HOT WEATHER HEALTH

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1933, Page 10

HOT WEATHER HEALTH

ADVICE TO THE PUBLIC SUITABILITY OF CLOTHING. VENTILATION AND FOOD. (Contributed by the Department of Health.) The temperature of the air a very important bearing on health, though man has. an almost incredible power of adapting himself to wide variations .of temperature. That man is able to maintain a constant body temperature when exposed to great variations of atmospheric temperature is due not only to the body mechanism which regulates heat production and elimination, but also to the layers of air immediately in contact with the skin. We wear clothes to protect ourselves from external heat or cold, but still more do we wear air for that purpose. That is why warm temperatures are better borne when the air is in motion* which facilitates evaporation, than when the air is still, while extremes of cold are better borne when the air is still, for then we become clothed in a blanket of air. • , The effect of heat upon health, however, cannot be considered alone for it depends on the humidity as well as on the movement of the air. Extremes .of heat and cold are much more trying when the air is humid than when the air is dry. The withering effects of heat upon infants and adults, too, are increased by the still moist air found in overcrowded narrow streets and poorly ventilated houses. Excessive moisture makes hot air feel hotter and cold air cooler. , . . . • CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS. Now that summer is here some suggestions might be considered for comfort and health during hot months. In the construction of buildings often too little thought is given to making them comfortable for human occupancy during extremes of outside temperatures. Much can.be accomplished in this direc'tion by proper and expert planning of buildings, so as to exclude fextrejne cold and afford the maximum amount of ventilation in summer. Tn the the tropics where the problem of heat is a vital one there are two fundamental principles upon which house building depends—firstly, the attainment of the greatest amount of ventilation and sir circulation, and. secondly the exclusion of the greatest possible amount of heat. Excessive heating can be prevented by keeping rooms properly shaded in hot weather. Rooms protected against the heat of outdoors should be thoroughly aired during the early morning and during cool spells. At other times the inside air can be best kept in motion by the use of fans, thus giving a greater filing of comfort to the occupants of rooms. The shading, however, should be of such a nature that not too much artificial light is required, as this may in turn become > a means of increasing the inside temperature. One of the most important rooms in the home as far as the housewife is concerned is the kitchen. Therefore care should be exercised in planning so that it is roomy and airy, receiving the maximum amount of ventilation and not unduly exposed to the sun’s rays. ’ . WORKING CONDITIONS.

’' Work in the form of muscular or mental activity is associated with the formation of heat in the body. It is evident, therefore, when work must be performed that the stirrounding conditions should vary with the prevailing -temperature and should be correlated with the aids to work such as eating, drinking, rest and recreation. Effective heat regulation becomes most difficult when the surrounding temperature is high. . Under such conditions air' movement ; is highly essential. ’ ' Dr. Leonard Hill and Dr. Campbell, recognised authorities on ventilation problems in relation to health state; The indoor conditions of many shops, offices, business, houses and factories in Great Britain closely approximate to the outdoor conditions which pertain to such climates as Madras and Sierra Leone, a climate which is recognised to be enervating to white men. The stillness of air in confined spaces has a most potent influence on the cooling functions of the skin, on the cutaneous nerves and so on vigour, health and efficiency. The results of bad ventilation are. not due to supposed chemical poisons in the air but to heat stagnation, the symptoms felt in crowded rooms, oppression, headache, sickness and faintness, resembling those experienced out of „doors on excessively hot, humid days.” . When air movement cannot be provided dr when the required air currents become uncomfortable it is necessary to provide some protection against excessive heat. Outdoors much can be accomplished by proper shading against the heat rays of the sun. In places where high temperatures are required to carry on manufacturing process much can be accomplished by providing mechanical means for conducting. the heat created in such establishments to the outside air. : \ ’ . / . . . ■ CLOTHING HINTS. The first essential of . comfortable hot weather clothing is that it be small in amount and that it hang loosely about the body being mainly supported from the shoulders. Constricting clothing which impedes the circulation should be avoided. Air when warmed tends to rise, so that the air next the body rises and escapes around the neck and wrists. If the openings here are free and surficient then the cooling of the body in hot weather occurs more readily. The clothing should be of such material as to allow free evaporation, and not clinging when wet to the skin. Colour is important in that light shades throw off the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them as dark colours do.. There is also a psychological effect in tight, cool colours that add not a tittle to the comfort of wearing these clothes in hot It should be remembered that although sunlight is one of nature’s most beneficient agents, injudicious exposure to the sun may be not only hannful but actually dangerous. A healthily tanned skin cannot be acquired in arfew days, and sea bathers should refrain from too sudden and reckless exposure of the body on hot beaches. Adequate rest taken during extreme heat is beneficial, while prolonged strenuous exercise under such conditions may give rise to excessive bodily fatigue. . importance OF FOOD. During hot weather the food should be such that while supplying sufficient nourishment it produces a minimum of heat There are certain foods for not weather use that have a filling and satisfying effect. These lettuce, celery, brussels sprouts and the like, tomatoes, oranges and apples are excellent. Other foods may, of course, be included in the dietary, but the rule m hot weather, particularly for sedentary workers, is to eat moderately and lightly. During hot weather everybody needs much more fluid on account of the water necessary for evaporation from the skim The water consumption should be more than doubled during the summer unless

medically -otherwise advised. Bathing and cool showers help to reduce. weariness and to add to comfort and energy. Sometimes a tepid bath just before retiring is- soothing and quieting. To avoid excessive fatigue it- is essential that. the proper amount of sleep and rest should be secured. It is of importance to keep emotional poise during the hpt weather, season, and this is often acquired by keeping mentally occupied so that there is no time to worry about the heat.