HEALTH NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 October 1926, Page 5

HEALTH NOTES

THE HOUSING QUESTION SUPREME VALUE OF FRESH AIR AN J) SUNLIGHT (Contributed bv the Department of Ileal tli:) It is an established fact, that certain diseases are closely associated with faulty conditions of housing, and we knew (hat (he occurrence of these, diseases can be and has been very materially reduced by correcting errors and de forts in tins direction. Dousing inIbienees sickness, and death rates, parliculiirly in relation to tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, rickets, and hi her fliseases of infancy and childhood. Hence its vital importance. It is very necessary in these days, when the prevention ol disease is regarded as more important than its treatment, that public interest should lie aroused in these mailers, so that the administrative authorities may be able to rely on the co-operation of the people in the effort In bring about improvement. TDK HOME The first pioposition, therefore, will be to consider the home, espemially as to its suitability from the. point of view of access of plenty of fresh air during daytime and night, and also as to entrance of sufficient unt'dlered sunlight to both living and sleeping rooms. By "unfiltered" sunlight is meant sunlight that does not pass through glass 'because dining the. passage through ordinary glass, certain rays are absorbed and are not allowed to pass through. These rays are. however, very beneficial to preservation of health. In fact, so beneficial are they that in the treatment, especially of certain types of tuberculosis, il is now quite a recognised procedure to expose, under proper supervision, an ever-increasing area of the skin lo direct sunlight. Great benefit results from this efcpjjsure, but it requires skilled supervision, arid if done to excess at first without a gradual training ot the skin to withstand the sun's lays, more harm than good may be done.' SUNLIGHT Therefore, the first essential in the planning of the home, is ft plenteous exposure to sun. Not only should each individual house, be planned and built with this object in view, but each group of houses should be so planned and built in relation to each other, that no one house shuts off the sun's rays from another house. This is one of the fundamental principles in town-planning. Mosi of our larger towns fail in this respect, and it is one of the essentials in any future activities in the domain of town-planning and town improvement that no obstacles be placed in the way of free access of sunlight. SMOK E This naturally leads to a consideration of the. smoke screen that shuts out an immense amount, of sun from I owns. The presence of smoke, like the presence of dust, in (he atmosphere aiso encourages the formation of fogs, and so more sunlight is obscured. .Another essential, (hen, is (he adoption of efficient means of preventing smoke pollution of the atmosphere by largo manufacturing establishments. The gradual extension of the use of electricity and gas for domeslice cookery and warming is Of distinct benefit to health, as tending to diminish tho smoke' nuisance caused by domestic fires. VENTILATION On.- houses should have sufficient ventilation. The ordinary house depends almost entirely on what are called the natural methods of ventilation, that is, ventilation by means "of windows, doors, chimneys, through cracks in the floor, etc. The ventilation of large buildings such as balls, churches, factories, and theatres involve a special problem, which falls within the'domain of the architect and ventilating engineer, and are designed to meet conditions which practically never arise in the home. The ventilation of the living-rooms of the home is usually quite well attended to, not from any care exercised by the inmates (hereof, but because there has been usually provided in addition to other means a chimney, and also most people realise the necessity of keeping at least one window open. In those living rooms which are heated by electric radiators and unventilated gas stoves, strict attention should be devoted to ventilation by means of windows and the door; however, it is in the ventilation of sleeping-rooms that most, mistakes are made, such as keeping windows and door closed, and using too many and too heavy bed-clothes. Ventilation does not merely refer to the necessity of providing sufficient good air for the purpose of breathing, but also io having sufficient movement of the nir lo allow the physiological activities of the skin to he maintained. Too many and 100 heavy bedclothes imprison the air that is next to the skin, and so very oil en. instead of sleep being refreshing, we wake up tired and listless. To put il practically, one good eiderdown quilt is worth many blankets as a covering. Heavy curtains and blinds prevent free passage of air from open windows. The best type of modern house is now provided with a sleepingporch or verandah, and great, benefit- can be obtained from sleeping in the open air as provided by this wise,provision. As sleeping in the open air is gocid for those who suffer from consumption, it naturally follows that- it is good in the prevention of disease. Parents should devote considerable thought. to this question, for even if open porches and verandahs are not available, bedrooms with windows are provided, and as long as children are, warm, especially as long as (heir feet are warm, little, harm will come to them by providing them with a copious supply of fresh air during "''' TUBERCULOSIS It has been proved that in the absence of sufficient sunlight and fresh air the incidence of this disease in all its various forms is greatly increased. For instance, the incidence of phthisis or tuberculosis of the lung in farm labourers is low, and in printers and toolmakers is high. In the one we have an occupation carried on in the open air, and in the other we have an occupation carried on in conditions that are practically the reverse. People working or living in conditions which preclude a copious supply of sunlight and fresh air have their resistance to disease lowered, and so become, more easily infected, and also direct sunlight has a potent influence in the destruction of tubercle and other bacilli. So here even with the one disease which is an important economic factor in any community we have ample reason for emphasising the necessity for so planning our houses, factories, and towns hat no on..' is debarred from enjoying the great, gifts of sunlight ami fresh air \ hich Nature has provided them with, and which many are precluded from participating in by man's own misdirected activities. INFANTILE MORTALITY Nu one can deny that some of the success of our low infantile mortality '«.' New Zealand is due to a better knowledge of piaung the infants in more fa-

vuttrablo surroundings; Huts babies iiro now put into fresh air to sleep, and mothers are not now so averse to placing them out, in the sunshine with due precautions to prevent too great an exposure to sunshine. The fear that infants would catch cold if not coddled up all the time is largely being replaced by a better knowledge of the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. OTHER DISEASES There are many other diseases such us rickets, pneumonia, and bronchitis, etc., in (he treatment and prevention of which sunshine and fresh air occupy a verv important position. Rvrn in a young country like New Zealand, which is blessed with plenty of sunshine, much still remains to lie done to improve the health and stamina of the rising generalion; in some of our larger towns (here are quarters where the occupants receive a minimum of sunshine, and have far from' sufficient ventilation. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY So it behoves individuals to bestir themselves and lake interest in these problems and help to foster any move, ineill which has for its object better planning of our cities. Health Week campaigns and similar movements to instruct people to live and sleep in properly ventilated rooms and to take plenty of exercise in the open air should receive every encouragement. liy at lending to llicse two fundamental re (piirenienls. by using ami making available to everyone our greal gifts of sun shine and fresh air a vast improvemenl can he made in the health of the iv.ople in this country, and surely wnen sunshine and fresh air are provided by Nairn e 11 is cur own fault if we refuse lo accept and make use of these gifts.