Year: 1861

Interesting Suggestions and Recommendations


The following article on "Soldiers' Health,


is from Halls New York Journal of Health
1t contains much valuable Information for both
soldiers and civilians:


| /. In an ordinary campaign sickness disablet
or destroys three times as many as the sword.
| 2. On march, from April to November, the
entire clothing should be colored flannel shirt
with loosely. .buttoned collar, cotton drawers
wooden pantaloons, shoes and stockings, and q
lght-coored felt hat, with broad brim to pro-
tect the eyes and face from the glare of the sun
and from the rain, and o substantial but not
heavy coat when OF duty.


3. Sun stroke ia most effectually prevented by
wearing silk handkerchief in the crown of the
hat.


A. Colored blankets are best, and if lined with
brown drilling the warmth and durability are
doubled, while the protection against dampness
from lying on the ground is almost complete.
5. Never lie or sit down on the grass or bare
earth for q moment; rather use your hat--s
handkerchief, even, is great protection. The
| warmer you are the greater need for this pro
lection, as damp vapor is Immediately gene
rated, to be absorbed by the clothing, and to
cool you off too rapidly.


6. While marching, or on other active duty,
the more thirsty you are, the more essential is it
to safety of life itself, to rinse out the mouth
two or three times, and then take swollow OF
water at time, with short intervals. A brave
French general, on forced march, fell dead on
the instant, by drinking largely of cold water,
when snow was on the ground.


7. Abundant sleep is essential to bodily eff.
cheney, and to that alertness of mind which is
all-important in an engagement; and few things
more certainly and more etfectually prevent
sound sleep than eating heartily after sun
down, especially after heavy march or despe-
late battle.


8. Nothing is more certain to secure endu
rance and capability of long-coDtinued effort,
than the avoidance of every thing as drink ex-
cept cold water, NOT excluding coffee at break
fast. Drink as little as possible, of even cold
water.


9. After any sort of exhausting effort, cup
of coffee. hot or cold, is an admirable sustainer
of the strength, until nature begins to recover
herself.


10 Never eat heartily just before great un
dertakiug, because the nervous power is ire
sistibly drawn to the stomach 10 manage the
food eaten, thus drawing off that supply which
the brain and muscles so much need.


IL. If persons will drink brandy, it is incon-
parably safer to do 80 after an efOrt than before;
for it can give only q transient strength, lasting
but few minutes; but as it can never be known
how long any given effort ID to be kept in con-
tinuance, and If longer than few minutes,
the body becomes more feeble than it would
have been without the stimulus, it is clear that
its use before an effort is always hazardous, and
is always unwise.


IL. Never 60 to sleep, especially after great
effort, even in hot weather, without come Gov
ering over you.


l3. Under all circumstances, rather than lie
down on the bare ground, lie in the hollow OF
two logs placed together, or across several
smaller pieces of wood, laid side by side; or
sit on your hat, leaning against tree. A nap
of ten or fifteen minutes in that position will
refresh you more than an hour on the bare
earth, with the additional advantage OF perfect
safety.


ID. A cut is less dangerous than bullet
wound, aud heals more rapidly.


Is. If from any wound the blood spirits out
in jets, instead of steady stream, you will
die in a few minutes, unless it is remedied;
because an artery has been divided, and that
takes the blood direct from the fountain OF life.
To stop this instantly tie handkerchief or 9th.
er cloth very loosely BETWEEN the wound aud
the heart; put a stick, bayonet, or ramrod be.
ttoeen the skin and the handkerchief; and twist it
around until the bleeding ceases, and keep it
thus until the surgeon arrives.


l6. II the blood flows in slow, regular
stream, a vein has been pierced, and the hand
kerchief must be on the other side ofthe wound
from the heart; that is, bslow the wound.


II. A bullet through the abdomen (belly or
stomach) ia more certainly fatal than If aimed
at the head or heart; for in the latter cases the
ball is often glanced off by the bone, or follows
round it under the ekin; but when it enters the
stomach or bowels, from any direction, death
is inevitable under all conceivable circum-
stances, but is scarcely ever instantaneous
Generally the person lives day or two with
perfect cIearness of intellect, often not suffeI.
ing greatly. The practical bearing Of this
statement in reference to the great future is
clear. t


l8. Let the whole beard grow, but not longer
than some three inches. This strengthens and
thicksns its growth, and thus makes q more
perfect protection for the lungs against dust,
and for the throat against winds and cold in
winter, while In the summer greater perspi-
ration of the skin is induced, with an increase
Of evaporation; hence, greater GOODNESS OF the
parts on the outside, while tho throat is less
feverish, thirsty and dry. tlt.
l9. Avoid fats and fat meats in summer aud
in all warm days.


20. Whenever possible, take plunge into
any, lake or running stream every morning as
soon as you get up; if none at hand, endeavor 10
wash the body all over as soon as you leave
your bed, for personal cleanliness acts like a
charm against all diseases, always either ward.
ing them off altogether or greatly mitigating
their severity and shortening their duration.
| 81. Keep the hair of the head closely cut,
soy within an inch and half of the scalp in
every part, repeated on the first Of each month,
and wash the whole scalp plentifully in cold wa.
ter every morning. g1


90. Wear wooden stockings and moderately
loose shoes, keeping the toe and fuger-nails
always cut close. w84


90. 1t is more important to wash the feet
we'll every night than to wash the face and
hands of mornings, because it aids in keeping
the skin and nails soft, and to prevent chafngs
blisters and corns, all Of which greatly interfere
with soldiers duty.


"a. The most universally safe position after
all stuDnDgs, hurts and wounds, is that OF be-
ing placed on the back, the head being elevated
three or four inches only, aiding more than
any one thing else can do, to equalize and re
store the proper circulation of the blood.
4 rs. The more weary you are after a marcf