Health Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 243, 4 January 1928, Page 13

Health Notes

OUT OF DOORS HOLIDAY-MAKERS HINTS TO CAMPERS (Contributed by the Department of Health). Th© spirit of holiday-making everywhere. Tired city dwellers ara picturing idyllic scenes—by sea or river or bush, with a blue sky overhead and undiluted sunshine. They grasp the opportunity of reaU ising tho joy of life out of doors and plan to crowd into a few days many pleasurable experiences denied them in the routine of life. This is as it should be, but some forethought is ncc* essarv to secure the maximum of health and happiness from the long-looked-for vacation. Sunlight, for instance, wq know to be one of nature’s most bend* ficient agents, but injudicious sun-bath-ing may be not only harmful but actually dangerous. A famous medical man has said with regard to sunlight treatment that a blister is a major blunder* of technique. A healthily-tanned 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. Little children especially should wear shady hats. To prevent sunburning and protect the face cold cream, simple talc, powder, or even ordinary flour may be used. To relieve the pain of sunburn if acquired a solution of bicarbonate of soda (one teaspoonful to the pint of warm water) is useful, followed by a soothing application of cold cream, etc. Calamine lotion is also a good application for acute sunburn.

EXERCISE AND DIET Again we all know that exercise iif the open air is an aid to health, but here again excess is harmful. The essence of a holiday is relaxation. The same brain controls the muscles and the mind, and excessive bodily fatigue is not an antidote to mental and nervous overwork. It is unscientific and harmful for those of mature years to Indulge in violent athletic exercise without proper training. A 20-mile tramp with muscles flabby from disuse means exhaustion without benefit to compensate. Even the most ardent holidaymaker is better for a sound sleep at night. Remember that a badly-pitched tent may be stuffier than a shut-up house. Every tent should have a drain dug round It to carry oft water after rain, and tho tent ropes must be slackened each night to allow for shrinkage from moisture. Waterproof ground sheets are invaluable to rest on by day or to put beneath the mattress at night The use of judiciously suspended mosquito netting gives peace and security at night where insect pests abound. Tho irritation of mosquito bites may be allayed by bathing with weak ammonia or sodium bicarbonate solution. lodine may be applied subsequently to prevent the development of infected sores. Sandflies do not readily bite a mudcovered surface—fortunately for barelegged children disporting in creek beds. The diet of campers is necessarily simplified, but it should contain a liberal supply of fresh vegetables and fruit, and a minimum of tinned food. One fact not sufficiently known is that milk should not be added to tea before putting in a thermos flask, as by this means a good medium is provided for the growth of bacteria, which may be present in the milk. Milk should bo carried separately and kept cool. Water from wayside streams may or may not be safe according to ifis source. It is safer to boil it—as is fortunately done in the popular pastime of teamaking. Meat for campers may be kept fresh and uncontaminated by flies in an improvised safe of butter muslin stretched over iron hoops and hung from a tree in a cool place. But> ter may be kept cool In an unglaaej pottery dish with wet muslin over tt. SIMPLE REMEDIES Shoes are important. No one on holiday can be happy with sore feet. For little children sandshoes are good at the seaside. Shoes for tramping must have thick soles and broad, low heels, and must not cramp the toes. They should be worn with thick stockings, preferably undarned. Stockings should be soaped before use and tho feet dusted with boracic powder. Regular daily bathing of the feet Is advisable. If blisters form, they should be let out by tunnelling under the edge with a sterilised needle. Fine strips of adhesive zinc oxide plaster should bo applied in lattice-work pattern over the affected parts. Campers should carry simple first-aid requisites, e.g.. a few bandages, some common antiseptic, as lysol. or boracic acid; tincture of iodine is generally useful. Friar’s balsam is not only beneficial for use in sore throats (a few drops every few hours on loaf sugar), but makes an excellent external protective covering for cuts. In conclusion, good campers do not deface th© landscape with debris, such as old tins, waste paper, decayed vegetable and animal matter. Such rubbish forms a breed ing-ground for flies, and may form a fertile source of infection. In any case. It is an eyesore. A true lover of nature will aJ« ways leave a scene as beautiful as found it.