable. If blisters form they should be let out by tunnelling under the edge with a sterilised needle. Fine strips of adhesive zinc oxide plaster should be evenly applied in lattice-work pattern over the affected parts. Campers should carry simple first-aid requisites, e.g., a few bandages, some common antiseptic, as lysol or boracic acid; tincture of iodine is generally useful. Friar’s balsam is not only beneficial for use in sore throats (a few' drops every few' hours on loaf sugar), but makes an _ excellent external protective covering for cuts. lii conclusion, good campers do not deface the landscape with debris, such as old tins, waste paper, decayed vegetable and animal matter. Such rubbish forms a breeding-ground for flies, and may form a fertile course of infection. In any case, it is an eyesore. A true lover of Nature will always leave a scene as beautiful as lie found it.