Army manual of hygiene and sanitation, 1934 / [War Office].

Date:
1941
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Army manual of hygiene and sanitation, 1934 / [War Office]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/310 (page 20)
    Cessation of work or change of occupation will give rest, but sleep is necessary for the relaxation of the whole body. The first two hours of sleep are the deepest and most refreshing, but a full-grown man requires seven hours, while the young growing recruit should have at least eight hours’ sleep out of every twenty-four. Reduction in the hours of sleep, as by festive nights or by the hot stagnant air of the tropics, leads to inefficiency and incapacity for work. . Many believe that it is necessary to rise early in the ‘tropics so that the work of the day can_be done in the cool of the morning; it has been pointed out already, however, that the human body, if fit, can resist high temperatures, and it is more important that the early morning hours, which are often cooler than the night, should be spent in sleep, as adequate sleep is more important than the possible danger of working in the heat of the day. Recreation and change of occupation are restful by preventing monotony in the daily life. Recreation for the mind is required as well as recreation for the body, and, where the soldier is provided with both, he is less likely to frequent undesirable places and run the risk of contracting venereal disease. Personal hygiene The daily round of life causes many impurities to be deposited on the surface of the body and these impurities must be removed if the body is to be kept healthy. . The skin requires frequent cleansing not only to remove visible dirt, but also the salt, grease and dried sweat poured out from the glands of the skin, which otherwise will become clogged. Daily washing should be practised and special attention given to the armpits, crutch, between the buttocks, and the feet, especially between the toes. A hot bath should be taken at least once a week. Cleanliness of the hands and finger nails is most necessary especially in persons -handling food. The hands should always be washed after visits to the latrine and before meals. The hair should be kept short all over the head and should be combed and brushed daily and washed frequently. Hair- brushes and combs are often neglected and should be cleaned at least once a month. The teeth should be cleaned with a small Soft brush twice a day or at least every evening after the last meal and should be inspected regularly for signs of decay. The use of a toothpick for the removal of food particles from between the teeth after meals is a practice to be recommended and is a wiser policy than that of rubbing away the teeth and gums with a hard brush and so favouring the entrance of) germs, Dirty and decayed teeth accumulate germs and decaying matter and when germs are swallowed they poison | the body and give rise to digestive diseases and rheumatism,