HEALTH NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17383, 20 April 1928, Page 2

HEALTH NOTES.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

CARE OF THE BODY.

(Contributed by the Department

of Health

Prom a health point of view the. terms “cleanliness'’ and “personal hygiene” arc practically synonymous. Personal hygiene, is a distinct. ;ud to health, and therefore to efficiency. There can thus be no question* of its importance, Eo much so that, instruction in personal hygiene is of inestimable. value in primary schools in order that lifelong, habits of right living maj be inculcated in each individual. We may now consider what 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. U. is also an excretory organ, as it contains innumerable sweat glands, whose ducts open on the surface. There arc other glands of the skin —sebaceous glands. The skm is therefore exuding sweat and sebaceous matter, which, when mixed with shed epidermic scales and scurf, accumulates on the surface, and must peroidically removed if the body is b, be kept in a clean and wholesome condition. , , ... Some, of this matter penetrates into. the underclothing next to the skm, thus rendering periodical changes of underclothing necessary. Diny skin and dirty clothes arc not only disagre.anle to the senses, but are injuirous 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 people in whom the skm is too clogged with dirt to perform functions arc also more liable to cm than those whose skins are clean. To keep the skin in good health a hot hath should he taken at least once a week, preferably at night, in order to avoid chill. Gold baths are less cleansing than hot, but are more stimulating and invigorating. Ihe best time for a cold bath is on rising. Ver> young and delicate people do not as a ‘rule stand cold baths well, and for them a daily tepid bath is preferable. Swimming baths arc of great value. i\ T ot only do they afford opportunity for acquiring a valuable accomplishment, but thev provide physical exercise in a form that is most potent for the promotion of health. Where school baths have been instituted they have been found to lead not only to greater clean-

liness of underclothing and person among the pupils, hut to increased self-reliance, better moral tone, better mental attainment, and most decidedly better physical development. Special attention to the care of the I'eet 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 the toes, must be daily removed by washing, as otherwise the feet, rapidiv become offensive. Other parts of the body which require special attention are those parts where perspiration is most active, such as 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 m 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 othei kinds of Alters, it should he periodically cleansed. It is important therefore that children should he taught the proper use of the handkerchief, and that they be encouraged at all limes to breathe through the nose.

Vermin. Dirty skin and clothing attract lice. There are two kinds of lice commonly infecting the human body, the head louse (pediculus capitis) and the body louse (pediculus corporis). The head louse infects the hair of the head. Ihe female lays numerous eggs—nits—which are attached to the shafts ot the h a ir. The embryos take some eight or ten days to hatch out, and then appear as grown lice. Hence measures taken to get rid of lice must be carried out thoroughly for at least ten days. Lice bite the skin and suck the blood, the bites inducing great irritation, which

leads to scratching, and the formation of sores, accompanied by painful enlargement of the neck glands. The body louse resembles the head louse. It lives and breeds in the creases of the garments next to the skin, and also sucks blood from its victim. Both head and body lice are transferred from person to person by close contact or by the wearing of infested caps or clothes. The effect of these vermin is much more serious than would at first appear probable, as the intense irritation inAicts much loss of rest and consequent nervous disturbance on the sufferers. l-lead lice is best got rid of by cutting the 1 air very short and thoroughly saturating it with kerosene overnight. Next morning the hair should he washed thoroughly with softsoap and hot water, and then combed with a Ane-tooi.h comb. The removal of nits can be assisted by dipping the comb i'l warm vinegar. Body lice are destroyed if the garments they infest are baked or disinfected by steam heat. Lack ol' personal cleanliness predisposes to skin diseases such as ringworm, impetigo contagious, and scabies or itch. Clean people may become infested from close contact with a sufferer. These conditions demand prompt medical treatment.

Care of the Nails. Nails should he kept short and their cleanliness ensured by a thorough scrubbing with a nail-brush in hot, soa pv water. Dirty nails often carry infection to the food. Small children, for instance, often re-infect themselves with thread-worms by conveying the ova into the mouth from dirt underneath their finger-nails.

Care of the Teeth. Decayed teeth arc a potent cause of 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. Hence care of the teeth is important. Teeth should be brushed after each meal if possible, especially the last thing at night. Meals should he ended by iood of a cleansing character —e.g., salivary stimulants such as lettuce, cclcij, apples. (llothing should be light, and loose, so that it does not, interfere with free bodily movement. It should be ad;, pled to the climate and seasons of Ibe year. liuderclothirig should be ~banged at least once a week. For young children, especially, simple garj'ncnls are desirable, as they are more [.(■ailjiy kepi in good order. No child is properly dollied who inns not a handkerchief. This is a toosl important arlicle, both for health and cleanliness. ii'pi Member Lluil dirl decreases physical eojeieney and lakes away selfresiiee.l. Cleanliness nol only gives

bodily aomf'U’f and health. hul contributes i<»\v.iriis a sense of personal cliuni' y, and hence adds greatly to one's pe/v'er of adiicvemenU