HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Opunake Times, 20 February 1948, Page 2

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

RINGWORM OF THE FOOT (By the Department of Health) , ’ Ringworm of the feet is a fair- , ly common complaint. It is caught from the floors of dressing rooms, swimming baths, and any public place where bare feet may leave infection. In a private home there’s little worry of the spread of infection from'one infected person, so long as slippers are worn and a special hath mat kept in the bathroom till cured. The main worry is an individual one —how to prevent re-infection of oneself, once there’s infection. Spores get into socks and into # shoes. «, ■'

Socks used during the currency of the ringworm can be burnt after cure. If they happened to be mainly cotton and boilable, that would suffice. Shoes are more difficult, but thejj- can be sterilised this way:— Clean shoes with soap and water, inside and outside. Dry as well as possible with a cloth. Put in each shoe a pad of cotton wool or lint, spreading out to make an insole.. Pour onto this insole 1 teaspoonful of formaldehyde solution purchased from a chemist. Put the shoes in a cardbord shoe box, close the lid and wrap in aver. Allow the shoes to remain in this box for 6 hours at least. Then take them out, take out the cotton or lint pad and air shoes for 24 hours. Then rub in a.leather dressing inside and out, to recondition tile leather, allow to dry, arid finally polish the shoes for wear.

Having cured your feet of a ringworm, with Whitfield’s ointment for example, and sterilised shoes, you’ve* now to keep your feet healthy and avoid recurrences. So keep the feet dry, and clean, especially between toes. Drv these carefully. Air shoes and socks when not in use.