MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14133, 7 August 1909, Page 7 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

the fasting PROBLEM. L the desert regions of Western India : * er al species of monkeys eke out- a scant Insistence on thorn-berries and small in- <" nd have become popular with traders iV account of their abstemious habits. A handful of dun ha coin, a few grasshoppers, ' "ill keep them alive for twenty-four hours; ■ . i_ digestive system has adapted itself to menu of half-ration*. They are placid 8 d stoical, but by no means specially vigorous anil the quest is if the vaunted lrulitv of the Hindoos and Chinese is not «? J a ' gomew lint- abnormal phenomenon. hev have learned to subsist on babv t : ons, and. to that extent, have an advantage over their foreign competitors; they can live where a British farmer would Limit suicide, a.-, a bleat. alternative of .low starvation ; but in war and industrial jitetprises tliry au\ ■ 1 C" a rule, mere children in the hands <;! hardy outlanders.

v POISONOUS CLOTHING. Clothing imbued with poisonous matter, Ithough less common than some sei sational alarmists v. mild represent, docs come to market; and it is not so long since that a medical man rcpoited a severe case of poisoning of a man's neck and face from a crimen neck handkerchief dyed with aniline. Gloves, stocking, drawers, etc., coloured villi aniline, led. blue, or other tints, should be ran-fully avoided by children and ladies' with sensitive skins. The chief rules in regard to clothes, to sum up the subject of this article, ate: —1. That they should be made of .soft or pliable materials', so a> not to obstruct the free ami <asv motion of the limbs, or the circulation of the fluids in any part of the body. 2. They should be made of such a tluipe as; to be comfortable from their ease. 3. They ought not to he warmer than is neeesrary to preserve the body in a proper degree of temperature. 4.' Our garments, more especiallv those next the skin, should be made of substances easily cleaned, if neccs5. They should be suited to the constitution ami "age of each individual.

BREATHIv THROUGH THE NOSE. The hygienic mother of the present day jeeg to "it that her children keep their mouths 'closed lion asleep, and at all other times when • not necessary for the. purpose of eating, drinking, or talking. The evils of breathing through the mouth cannot be too strongly dwelt upon. In the first, place, the invisible dust which constantly floats in the air is drawn in directly to the lungs, injuring thereby the delicate membranes of the entire breathing apparatus. Catarrhal trouble frequently results simply from this careless •habit "of breathing, not to mention more serious disorders which are quite liable to ensue. Another evil resulting from this practice is the unbecoming and foolish expression given to the face by habitually going about with the lips apart. When a child is allowed to sleep in this manner the habit becomes an extremely difficult one to break during the waking hours as well.

The entire personal appearance may be greatly disfigured by carelessness in this particular. By breathing through the nose the air is both warmed and purified before it reaches the lungs. The nostrils act as a sort of sieve, allowing only pure air to pass beyond their domains. A sudden blast of icy air, taken through the mouth and reaching directly the lungs, is often provocative of cold and even pneumonia. Teachers of physical culture insist that their pupils shall keep the mouth closed during all physical exercises. Every athlete will vouch for it that he keeps his wind longer by breathing through . the nose. Just so soon as he begins to breathe through the open mouth he loses ground. His mouth becomes dry and parched, and a sharp pain in his chest soon forces him to desist the exercise. •"Breathe through the nose" is a maxim which cannot be too often nor too emphatically repeated.