Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-08-23
CLEANLINESS IN CAMP

are assembled in camp it is nee
essary for the good of all that
strict rules of personal conduct
and sanitation should be en-
forced. These rules are by no
means a hardship. They are a
protection. BY insisting on strict
obedience to these rules, the dis
eases which once took so heavy
| toll in nearly all military camps
have been brought under control:
some have been practically elm
mated.
Suppose you We're asked to
make choice: either to live un-
der conditions in which small pOX,
| typhoid fever, diarrhoea. dysen-
terry and cholera lourish; or to
live under strict regulations.
which make these diseases far
more of rarity i'm military than
i'm civil life. Your good sense
would lead you to choose the lat
ter Bear this i'm mind. See to it
that you cooperate with enthus-
iasm in the measures that will be
taken to keep your camps clean,
comfortable and llcalthful.
One of the pests of camp life, if
perfect cleanliness is not OBJ
served, is the presence of swarms
of flies. Flies are not merely an
moving They are dangerous.
Somebody has said, with perhaps
Il slight cXaggeration, that to SOL
diers they arc more dangerous
than bullets. They feed on ma
|nure, garbage, uncovered food,
| human eXcrcta and The like. They
also lay their eggs wherever re-
| fuse 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 !.
/, i'm other words, keep the camp
spotlessly clean.
/ For this reason the daily ''po-
llicing COR cleaning up of the
camp is a matter of first impor-
lance. 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
lnact ppnn 3, Joy ~ eu,,o1 will 10
detailed to inspect and clean ev-
cry square foot OF space i'm or
near your living quarters. This
is a duty which an experienced
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 required to keep every
s thing in the camp we'll scrubbed
and We'll aired. LII it We're not re-
quired, you would doubtless be
anxious to do it. anyway.
The good soldier is almost
'fussy' i'm 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
|o1ten passed from one person to
others by using articles in COM
mon.
In the training camp there will
be plenty of shower baths, and
of them. If in temporary camps
or at any other time you cannot
obtain a hath. give yourself a good
stiff rub With a dry towel. Twice
a week. or oftener if necessary,
your shirts, drawers and socks
should be washed and fresh un-
derclothes put on. In case it is
necessary to sleep i'm your under
wear. as it probably will be. put
aside one TO wear al night, so
that you will always feel clean
and fresh in the morning.
(. The scalp should be thorough
ly 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
Twill cause decay of the teeth, re-
sulting in failure to chew food
thoroughly and probably ending
lin stomach troubles.
Cleanliness includes also the
practice of emptying the bowels
at least once day. Get into the
habit of doing this at a certain
4 time each morning. 1t is a habit
that can be cultivated, just like
any other habit. Do not let a lit
tie personal inconvenience or
laZiness stand in the way.
The Medical Corps of the army
and your own officers will use ev-
cry means within their power to