TALKS ON HEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 207, 1 September 1934, Page 3

TALKS ON HEALTH

(By A FAMILY DOCTOR).

IN AN OPERATING THEATRE

I should like to take you into an operating theatre! —oh! no, not while an operation is going on, but just before the patient is brought in—so that you might see the precautions that are taken to safeguard the welfare of the patient. Everything that is done is carried out with one object, and that is to keep the wound clean; and by that I mean surgically clean —no germs. Of course, floors and walls and windows are swabbed down at frequent intervals; the shelves are of glass, and are polished every day. The floor is of nonabsorbing material, so that it can be swilled down. The floor is made to slope slightly down towards one end. where there is a gully to carry the water awav.

The Surgeon.

The surgeon first of all washes his hands, then scrubs them, then soaks them in some antiseptic; and even thou he is not satisfied, but puts on indiarubber gloves that have been sterilised in hot water. He wears a mackintosh apron, and over that a stiff gown that has been boiled. On his head he wears a linen cap, also boiled to destroy any stray germs. If by some accident an instrument or a dressing were to be rubbed against his hair, the instrument would be taken away and boiled again. So as a protection against accidental soiling of the wound, a cap is worn. With cap, gown and gloves on, nothing can be seen but the surgeon’s face, and you might think he would let that alone. But no! No man can 'claim that his mouth and breath are germfree. Some people, T know, have breath that must be laden with genus. And to prevent any possibility of infection by the operator breathing into the wound, a mask is worn over nose and mouth. You would not know me if you saw me in operating garb. All the orderlies and sisters are in boiled overalls.

The Danger of Dirt.

The appearance of a modern operating theatre would astonish our grandfathers. In the old days, the surgeon wore an old frock-coat that had grown too shabby for every day wear. This old coat begrimed with filth, would do duty for several months. How many patients must have lost their lives in those days from infection of the wound! Slowly and surely we arc educating nurses and orderlies and sick visitors and mothers to understand the rudiments of bacteriology and surgical cleanliness. In no class of medical practice is surgical cleanliness more imperative than in midwifery. The room in which a woman is about to give birth to a child should be spotless. If old Mrs. What ’s-her-name from round the corner is sent for in a hurry to attend to the poor woman, do you suppose she comes on the scene surgically •clean? Certainly nnt. You have only to look to her nails. They are black. Dirty nails in an operating room would give a surgeon a nightmare for a week. Whenever a woman suffers from blood poisoning after her confinement something was wrong with the precautions against infection.

Keeping the Sink Clean.

It is your duty to yourself, your famiily, and your neighbours, to keep your sinks, drains and water-closets as clean as you can. So I think when you have read this paragraph you had better begin by giving a fresh coat of whitewash to the outhouses and closets. Whiten the ceilings and walls thoroughly; take some pride in maintaining all the sanitary appliances at a high standard of cleanliness. Perhaps you could improve the ventilation by making a few holes at the top of the door or by taking out a small pane of glass. Repair the floor if it needs it, and cover it with a piece of oilcloth that can be cleaned. Above all things, let your nose be your guide, counsellor and friend. If your nose is offended something is wrong, something that you ought to be ashamed of; if your nose approves, then you can sleep quietly o’ nights with a good con-

Plenty of Wiiitewasn.

Fifty thousand years ago there were no towns like those you live in; the inhabitants lived in caves and had to fight the wild beasts whose bones are now discovered as marvellous fossils of a bygone race of extinct creatures. Ask yourself, are you an improvement on your cave-dwelling ancestors? If you have a dirty sink or defective sanitary arrangements you have sunk from the level of the wild men of the primeval forests of England; they always had nice clean caves and buried their refuse. Those folk had no knowledge of metals; they could only hew stone for their implements. And now, you people have discovered metals, you have built trains, aeroplanes, bridges, and what not, and yet you still suffer from diseases that owe their origin to dirt. You really must clean up your houses a bit, or one of your ancestors from the Stone Age will rise out of his grave and bang you on the head with his stone axe to show you what he thinks of you. Now then, please, plenty of whitewash, and two pails of some commercial antiseptic to clean out the pans and sinks

A Fire in the Sick-room.

It is a good thing to have a fire in a sick-room. The fire sucks the air of the room into the grate, and all the disease germs are cremated and their burnt bodies are sent flying up the chimney. The air that has been sent up the chimney has to be replaced somehow, and that explains why the outside air comes rushing in through the chinks and crannies round the window and door. Every encouragement should be given to this outside air to enter. Do not ruthlessly repel it by stuffing up every crack with old flannel petticoats. Open the window at the top at least four inches. Remember the consumptives lying in the open air at the sanatoriums. Do not put the

If little Tongue is Coated, Cleanse the Inactive Bowels with a reliable and dependable liquid laxative.

A child simply will not stop playing to empty the bowels, and the result is that they become clogged with waste, the liver becomes sluggish, the stomach is disordered, and then your little one becomes cross, feverish, and does not eat, sleep or behave naturally. Often the breath is bad, and system “stuffy” with a cold ; the child has sore throat, stomach-ache or diarrhoea. Look, Mother! See if tongue is coated, then give a teaspoonful of ‘California Syrup of Figs’-‘Califig’-and in a few hours all the constipated waste-matter, sour bile and undigested food pass out of the system, and you have a healthy, playful child again. Mothers who value the robust health of their children should be wary of giving them laxatives in solid form as they often contain synthetic chemicals. All mothers are urged to try gentle regulation of the bowels with ' California Syrup of Figs’. It is a fruity, delicious and natural laxative flavoured with cassia, cloves and mint—endorsed by the medical profession and nurses the world over, because it is perfectly harmless. ‘ California Syrup of Figs ’ is sold by all chemists and stores 1/9 —or 21 times the quantity for 3/-. Besureto say‘CaH/brnia’ and look for ‘Calif g’ on the package.