Personal Hygiene and First Aid.
This is a purely arbitrary grouping of topics for the purpose of
saving space. Either of the topics mentioned could be treated at
length; detailed information will be found in any of the reference
books mentioned in the bibliography.
PERSONAL HYGIENE means "the preservation of health by attention to the
care of the body;" it is determined by the formation of correct
habits. Cleanliness of person, clothing and bedding should become a
habit of life with the soldier; but some men will always require
watching and admonition. These habits are: personal cleanliness;
regulation of diet; avoidance of excesses (eating, drinking and sexual
matters); wearing suitable clothing; keeping the bodily processes at
work (kidneys, bowels and skin); taking sufficient exercise,
preferably in the open air; rest of body and mind, with recreation for
the latter; maintaining the surroundings in which one lives in a
cleanly state.
BATHING is easily the most important requirement in matters of
personal hygiene; men should bathe as often as conditions of life in
barracks and camp will permit. On the march a vigorous "dry rub" with
a coarse towel will often prove an excellent substitute when water is
not available. _Teeth_ should be cleaned at least twice daily.
_Clothing_ should be kept clean, particularly underclothing. _Diet_ is
not a matter which a soldier can determine to any extent for himself;
but he can follow a certain few precautions:
1. Don't eat hurriedly; chew the food properly.
2. Don't overload the stomach.
3. Don't eat green or overripe fruit.
4. Don't eat anything while away from camp or barracks, whose
materials or manner of preparation seem questionable.
5. Don't bring a "grouch" to the table with you.
6. Don't eat on the march; don't drink too much water on the march.
SEXUAL INDULGENCE is a matter to be handled tactfully, but with
absolute frankness. Men should be taught that it is not a matter of
necessity; that their health will not suffer by any lack of it; that
they themselves will be the sufferers for any violations of rules of
health. The procedure directed by the War Department for purposes of
combatting infection is as follows:
1. That physical inspections of enlisted men be made twice each month
for the detection of venereal disease.
2. That any soldier who exposes himself to infection shall report for
cleansing and preventive treatment immediately upon return to camp or
garrison.
3. That any soldier who fails so to report, if found to be suffering
from a venereal infection, shall be brought to trial by court martial
for neglect of duty.
4. That men so infected shall be confined strictly to the limits of
the post during the infectious stages of the disease.
5. That all officers serving with troops shall do their utmost to
encourage healthful exercises and physical recreation and to supply
opportunities for cleanly social and interesting mental occupations
for the men under their command.
6. That company and medical officers shall take advantage of favorable
opportunities to point out the misery and disaster that follow upon
moral uncleanliness; and the fact that venereal disease is never a
trivial affair.
With a great many men these precautions and measures will not be
necessary but for the sake of those who are ignorant or neglectful,
proper steps should at all times be taken.
EXERCISE.--A sufficient amount of exercise to maintain health is
ordinarily provided by military drills and other duties requiring
active movement. But this should be regarded only as the minimum of
exercise; athletic work should be encouraged (and this will be done by
the present activities of those "higher up"); bayonet training will be
found an excellent medium of accomplishing a double purpose;
calisthenics should be short but snappy and vigorous. A vigorous
policy of an officer as regards things of this sort will ward off a
great many minor ills and particularly "colds," which are often the
result of poor ventilation.
CLEANLINESS OF SURROUNDINGS.--Men should be taught that cleanliness of
surroundings is not merely for purposes of inspection; but that it is
absolutely necessary where a great number of men are living together
in close quarters. Quarters should be well policed; the company street
should be kept clean; refuse of all sorts should be kept in
receptacles provided for that purpose and frequently removed. A police
squad appointed daily should be charged with this work, and the
corporal of the same made responsible for the condition of quarters
and the company street.
PREVENTABLE DISEASES.--Men should be given a certain amount of
theoretical knowledge of preventable diseases. These matters will be
taken care of to a large extent by the Medical Corps; but men should
be taught just what precautions are necessary to avoid recourse to the
hospital.
VENEREAL diseases have already been touched upon.
TYPHOID FEVER is a germ disease and communicable. Vaccination is the
first preventive; protection of water supply is the second; thorough
disposal of wastes is a third; and sharp punishment for violation of
sanitary regulations is a fourth. Habits of personal cleanliness will
do much to prevent any such disease.
DYSENTERY is very common in field service, but may be prevented by
same methods as for typhoid fever, save for vaccination; men suffering
from this malady should be isolated, if possible, and utmost
precaution taken to prevent spread of the disease.
MALARIA is a mosquito disease; get rid of mosquitoes and then you will
get rid of the carrier of the germs. Quinine may act as a preventive.
Cases should be isolated, if possible.
TONSILITIS AND COLDS may be combatted very effectively by proper
precautions as to ventilation.
MEASLES.--Very important but little known; isolation recommended.
There are many other diseases concerning which the men should be
instructed, but lack of space prevents further treatment of them. They
should be taught the proper treatment of blistered feet, for they
incapacitate a great many men; the chief causes are ill-fitting shoes
and our old friend "uncleanliness." Shoes are the most important
article of clothing of the infantryman; each man should have one pair
well broken in for marching, and two other pairs. Socks should be
soft, smooth and without holes--also _clean_. Further steps for the
prevention of blisters are; hardening of the skin by appropriate baths
for the feet; soaping the feet; or adopting some other means of
reducing the friction of the foot against the sock. _Treatment_--Wash
the feet; open the blister at the lowest point, with a clean needle;
dress with vaseline or other ointment and protect with adhesive
plaster, care being taken not to shut out the air. Zinc oxide plaster
is excellent. Sterilize a needle; thread it with a woolly thread and
run it through blister, leaving ends projecting about one-half inch;
this will act as a wick and dry up blister in short time.
