Health Notes for the Farm

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 62, Issue 2, 15 February 1941, Page 134

Health Notes for the Farm

Contributed by the

Department of Health

Keep Cool During The Hot Weather

THE temperature of the air has a very important bearing on health, although man has an almost incredible power of adapting himself to wide variations of temperature. The reason why 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 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 poor ventilation of houses. Excessive moisture makes hot air feel hotter and cold air colder. 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 by proper

and expert planning of buildings so as to exclude extreme cold and afford the maximum amount of ventilation in summer. In the tropics, where the problem of heat is vital, there are two fundamental principles upon which house building dependsfirst, the attainment of the greatest amount of ventilation and air 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 feeling 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, that when work must be performed the surrounding 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 the 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 —oppression, headache, sickness, and faintness—sembling those experienced out of doors on excessively hot, humid days.” When air movement cannot be provided or 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 mehanical means for conducting the heat created in such establishments to the outside air. Clothing Clothing should be comfortable, and should hang loosely. When warmed, air. 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 sufficient then the cooling of the body in hot weather occurs more readily. The clothing should be of such material as to allow free evaporation, becoming to the least degree wet with sweat, and not clinging to the skin when wet. Colour is important in that light shades throw off the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them, as do dark colours. There is also a psychological effect in light, cool colours that adds not a little to the comfort of wearing these clothes in hot weather.

It should be remembered that although sunlight is one of Nature’s most beneficient agents, injudicious exposure to the sun may be not only harmful but actually, dangerous. A healthilytanned skin cannot be acquired in a few 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. Food The food should be such that, while supplying sufficient nourishment, it pro. duces a minimum of heat. The rule in hot weather is to eat moderately

and lightly. During hot weather everybody needs much more fluid because of the water necessary for evaporation from the skin. The water consumption should be increased during the summer unless medically advised otherwise. Bathing and cool showers help to reduce weariness and add to our com- , fort 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 important to keep emotional poise during the hot weather season, * and this is often acquired by keeping mentally occupied so that there is no time to worry about the heat.

Sunbathing Makes You Healthy: But Don't Overdo It

I wish 1 had a sun-baked hill, Where I could go and lie for days, And never think or do a thing, And soak U(p ultra-violet rays. “The Cheerful Cherub." ’ I <HE sun has been regarded from THE sun has been regarded from 1 earliest times as being the source of health, life, and fertility. Ancient civilisations, such as the Aztecs, have worshipped the sun. The Father of Medicine built a temple to the sun two thousand years ago and utilised its healing properties, the reason for which was then, of course, entirely unknown. Modern scientists have discovered in sunlight certain invisible rays which make up what is known as “ultra-vio-let light.” These rays have been definitely proved to cure bone tuberculosis, to relieve the disease known as rickets, and to promote good health generally. A bath in the sun is therefore beneficial to the well-being of the average person who does not suffer from any particular complaint, and there is no doubt that the sun bath, like the air bath, should be more generally employed as a hygienic measure. ' Methods of Sunbathing In taking sun-baths, however , common sense must be exercised. The person who has been shut up indoors , all winter and then suddenly takes a day off at the beach, where he lolls about for six hours in a broiling sun, will not enjoy the soothing effects of the ultraviolet rays. Instead, he might, just as well have roasted himself on a spit before an open fire and saved himself a trip.

It is most important that treatment should be gradual, or otherwise distressing results may arise that may even be a danger to life. The head should be covered, and the eyes and back of the neck should be protected. Blonde and fair-haired people, as. a rule, show greater sensitiveness to sunlight, and the slightest over-exposure may react unfavourably, producing headache,. fever, and malaise. Both the front of the naked body and the back should be exposed not more than five minutes the first day, until an hour or more is reached with the progressive bronzing of the skin. With child-

ren, the first exposure should be three minutes and then increased daily. The general effect is manifested by increased healthiness, usually in proportion to bronzing. Vegetable oil is good to rub into sensitive skins before sun-bathing on the beaches. Exposure to intense heat should be avoided, and this applies particularly to little children. The best hours for sun-bathing are before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. No person in poor health should undertake sun-bathing without first consulting a physician. Prolonged exposure to bright sunshine in those not accustomed to its rays may be very harmful. -Bearing these cautions in mind, the daily exposure of as much as possible of the surface of the body to the direct rays of the —not, of course, to the point of blistering or extreme sunburn a health-giving measure which should be more widely employed. Ultra Violet Rays The ultra-violet rays, which are invisible, make up only about 1 per cent, of all the solar radiation. They are easily absorbed by dust, smoke, and moisture. This means that a dirty, smoky city is preventing its, inhabitants from enjoying Nature’s most precious of medicines. Other conditions being equal, life lived in the open air and sunshine makes stronger men and women than life lived indoors. All of us need sunshine and fresh air as well as food. Good food we must buy, fresh air and sunshine in this country Nature has abundantly provided. Let us use them that life may be fuller and healthier.

800/< Review

WE have received a copy of the book entitled “The ' Plant Diseases of Great Britain.” This volume is a bibliography, and as such is a useful work of reference for those who are connected with the identification of plant diseases and their control. The literature of plant pathology is now so extensive and growing so rapidly that to review the published work relating to the diseases of even a single country requires a book which is, of necessity, unwieldy and difficult to keep up to date. It is, however, to the original literature that con-

" The Plant Diseases of Great Britain 11

stant reference must be made for detailed information of any disease, and this bibliography is an attempt to collect together in a convenient form the key references for the principal plant diseases of Great Britain so that descriptions of the symptoms, the casual agents, and methods of control may be quickly found and additional information discovered. The book is compiled and annotated by G. C. Ainsworth, B.Sc., Ph. D., Experimental and Research Station, Cheshunt, Herts, England, and is published by Chapman and Hall, Ltd., London. The price is 15s.