HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 5 February 1944, Page 4

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

SUMMER SICKNESS (By the Department of Health) No matter how scrupulously clean we may be in our own households, there is always a possibility of summer sickness, or summer diarrhoea being picked up outside the home. The cause is a germ which finds its way into food which is unprotected or handled with dirty hands. Flies are a common carrier of it. Young people and adults are susceptible, but young babies particularly are prone to it. It comes on suddenly and children usually develop a temperature. If baby suddenly gets it, stop his feeds and put him on to boiled water only until the doctor comes. If the doctor cannot come, put the baby on to grated raw apple, frequent spoonfuls, freshly grated, until the diarrhoea stops. The apple has a curative effect on this complaint because of the combination of pectin, the acids, the sugars and traces of copper present in this fruit. Grown-ups who get a bout should try the water and apple cure. Take apple by the tablespoonful, freshly grated, frequently, or better still try this: Wash and slice six to eight apples, including skins and cores. Barely cover with water, cook for 15 minutes, and when cool enough, squeeze the juice through a jelly bag. Drink all the juice if you can, unsweetened, within about two hours. That should stop the attack. Best of all of course, is prevention. Keep all your foodstuffs protected from dust and flies, and handle it with clean hands. (Cut this out; you may need it.)