EATING
TEETH
HANDS
EYES
EARS
NOSE
HAIR
FEET
INTERNAL ORGANS
BATHING
SLEEP
CLOTHING
Eating
Very little thought is given by the boy to what he eats, as long as it
suits his taste, and there is an ample supply. The causes of most skin
diseases are largely traceable to diet. Chew the food slowly. Don't "bolt"
food. Your stomach is not like that of a dog. Food must be thoroughly
masticated and moistened with saliva. Hasty chewing and swallowing of food
makes masses which tend to sour and become poison. This often accounts for
the belching of gas, sense of burning and pain, and other forms of
distress after eating. Drink before or after meals. Don't overeat.
Conversation aids digestion. Eating between meals is detrimental to good
digestion. Regular meal hours should prevail. After dinner is the best
time to eat candy or sweets.
[Illustration: Camp Tooth Brush]
The Teeth
If the tooth brush gets lost make one out of a dry stick, about six inches
long, which can be frayed out at the ends like the illustration. A clean
mouth is as important as a clean body. The teeth should be cleaned twice a
day, morning and evening. Insist upon the bringing of a tooth brush to
camp. Impress upon the boys that time spent upon teeth cleansing will
prevent hours of agony upon a dentist chair. Cleansing the teeth of sticky
deposits by running fine threads between them, in addition to the use of a
brush and a simple powder, prevents deposits from becoming the starting
point of decay.
The Hands
Care of hands and nails is much neglected in camp, Nails should be
properly trimmed and the "mourning" removed from underneath the nails. The
habit of biting the finger nails is dangerous. Finger nails should be cut
once a week with sharp scissors or "clip." If the nails be neglected and a
scratch received from the infected fingers the system may be inoculated
with disease. The cleansing of the hands after using the lavatory needs
special emphasis, for in no place do more germs collect and spread. Boys
should not be permitted to use each other's towels, combs, brushes, or
soap. A towel may carry germs from one boy to another.
The Eyes
Never strain the eyes. When reading, always let the light come over the
shoulder and upon the page, the eyes being in the shadow. Do not read with
the sunlight streaming across the page. When writing have the light come
from the left side. Do not rub the eyes with the hands. Headaches and
nervousness are due largely to defective vision. "Work, play, rest and
sleep, muscular exercise, wise feeding, and regular removal of the
waste--these and all other hygienic habits help to keep the eyes sound and
strong."--Sedgewick.
The Ear
It is dangerous to put a pointed pencil or anything sharpened into the
ear. "Boxing" the ear, shouting in the ear, exploding a paper bag, may
split the drum and cause deafness. The best way to remove excess wax from
the ear is to use a soft, damp cloth over the end of the finger. Ear-wax
is a protection against insects getting in from the outside.
The Nose
Keep the nose free from obstructions, and avoid the use of dirty
handkerchiefs. Always breathe through the nose and not through the mouth.
Boys who observe this rule will not get thirsty while on a hike or get out
of breath so easily. They don't breathe in all sorts of microbes or seeds
of disease, and they don't snore at night.
The Hair
In washing the hair avoid using soap more than once a week, as it removes
the natural oil of the hair. Frequent combing and brushing adds to the
lustre, and the head gets a beneficial form of massage. Wear no hat at
camp, except to protect from sun rays or rain.
The Feet
Footwear is a matter of importance. Shoes should never be worn too tight.
They not only hinder free movements, but also hinder the blood
circulation, and cause coldness and numbness of the extremities. Sore
feet, because of ill-fitting shoes, are a detriment to happy camp life.
Have good, well-fitting, roomy shoes, and fairly stout ones. Keep the feet
dry. If they are allowed to get wet, the skin is softened and very soon
gets blistered and rubbed raw.
[Illustration: Figure 1. Figure 2.]
Figure 1 shows a perfectly shaped foot. This is the natural shape, and if
the boy is allowed to go barefooted or wear sandals, his foot will assume
this shape. Figure 2 shows the distorted shape brought about by cramped
shoes. The best thing to wear is thick moccasins of moose hide.
Internal Organs
Constipation is a frequent camp complaint, and is usually the result of
change in diet and drinking water. The habit of having a daily movement of
the bowels is of great importance to a boy's health. The retention of
these waste products within the body for a longer period tends to produce
poisonous impurities of the blood, a muddy-looking skin, headaches, piles,
and many other evils. Eat plenty of fruit, prunes, and graham bread. Drink
plenty of water. Take plenty of exercise.
Bathing
One bath a day in fresh water is all that is necessary. Boys go into the
water too often and remain too long. This accounts for the rundown
appearance of some boys. The body gives off heat every minute it is in
cool water, and also when exposed wet to the breezes, and heat is life.
All boys should be encouraged to take a dip before breakfast with a rapid
rubdown. Then a good swim in the warm part of the day. Usually about 11:30
A.M. is a good time for the swim. If a swim is taken after supper, be
careful to dress warm afterward.
Sleep
Normal boys need nine or ten hours sleep. Sleep is a time for physical
growth. Have the tent open back and front at night to insure plenty of
fresh air. There must be a complete change of clothing on retiring.
Flannel clothing should be worn at night. Sleep alone. Nine o'clock or
nine-thirty, at latest, should find every boy in bed.
Clothing
Wear clean clothing, particularly underwear. Frequently a rash appearing
on the body is a result of wearing dirty-shirts. The wearing of belts
tends to constrict the abdomen, thus hindering the natural action of the
intestines, which is essential to good digestion. Hernia (ruptures) may
result from wearing tightly drawn belts. To dress the body too warm
lessens the power to resist cold when there happens to be a change in the
atmosphere. Put on extra clothing at sundown, without waiting to begin to
feel cold. During eating of meals it is well to have the legs and arms
covered when it is at all cool. The cooling of large surfaces of the body
while eating, even if it is not noticed, retards digestion, and taxes the
vitality. Many a boy gets a cold by neglecting to take this precaution.
GENERAL HINTS
Two flannel shirts are better than two overcoats.
Don't wring out flannels or woolens. Wash in cold water, very soapy, and
then hang them up dripping wet, and they will not shrink.
If you keep your head from getting hot, and keep your feet dry, there will
be little danger of sickness.
If your head gets too hot, put green leaves inside your hat.
If your throat is parched and you can get no water, put a pebble in your
mouth. This will start the saliva and quench the thirst.
HEALTH MAXIMS AND QUOTATIONS
"Keep thyself pure."
"Health is wealth."
"A sound mind in a sound body."
"Fresh air and sunshine are necessary to good health."
"Cleanliness is the best guard against disease."
"A clean mouth is as important as a clean body."
"Virtue never dwelt long with filth."
"Temperance, exercise, and repose
Slam the door on the doctor's nose."
--Longfellow.
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
"Health and cheerfulness naturally beget each other."
--Addison.
"Nor love, nor honor, wealth nor power,
Can give the heart a cheerful hour,
When health is lost. Be truly wise.
With health, all taste of pleasure flies."
--Gay.
"Health is a second blessing that we mortals are capable of:
a blessing that money cannot buy."
--Walton.
"There are three wicks, you know, to the lamp of a man's life: brain,
blood, and breath. Press the brain a little, its light goes out, followed
by both the others. Stop the heart a minute, and out go all three of the
wicks. Choke the air out of the lungs, and presently the fluid ceases to
supply the other centres of flame, and all is soon stagnation, cold, and
darkness."
--O. W. Holmes.
[Illustration: Bending the Bow--Camp Kineo]