PERSONAL HYGIENE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 12 October 1926, Page 11

PERSONAL HYGIENE.

CARE OF THE BODY. CLEANLINESS MEANS BETTER HEALTH. (Contributed by Department of Health). From a health point of view, the terms “cleanliness” and “personal hygieno” are practically synonymous. Personal hygieno is a distinct' aid to health, and, therefore, to efficiency. There can thus be no suggestion of its importance. So much so, that instruction in personal hygiene, is of inestimable value in primary schools in order that life-long habits of right living may bo inculcated in each individual. We may now consider wliat steps must be taken to keep the various parts of our body in good order. CARE OF THE SKIN. • The skin, by surface radiation and evaporation, regulates the temperature of the body. It is also an excretory organ, as it contains innumerable sweat glands whoso ducts open on the surface. There are other glands, of the skin —sebaceous glands. The skin is therefore exuding sweat and sebaceous matter which, mixed with shod epidermic scales and scurf, accumulates on the surface, and must be periodically removed if the body is to be kept in a clean and wholesome condition. ■ Some of this matter penetrates into the underclothing next to the skin, thus rendering periodical changes of, undorclothing necessary. Dirty skin and dirty clothes are not only disagreeable to the senses, but are injurious to health, as they lessen the excretion of waste materials on the surface of the body, and therefore throw more work on the internal excretory organs. Uncleanly, pcoplo, in whom the skin is too clogged with dirt to perform its functions are also moro liable to chill than those whose skins axe clean. To keep the skin in good) health a hot bath should be taken at least once a week, preferably at night in order to avoid chill. Cold baths are less cleansing than hot but more stimulating and invigorating. The best time for a cold bath is on rising. Very young and delicate people do not as a rule stand cold baths well, and for them a daily tepid spongo is preferable. baths are of great value. Not only do they afford opportunity for acquiring a valuable accomplishment, but they provide physical exorcise in a, form that is most potent for the promotion of health. Whore school baths have been instituted they 'have been found to lead not only to greater cleanliness of underclothing and person among the pupils, but to increased self-reliance, better moral tone, better mental attainment, and most decidedly better physical development. Special attention to the care of the feet is essential, as a large amount of perspiration is given off by the sweat glands on the soles of the feet, even in the coldest weather. This, together with the scales which collect in the spaces between tho tqes, must bo daily removed by washing, as otherwise the feet, rapidly become offensive. Other parts of the body which require special attention are those parts where perspiration is most active, such aa in armpit and in. ,the groin. ...The head should be thoroughly washed at least once a week. A good deal of the soot and dust in the atmosphere of large towns is prevented from reaching the lungs by becoming lodged in the nasal cavities just within the opening of the nostrils. The nose, therefore, .performs the useful functions of a filter, but, like other kinds of filters, it should be periodically cleansed. It is important, therefore, that children should be taught the proper use of the handkerchief, and that they be encourage at all time to breathe through the nose.

VERMIN. Dirty skin and clothing attract lice. Tlioi-o are two kinds of iico commonly infesting the human body, the head louse (pedieulus capitis) aud the body louse (pedieulus corporis). The head louse infests the hair of the head. Tho female lays numerous eggs—nits—which aro attached to the shafts of the hair. Tho embryos take some eight or ton days to hatch out and then appear as grown lico. Hence, measures taken to get rid of lico must bo carried out thoroughly for at least ten days. Lice bite the skin and suck blood, the bites inducing great irritation, which leads to scratching and the formation of sores, accompanied by painful enlargement of the neck glands. Tho body louse resembles tho heud louse. It lives and breeds in the creases of tho garments next to tho skin, and also sucks blood from its victim. Both head and body lico aro transferred from person to person by close contact or by the wearing of infested caps or clothes. Tho effect of these vermin is much more serious' than would at first appear probable, as the intense irritation inflicts much loss of rest andi consequent nervous disturbance on flic sufferers.

Head lice are host got rid of by cutting the hair very short aud thoroughly saturating it with kerosene overnight. Next morning J ho hair should bo washed thoroughly with soft soap and hot water, and then combed with a lino tooth-comb. Tho removal of nits can bo assisted by dipping tho comb in warm vinegar, tJody lice are destroyed if the garments they infest are baked or disinfected by steam heat. Lack 'of personal cleanliness predisposes to skin diseases such as ringworm, impetigo contagios, and scabies or itch. Clean people may become infected from close contact with a sufferer. These conditions demand prompt medical treatment. CARE OF THE NAILS. Nails should be kept short and their cleanliness ensured by a thorough scrubbing with a nail-brush in hot soapy water. . Dirty nails often carry infection to tho food. Small children, for instance, often ro-infect themselves with thread worms by convoying the ova into the mouth from dirt underneath their fingernails. CARE OF THE TEETH. Decayed teeth aro a potent cause ol disease. A person with bad teeth swallows poison with each mouthful of food. A dirty mouth and foul breath are most repulsive as well as injurious to health, lienee, care of tho teeth is important. Teeth should be brushed after each meal if possible, especially the hist thing at night. Meals should be ended by food of a cleansing character, 0.g., salivary stimulants such as lettuce celery, apples. Clothing should bo light and loose so that it does not interfere with free bodily movements. It should be adapted to tho climato and seasons of the year. Underclothing should bo changed at least onco a week. For young children especially, simple garments are desirable as they aro more readily kept in good order. No child is properly clothed who lias not a handkerchief. This is a most important article, both for health and clcanljness. Remember that dirt decreases physical offie’eney and lakes away self-re-spect. Cleanliness not only gives bodily comfort and health, but contributes lowa ids a sense of personal dignity, and hence adds greatly to .mo’s power of achievement.