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REVIEW.

“Contributions to Public Health,” by G. W. Cole, L.K.C.P., &c., Hon. Visiting Physician to the Wellington Hospital. Published by Lyon and Blair, Wellington.

The aim of this useful little work is “To bring man face to face with nature : To simplify some of the mysteries concerning his own organism : To create a thirst for a knowledge of himßelf and his surroundings : To endeavour to explode certain medical fallacies : To point out the necessity of remodelling our educational programme. And finally to aim a blow at charlatans.” Dr Cole in his introductory chapter lays great and justifiable stress on the need of more cars on the part alike of the individual and of the community for health. He points out that in the worry and turmoil of business too little time and attention are devoted to this important matter. It is difficult to make people attend even to remedial me sures until a very grave necessity arises, and preventive Bteps are almost invariably disregarded. Yet, he reminds the readers, “Whether happiness or wealth be the goal of our wishes, without health neither is procurable.” The amount of work capableof being accomplished by the most cultivated intellect and the quality of such work are necessarily limited by the bodily stamina. In New Zealand we have an excellent climate and all the conditions favorable to longevity, and yet, owing to ignorance, our colonists fail to reach anything like the alloted span of life. Dr Cole regards it aB a grave discredit to our enlightened age that 38 per cent, of the deaths in New Zealand should be those of children under five years of age, and only 2$ per cent due to old age. Dr Cole urges, therefore, that the study of all that conduces to long life or militates against it la a matter of public duty, and ought to be a matter of public interest, and with this view he offers the observations contained in the following nine chapters. The subject of respiration is very lucidly dealt with, and stress laid upon the fact that all sorts of foreign matters are conveyed into the lungs by the act of breathing, and find their way into all parts of the body, even into the very bones. But the nostrils are provided with means of intercepting such intruders. Therefore the moral is : Breathe through the nose and not through the open mouth ; also, dq not take quack medicines to smother a oough which may be only an effort of nature to extrude something which ought to come out, therefore it should not always be immediately stopped. An ingenious theory is broached as to the use of the double nasal airpassage, but for this ani many other interesting matters we must refer our readers to the book itself. Dr Cole shows very clearly and forcibly the serious monetary loss annually sustained through preventive sickness. The question of ventilation iB ably treated, and the author strenuously condemns the prevalent neglect of this most necessary condition of health. He points out that an exit for foul air. as well as an entrance for fresh is imperative, and remarks that while people shudder at the idea of drinking dirty water, they complaisantly use over and over again “ dirty air,” contaminated with the impurities of breath and skin. Some cogent illustrations are given of the urgency of ample ventilation, particularly in sick chambers. Light also is shown to be an absolute necessity. 'Dr Cole dwells on the need of care to prevent the influx of foul gases from sewers, &c., and denounces the iniquitous practice of putting “dummy” ventilating shafts into closet pipes to save expense, which he asserts has, within his own knowledge, been done. Damp also is exhibited as a terrible foe to health, and the oase is instanced of a row of very attractive houses in a London suburb, in whioh during their first two years there were in twenty houses six cases of consumption and fourteen of acute rheumatic fever! Some excellent suggestions are offered as to the best mode of ventilating houses, and especially bedro ms, and the opinion is expressed that adequate ventilation ought to be rendered compulsory by law. Cold bedrooms are also condemned as the cause of nine-tenths of the croup which is so common among colonial children. Bedrooms ought to have fire-places but not stoves, and failing these a large lamp should be burned in the room before retiring to rest. The chapter on “ Water ” is particularly good. The important part played by water in the vital economy of every living thing is eloquently set forth, and also the desirableness of drinking daily a due quantity of pure water, which is as essential to the stomach as pure air to the lungs. Stress is laid upon the necessity of securing purity of water by filtering or boiling, or both, and it is pointed out that a filter, unless frequently cleansed, is by no means a safeguard against impurity. A word of caution is given as to the external use of water; cold baths for young children and delicate adults are deprecated, and warm baths are recommended in preference, to be used with suitable precautions. The “food” question receives special attention on the part of the author, who explains the functions of food, and makes it clear what foods are beneficial and what the reverse. Dr Cole takes pains to correct a popular fallacy as to certain medicines “cooling the blood.” Errors in diet are pointed out, and useful suggestions offered for their correction. . The processes of mastication and digestion are lucidly described, and the ultimate destination of the digested food is shown as the material from which fresh blood is formed. This leads to the concluding chapter, which treats of the circulation of the blood. Under this heading some valuable hints are given as to clothing, with earnest cautions against any style of clothing that has a tendency to impede circulation. Those specially injurious things “ elastic-sided boots ” are very strongly condemned as apt to produce directly or indirectly various serious disorders. We have said enough to show how useful a work Dr Cole has produced; for fuller information as to its valuable contents we must refer our readers to the book itself, and we have no hesitation in saying that a copy ought to be in every Wellington household.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZMAIL18861126.2.118

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Mail, Issue 769, 26 November 1886, Page 24

Word Count
1,061

REVIEW. New Zealand Mail, Issue 769, 26 November 1886, Page 24

REVIEW. New Zealand Mail, Issue 769, 26 November 1886, Page 24

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