Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-09-25
CLEANLINESS IN CAMP.

When large numbers of men are as
sembled in camp it is necessary for the
good of all that strict rules of per-
sOnal conduct and sanitation should be
enforced. These rules are by no means
hardship. They are protection. By
insisting on strict obedience to these
rules, the diseases which once took so
heavy a toll in nearly all military
camps have been brought under con-
troll; some have been practically
| eliminated
Suppose you were asked to make a
choice: either to live under conditions
in which smallpox, typhoid fever, diar-
rhea, dysentery and cholera flourish ;
/ or 10 live under strict regulations,
which make these diseases far more
of a rarity in military than in civil
| life. Your good sense would lead you
to choose the latter Bear this in mind.
See to it that you cooperate with en-
| thuSiasm in the measures that will be
taken to keep your camps clean, COM
Portable and healthful
! One of the pests of camp life, if
! perfect cleanliness is not observed, is
| the presence of swarms of flies. Flies
| are not merely annoying. They are
| dangerous. Somebody has said, with
perhaps a slight exaggeration, that to
soldiers they are more dangerous than
bullets This is because flies carry
| disease germs. They feed on manure,
garbage, uncovered food, human eX-
creta and the like. They also lay their
eggs wherever refuse of the same kind
is found. The best way to keep flies
away from camps is to destroy the
| places where they breed and feed; in
other words, keep the camp spotlessly
clean.
For this reason the daily policing
| Tor cleaning up) of the camp is a mat
| ter of first Importance. You will be
required to keep your company street
| free from even small objects, bits of
| food, and the like, which might at
tract flies or other insects. At least
once a day a squad will be detailed
to inspect and clean every square foot
of space in or near your living quar-
tiers. This is a duty which an expert
enced soldier usually performs with
more interest and thoroughness than
| the raw recruit; for he more clearly
realizes its Importance
The best safeguards against disease,
either in the army or out of it, are
soap and sunshine. You will be re-
CURED to keep everything in the camp
well scrubbed and well aired. If it
were not required, you would doubtless
be anxious to do it, anyway.
The good soldier is almost "fussy''
in the care of his person. his clothing.
his bedding and his other belongings.
Personal cleanliness includes using
only your own linen. toilet articles.
cup and mess kit. Many annoying skin
troubles and such diseases as colds
and infectious fevers are often passed
from one person to others by using
articles in common.
In the training camp there will be
plenty of shower baths, and you will.
of course, make free use of them. If
IN temporary camps or at any other
time you cannot obtain a bath, give
yourself a good stiff rub with a dry
towel. Twice q week, or oftener if
necessary, your shirts, drawers and
socks should be washed and fresh I'M
derclOthes put on. In case it is neces-
sary to sleep in your underwear, as it
probably will be, put one aside to wear
at night, so that you will always feel
fresh and clean in the morning
The scalp should be thoroughly
cleaned about as frequently as the rest
of the body. This will be made easier
if you keep your hair cut short.
The teeth should be brushed at least
once a day; twice a day is better
Neglecting this practice will cause de-
cay of the teeth, resulting in failure to
chew food thoroughly and probably
ending in stomach troubles.
Cleanliness includes also the prac-
tice of emptying your bowels at least
once a day. Get into the habit of
doing this at a certain time each
morning. 1t is a habit that can be
cultivated. just like any other habit.
Do not let a little personal inconveni-
ence or Iaziness stand in the way.
The medical corps of the army and
your own officers will use every means
within their power to safeguard and
improve your general health. Within
recent years better methods of medical
supervision have greatly reduced the
losses and the disabilities due to war
fare.
The increased power of weapons has
been more than met by increased eff
ficiency in maintaining the health of
troops and in caring for those who
are wounded.
But the responsibility for keeping
yourself in good health cannot rest
wholly upon your officers. Just as in
civil life, you are expected to use a
reasonable amount of good sense in
looking after yourself. You will do
this partly because it adds to your own
comfort and safety. You will take care
of yourself, also. because it is a duty
that every soldier owes to the country.
You will have plenty of fresh air.
exercise and good food. which are after
all the chief essentials of good health.
1t should be comparatively easy
thing for you to look after the smaller
things.
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