FIRST AID.--Explain to the men the uses of the first aid packet and of
the pouch carried by the Medical Corps. (This pouch is being replaced
by web-belts with pockets.)
WOUNDS may be classed as ordinary cuts, inside wounds, lacerated,
punctured and poisoned wounds. For ordinary minor wounds--iodine and
exposure to the air are usually sufficient. _War wounds_ are usually
caused by something having an explosive effect and may be accompanied
by hemorrhage, shock and even loss of function; they may be arterial
or venous.
POISONED WOUNDS are of two sorts; external and internal.
DIAGNOSIS TAG.--This tag placed on a soldier shows wound, name, rank,
regiment, treatment received, etc. This tag should be carefully read
before further treatment is accorded.
TREATMENT OF WOUNDS.--The compress, of the first aid packet will
always prove of help.
BLEEDING WOUNDS.--The bandage of the first aid packet will stop all
ordinary bleeding; but in aggravated cases the bleeding may be stopped
by pressure on the artery, between the wound and the heart. This may
be done by hand or by means of the forceps in the medical pouch. The
points of compression should be learned and located; in front of the
ear just above the socket of the jaw; in the neck in front of the
strongly marked muscle reaching from behind the ear to the upper part
of the breast bone; in the hollow behind the collar bone; just behind
the inner border of the larger muscle of the arm; the femoral artery
at the middle of the groin where the artery passes over the bone.
Bleeding may also be stopped to some extent by elevating the wounded
part. A tourniquet may be improvised by using the compress, running a
stick or the bayonet through the band, and taking up the slack by
twisting.
POISONED WOUNDS.--For a _snakebite_ make a tight constriction just
above the wound; make an incision at the bite and suck out the poison.
_Do it quickly_. If this is impossible, follow the same plan but give
a stimulant; repeatedly loosen the constriction and let a little of
the poison into the system at a time to be neutralized. In cases of
chemical poisoning do not follow the usual method of treating
poisoning. _Do not make the patient vomit_, but give him something fat
or albuminous such as raw eggs or milk. This forms mercurial
albuminate. _Ptomaine_ poisoning (symptoms are headache, cramps,
nausea, high fever and chills, etc.). Drink salt water, vomit and
repeat the procedure to clean out the stomach. A purgative should also
be taken. Ice cream and milk kept too long are frequent causes of this
sort of poisoning, as are dishes kept in the icebox over night.
FAINTING, HEAT EXHAUSTION AND SHOCK are all of the same class;
symptoms are the same--weak pulse, paleness and low temperature,
tendency to fall to ground. Often follows taking too much water on the
march. Treatment should be in nature of stimulant; make patient lie
down, get blood to his head, wrap him in blankets, give him hot
drinks, etc.
SUNSTROKE.--Symptoms and treatment are different. Patient has a high
temperature. Keep his head high and feet low; disrobe him and pour
cold water on him; keep him in a cool place until temperature lowers
to 101; then remove cold water and temperature will go down itself. Do
not apply cold water too long as the temperature may go to sub-normal
which is just as dangerous as a temperature abnormally high.
BURNS AND SCALDS.--Air should be shut out; otherwise treat like
blister, care being taken not to remove skin. Do not put on anything
that will stick and do not try to remove anything that has a tendency
to stick; put on linseed oil and water, cotton and a loose bandage.
FREEZING AND FROSTBITES.--Use ice water and snow to start with. Keep
the patient cool until he is thawed out. Massage and gradually work up
to a warmer temperature.
FRACTURES are of three kinds; simple, compound and comminuted.
Simple: Bones do not penetrate the skin (may be single or double).
Compound: Bones penetrate the skin and cause infection.
Comminuted: Bone is shattered.
Indications of a fracture are: Pain, redness, swelling and mobility
where it ought not to be.
TREATMENT.--Find out the kind of fracture. Paint the wound and put on
first aid packet; replace the clothes and splint the break. Splints
should not be too long so as to cause any friction or annoyance to the
patient. They may be made out of any available material, such as
rifle, bayonet, shingle, piece of board, scabbard, etc. Bind them
firmly but not too tightly.
ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION.--This subject is worthy of more treatment than
it can be accorded here. Any text on first aid will explain thoroughly
the Schaefer method, which is now the standard method in the army.
Points to be remembered in this method are; remove foreign articles
from the mouth; curl the little finger over the 12th rib; avoid the
pelvic bones; hold the arms straight and apply the pressure by means
of the whole body brought forward; take care not to break a rib; do
not give up too soon.
TRENCH FOOT.--This is due to long standing with legs and feet in wet
clothes. There are three types:
Mild: Symptoms are numbness and a slight swelling.
Medium: Additional symptom of a bluing of the leg; also large
blisters.
Severe: Gangrene sets in.
Tight clothes help to bring on these things. Keep the shoes, socks and
breeches loose; keep the clothes dry; furnish the men with hot food in
the trenches and so keep up the circulation. _Do not use grease_.
Trench foot can be avoided by proper treatment, and punishment should
follow upon its contraction.